Collection Development Policy Revamped: Evanston Teen Library

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

The purpose of this Collection Development policy is to provide guidance and understanding for teen librarians, library staff, and stakeholders on how the Evanston Teen Library selects, acquires, and evaluate materials that are added to their collections. This includes providing objectives for creating a balanced teen collection and the criteria used for making those selections. With an understanding that the needs of teens are constantly changing along with developments in technology and their communities, this library selects and acquire materials that meets their overall needs in the areas of personal, educational, recreational, and cultural growth.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION

As this library is a part of the Illinois Library Network, the overall responsibility for the collection rests with the Library’s executive board. The responsibility for acquiring and maintaining the collection rests in the hands of knowledgeable library professions. In selecting materials however, those decisions will be made by both the librarians and their teens who utilize the space. The final responsibility for material selections and retention lies with the Director of the Illinois Library Network.

OBJECTIVES OF THE TEEN COLLECTION

• To promote literacy and help teens become lifelong learners
• To help teens learn more about themselves by selecting and acquiring materials where there is diversity in characters, settings, and cultures
• To provide access to a variety of opinions that shares different viewpoints and encourage freedom of expression
• To provide access to resources that will expand their knowledge base about past and current events and trends
• To encourage continuous learning and advancement through skill building and critical thinking
• To maintain an online digital collection where teens have access to resources twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

In ensuring that librarians and teens select materials that are appropriate for the Evanston Teen Library, they should follow the criteria below:

1. Has the material been reviewed by professional book reviewers (Kirkus, School Library Journal), critics, media, and teens?
2. Can the material be maintained for long term use by other teens ?
3. Is the subject matter of the material covered written for teens?
4. Does the material reflect what teens are going through today?
5. Does the material to be purchased add to the current collection at the Library?
6. Does the material have diverse characters, settings, etc. that allows teens to see themselves in the books they read?

HANDLING COLLECTION CHALLENGES FROM THE PUBLIC

If a member of the community would like to challenge any of the materials in the Evanston Teen collection, he/she may compete a REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION form and submit it to the Office of the Executive Director. The Library Materials Reviews Committee will review the material using resources surrounding the item including book reviews, critiques, and guidelines set forth by the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom which includes the Library Bill of Rights, Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights including that for Challenged Materials, etc. The assistant will respond to the patron accordingly with their decision.

The library does not discriminate in their collection practices and will acquire materials that reflect all walks of life and point of views.

 

Hood, Money, and Power: A Starter Guide into the Street Lit Genre

Street literature is a unique literary genre in that it does not “conform to the standards of mainstream publishing, where tastes are dominated by whiteness and middle- and upper-class aspirations” (Honig, 2011, p.xii). Instead, it tells stories from the “hood,” disadvantaged areas of the inner city that lack resources and opportunities. Street lit authors like Sister Soulja, K’wan, and Teri Woods set out to write stories which take place in their neighborhoods and share the realities of a world outside of white suburbia.

Street lit features “raw, gritty, urban stories set in the violent, dangerous, familiar, and exhilarating landscape of the streets” (Honig, 2011, p.ix). The elements which comprise street lit include:

• Characters: Oftentimes, but not always, African-American. Reymundo Sanchez’s My Bloody Life (see below) features a Latino protagonist
• Stories with one or more of the following themes: Survival; crime and violence, sex; drug dealings; robberies; prostitution; betrayal and revenge
• Setting: Usually disadvantaged areas, urban African-American neighborhoods, or large metropolitan cities (e.g. New York, Philadelphia, Miami). However, some street lit takes place in less prominent cities (e.g. Richmond,VA and Gary, ID)
• Hip hop elements: Rap music, street fashion (brand name clothing), expensive cars, jewelry, and money

It is important to note that street literature is not the same as urban literature. While street literature contains the elements mentioned above, themes in urban literature can be much broader and may not necessarily center around drugs, sex, or money. For example, a piece of urban literature may focus on life lessons, while still being set in a disadvantaged area.

Our intent is to construct a list for teen readers interested in exploring the genre of street lit. All selected works have general appeal to this age group, as they feature teenage protagonists and offer views into the stark realities of their lives. While a “universal teen experience” does not exist, the following works offer an array of unique perspectives, elements of which even a teen reader unfamiliar with the genre may be able to relate to. Ultimately, we aim to offer a balanced list that reflects the locational, experiential, cultural, and sexual diversity present in street lit.

If you’re new to street lit, we recommend starting with:

Souljah, S. (1999). The coldest winter ever. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Seventeen-year-old Winter Santiaga is determined to stay on top after the arrest of her father, one of New York’s biggest drug czars, leading her to use an arsenal of deceptive tactics and schemes to make money and–most importantly–to survive. Souljah’s A Deeper Love Inside is the sequel to this classic, following the story of Winter’s sister, Porsche Santiaga.

 

If you’re looking for a street lit series filled with romance and suspense, we recommend:

 

Woods, T. (1999). True to the game: A Teri Woods fable. New York: Teri Woods Publishing.

This story follows the romance between Gena, a street-smart Philadelphia teenager, and Quadir, a wealthy cartel associate, during the 1980s. They both find themselves in predicaments that test their “ride or die” relationship when their enemies come after them, in this tale of betrayal, family drama, and love. Start with True to the Game I in this three book series.

 

If you’re looking for a street-lit novel featuring an African American male protagonist:

Seven. (2008). Gorilla Black: A novel. New York: One World Books.

Growing up in Virginia’s projects with an uncaring and alcoholic mother, Bilal Cunningham finds refuge in the works of poets like Shakespeare. But after his little brother Keon is murdered, Bilal’s life goes downhill, and he turns to the lucrative life of a drug dealer. Bilal falls in love with his childhood friend Starr, but her descent into drug abuse and the dark secrets she keeps threaten to break the last of Bilal’s humanity.

 

If you’re looking for a street lit title featuring a Latino male protagonist:

Sanchez, Reymundo. (2000). My bloody life: The making of a Latin king. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.

In this memoir, Puerto Rican Reymundo Sanchez provides an account of how his abusive childhood led him to turn to a life of sex, drugs, and alcohol in 1980s Chicago. He details how fear and his need for a support system fueled his decision to join the notorious street gang, the Latin Kings. Sanchez provides a candid look at the violence, ruthlessness, and bleakness pervasive within gang culture.

 

If you’re looking for a street lit novel featuring LGBTQ characters:

Britt, A.C. (2007). London reign. New York: Ghettoheat.

Androgynous teenager London Walters must contend with the violence of Boston’s inner streets, as well as her abusive and alcoholic father. But when she is kicked out of her home for failing to conform to the role of a traditional daughter, London moves to Detroit, where she creates a new life for herself. While struggling for acceptance and doing what she must to survive, London finds herself embroiled in conflicts involving secrets, love, and betrayal.

 

5 Resources Used to Develop the List (w/ explanations):

Brooks, W. & Savage, L. (2009). Critiques and controversies of street literature: A formidable literary genre. The ALAN Review, 48-55. Retrieved from https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v36n2/pdf/brooks.pdf

This paper primarily discusses the appeal of street literature to readers, and also presents critiques of works within the genre. For readers unfamiliar with street literature, the “Definition, History, Characteristics” section provides a helpful introduction. The paper also includes excerpts from selected street literature titles, such as Teri Woods’ True to the Game I, which we highlighted above.

 

Dani’s World (2015, November 2). What is urban fiction? Setting the record straight: urban fiction vs street literature . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxpxcO97MME

This 11-minute video features an author panel discussion on what constitutes urban fiction, and how that differs from street literature. The video helped inform our decisions on the selections we made, as we wanted to stick with works which stayed true to the street literature genre.

 

Honig, M. (2011) Urban grit: A guide to street lit. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC

This book provides a comprehensive introduction on the street literature genre and serves as a useful tool for readers’ advisory services. This resource includes appendices listing street literature titles which are age and institution appropriate for young adult readers. In compiling our selections, Appendix B: Core Collection for Young Adults (Public Library) and Appendix C: Core Collection for Young Adults (School Library) were used as a reference, in conjunction with the supplied plot summaries for each title.

 

Morris, V.I. (2011) The readers’ advisory guide to street literature. Chicago, IL: American Library Association Editions

This book is a useful resource for librarians providing readers’ advisory on street literature. Aside from providing an introduction to the genre, it presents a selection of “teen-friendly” titles and discusses how they can be incorporated into a library’s collection. Specifically, the chapter entitled “The Diversity Within Street Lit” gave us an idea of how to develop a diverse street lit collection representating different backgrounds, characters, and themes.

 

Morris, V.I. (2011) The street lit author and the inner-city reader. Young Adult Library Services, 10(1), 21-24. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=c0924f4a-1169-4748-9e36-fe9005859de5%40sessionmgr120

This short article discusses the appeal of street literature for inner-city teenagers. It was consulted for informational purposes to learn more about the genre.

Diversity in Books: A Chance for Positive Identity Formation and Success

 

Image: Scott, J. (2014, December 4). The challenge in finding black children’s books [photo]. Retrieved from http://mochaparents.com/black-childrens-books/

 

Being able to see yourself in the books you read is not only affirming your identity in the world, but also lets readers know that they matter. After listening to the two episodes from the Scholastic Reads podcast, I Exist: Why Representation in Children’s Books Matter (2017) and Openly, Honestly Bill: Bill Koenigsberg on Reading and Writing with Pride (2017), the authors confirmed my beliefs. Daniel Holder, the author of Shadowshapers series, argued that children of color need to see themselves not as villains, but as heroes who are capable of doing amazing things. Author Wendy Shang said that it was important for children to see themselves in books because it gives children hope to pursue their goals and build aspirations. Bill Koenigsberg puts himself in his characters to show that while coming out as gay has its opponents, he assures readers that they are still loved and are no different from anyone else in the world.

As these authors have shared, being able to connect with the book and walk in the character’s shoes is important. It will allow the reader to connect, to believe, and to understand that they are worthy of being seen and heard. Children and teens need to be able to confirm their identities in the world, and one way to do this is to give books teens can relate to. Whether it be urban fiction where they can see themselves in the “hood”, or learning about astronauts like Sally Ride and Mae Jameson, they can see themselves in their shoes and join in their journey. These are primarily the reasons why I would want to build a diverse collection; to give our youth a chance to see themselves in a positive light (outside of the news and society) and to build self confidence. As a librarian, I know I did my job if I gave him/her a book that made them believe that anything and everything is possible.

If in fact our collection were successful with the teens, I would love to share what we learned and provide best practices to my colleagues at other branches and eventually, libraries across the country. Since teens are very active on social media (Choi, 2016), I would suggest that librarians tap into them as a valuable resource. I would also want to appeal librarians to think about diversity as a goal for their libraries to show that they are inclusive intuitions. Along with sharing tips about forming teen advisory groups, creating book displays and book lists, conducting programs and outreach using materials with diverse characters, I would want to leave critics with this question: “imagine if you were a minority, female, gay, or Muslim, how would you feel if your library didn’t supply you with books you see yourself in?” In starting this thought-provoking challenge, my hope is that librarians come on board with the diverse books movement, and that all libraries will supply materials where youth can see themselves in the books they read.

References

Choi, M.H.K. (2016, August 25). Like. Flirt. Ghost: A journey into the social media lives of teens. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2016/08/how-teens-use-social-media/

Scholastics Read. (2017, October 26). I exist: Why representation in children’s books matters. Retrieved from http://oomscholasticblog.com/podcast

Scholastics Read. (2017, June 8). Openly honest Bill: Bill Koenigsberg on reading and writing with pride. Retrieved from http://oomscholasticblog.com/podcast

 

 

 

Kyi’s Eyes & Spies: How Your Being Tracked and Why You Should Know

Kyi, T.L. (2017) Eyes & spies: How you’re tracked and why you should know. Toronto, Canada: Annick Press

VOYA Ratings

Grade Level Interest: M/J

Quality: 4Q

Popularity: 3P

Have you ever had a feeling that someone was watching you walk down an empty street? What about when your at home watching television or surfing the internet? If so, please rest assure: you are not crazy! In Eyes & Spies: How You’re Tracked and Why You Should Know, Kyi (2017) discusses how larger entities like corporations and the government are intentionally spying on people and what it means in terms of our rights to privacy and freedom. While I understood that this was already happening, I was curious to know of the ways in which this is done and if Kyi offered suggestions on how we can protect ourselves from “big brother”.

This book should be added to the teen collection for a number of reasons. First, the book is addressed to teens and how the infringement of their privacy affects them socially and mentally. Secondly, teens are the highest users of social media such as Facebook and Instagram. When teens post a picture, tweet a comment, or hit the like button on an ad or their friend’s picture, their actions are being tracked and aggregated into valuable data for corporate use. Teens should not only be aware of how they are being tracked, but also how they can protect themselves.

January, B. (2015). Information insecurity: Privacy under siege. Breckenridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books

Grade Level Interest: M/J

Quality: 4Q

Popularity: 3P

If you liked this book, you may also like Information Insecurity: Privacy Under Siege by Brenden January. This book extends on Kyi’s chapter on the Internet, which focuses on the collection of data by corporate entities, the Internet privacy debate, and how to safeguard yourself online.

Appeal factors according to Novelist

Genre: Social Issues

Subjects: Data Protection, Internet, Privacy Rights

 

Jacqueline Woodson’s “Brown Girl Dreaming”: A Masterpiece

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books

VOYA Rating

Grade Level Interest: M, J

Quality: 5Q

Popularity: 4P

Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (2014) is not your typical autobiography; it is a work of poetic art. Drawing from her memories to skillfully craft her titles and stories, she uses poetic elements like stanza, verse, and imagery to evoke emotions and visuals that allow readers to walk in her shoes. She also writes fluidly with equally powerful words, impacting the reader that provokes thought and reflection. Aside from the numerous literary awards this book received, including the National Book Award, I chose this book because I love learning about people, their unique experiences, and how those contributed to who they have become.

I would definitely add this masterpiece to my library’s teen collection. As I had mentioned earlier, readers can reflect upon their own lives after reading Woodson’s autobiography. In her work, she writes about her experiences with racism, friendships, family, religion, and moving, which readers may be able to relate to in today’s society.  Readers may even find her as a role model; someone who wants to become an aspiring writer or are just trying to find their own identities in the midst of societal/media influence and peer pressure (Latham & Gross, 2014, 112).

 

Coates, T. (2015). Between the world and me. New York: Spiegel & Grau

If you liked Brown Girl Dreaming as much as I did, I would also recommend Between the World and Me (2015) by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Expanding on the theme of racial inequality that was touched in Brown Girl Dreaming, this book is a reflection of Mr. Coates life as a black boy/man in a dominant White world. According to Novelist, both titles sharing these appeal factors:

Genre: Autobiographies and memoirs

Tone: Thought-Provoking

Writing Style: Lyrical and Thoughtful

Subject: African Americans

VOYA Rating for Ta-Nahisi Coates Between the World and Me

Grade Level Interest: S, A/YA

Quality: 5Q

Popularity: 4P

References

Latham, D. & Gross, M. (2014). Young adult resources today: Connection teens with books, music, games, movies, and more. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

Monstress Vol 1: Awakening

Liu, Marjorie. Monstress Volume One: Awakening. Image Comics, 2016. 192 pages. Tr. $9.99, ISBN 978-1632157096

VOYA Evaluation

Grade Level Interest: S; NA; A/YA

Quality: 4Q

Popularity: 3P

Truth be told, this is my first time reading a comic book or graphic novel. Even though I loved watching shows like Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon as a kid, it never appealed to me to pick up a comic/graphic novel from the stacks.When I saw that there was a comic on the syllabus, I decided to take a chance and read something different. Although I was confused at first on the order in which the dialogue is read, when I finally got a hang of it, I was captivated by the story line and use of color in the images.

Although one could argue that the images and language used in Monstress Volume One: Awakening are a bit vulgar (nudity, bloodshed, and profanity), I would gladly add this title to my teen collection. The images and spoken dialogue align with the characters expression and personality, which would help teen readers follow the story line easier. The main protagonist, Maika Halfwolf is also relatable to teens as she is ambitious, loyal, ruthless, and a teen herself. If I introduced her to a teen reader as someone with strong magic, determination, and share those qualities mentioned before, I think Monstress could be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.

Houser, Jody. Mother Panic. Vol 1, A Work in Progress. DC Comics, 2017.176 pages. Tr. $16.99, ISBN 978-1401271114

If you really enjoyed the first volume of the Monstress series, I’m sure you would continue to read the entire series (there are 12 issues currently). However, if you are looking for another graphic novel series, I would recommend Mother Panic. Vol 1, A Work in Progress. Like Maika, Violet Paige has a tough exterior displayed through her rage and assaults against their enemies. However, both characters also have a soft side to them as well; wanting to save others who were held hostage by captors.  Maika and Violet are also looking to their past to drive the story line to what looks like an adventurous future.

Below are the shared appeal terms Novelist identified between the two titles:

Genre: Graphic Novels

Character: Strong female

Subject: Revenge

Publisher Profile: Albert Whitman & Company

Albert Whitman & Company

250 S. Northwest Hwy #320

Park Ridge, IL 60068-4272

URL: http://www.albertwhitman.com

Established in 1919, Albert Whitman & Company is an independent publishing house based in Park Ridge, Illinois. They are perhaps best known for the classic series The Boxcar Children Mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner, which started publication in 1942. While the company started off with publishing children’s books, specifically geared toward ages 3 and 12, they expanded their market and now publish for teens under the Albert Whitman Teen imprint (Button, 2015). The company publishes about 40 to 50 hardcover titles per year, with existing titles converted to paperback (Pubmatch, 2016). In Spring 2016, they added 15 more titles to their publication list; attributed to their company’s expansion to print teen materials (Button, 2015). Albert Whitman & Company hopes to expand their publications to 150 hardcover books per year by 2020 (Button, 2015).

All works published by Albert Whitman & Company deals with some issue-related theme that people experience. While their teen titles are not as extensive, as they just started publishing for teens only a few years ago, most works seem to fall under the historical or contemporary fiction genre. For example, Stronger Than You Know and The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry are contemporary fiction titles that has themes of romance, abuse, and self esteem issues.  Laura Hurwitz’s Disappear Home is a historical fiction title that has themes of abuse, depression, and social concerns.  If you would like to view other teen titles published by Albert Whitman & Company, you may visit https://www.albertwhitman.com/catalog/.

 

If would like to read reviews for both Jolene Perry titles mentioned above, please visit the links below:

Review of The Summer I Found You from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18378839-the-summer-i-found-you

Review of Stronger Than You Know from Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jolene-perry/stronger-than-you-know/

Want to learn more about Albert Whitman & Company?

Follow them on social media at:

Facebook: @atlbertwhitmancompany

Twitter: @albertwhitman
Instagram: @albertwhitman
Pinterest: @albertwhitmanco

References

Button, L. (2015, August 20). Small press profile: Albert Whitman & Company expanding in new directions. Retrieved from http://www.bookweb.org/news/small-press-profile-albert-whitman-company-expanding-new-directions

Pubmatchmedia. (2016, August 19). Albert Whitman & Company. Retrieved from https://www.pubmatch.com/profile/1286/albert-whitman-company.html

 

Book Reviews: Jason Reynold’s Ghost and Stacey Lee’s Outrun the Moon

Reynolds, Jason. Ghost. Atheneum/Caitlyn Diouhy. 192 pages. TR $17.99, ISBN 978-1481450157

“You can’t run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be” – Coach from Jason Reynolds, Ghost.

Enter the mind of Castle “Ghost” Crenshaw, a young, talented Black tween who is not only a naturally fast runner, but also someone who has gone through complex situations in his young life. At 11 years old, Ghost and his mother has already experienced running away from his enraged father who shot at them with a gun in their inner city home. He’s also been the target of laughter at his middle school because of where he lives, his tight fitting clothing and worn out sneakers. While things may seem like its already downhill for young Ghost, one day he’s discovered by the coach of the city’s best track team The Defenders and asked to try out. As coach begins to learn more about Ghost, he tries his best not only to help him, but also to keep him on track. Will Ghost be able to keep his promises to coach and his mother to be a member of the prestigious Defenders, or will he flop and return to his troubled ways? Find out in this emotionally intense, character-driven quick read that will make you fall in love with Ghost from the very beginning.

 

Lee, Stacey. Outrun the Moon. G.P. Putnam Sons Books For Young Readers, 2016. 400 pages. Tr. $17.99, ISBN 978-0399175411

Grades 9-12. In Chinese culture, it is said that the name given to you at birth represents who you are destined to become. Wong Mei Xi, translated as “beautiful thought” was truly who 15-year old Mercy Wong was: a strong-willed, goal oriented, Chinese-American girl with dreams and aspirations. Born to a launderer father and a mother who was Chinatown’s famous fortune teller, Mercy was determined to make her dreams of getting into St. Claire’s School for Girls come true. Knowing the odds aren’t in her favor, Mercy used all she learned from Mrs. Lowry’s Book for Business Minded Women to get herself into the prestigious school after making a risky business arrangement. While Mercy’s time at St. Claire’s was cut short after an earthquake wrecked through the city, this was the point where indifferences were put aside and race/class no longer mattered. As a work of historical fiction, Lee truly embraced the events that took place in 1906; from the earthquake on April 18 at 5:12 am to the racial discrimination Chinese Americans faced in San Francisco. There were also no shortage of conflicts either between Mercy and secondary characters like Elodie and Headmistress Crouch, who showed distain towards her from the beginning. Lee’s masterful writing brings diction and narrative to life, allowing the personalities of her characters to shine and the use of spoken Cantonese dialect and culture to embrace Mercy’s identity. Soulful and heartwarming, this is one book you won’t want to put down.

Dystopian Fiction: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow, Corey. Little brother. Tom Doherty Associates, 2010. 432 pages. Tr $12.99, ISBN 978-0765323118

VOYA Evaluation

1. Grade Level Interest: S; A/YA
2. Quality: 3Q
3. Popularity: 2P

When I picked up Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (2010) from our stacks at the Central Library, I read the back of the book and was immediately intrigued by this idea of a larger entity surveilling our every move. While I have seen this idea play out in movies like The Net with Sandra Bullock and V for Vendetta, this would actually be my first time reading a dystopian novel that shared such theme. With such prestigious honors and awards given to this title like the Prometheus Award for best novel, I decided to give it a shot.

After I completed the reading, I had serious thoughts of moving this text from the teen collection into the adult fiction section. The story felt like a Call of Duty mission where you’re constantly on the lookout for enemies who will shot at you. It felt like Marcus aka W1nst0n was on the same mission but instead of using a gun, used technology like the X-box to camouflage himself from his enemies (U.S. Dept of Homeland Security). Although Marcus is depicted as a teen, his complex ideas, hacking experience, and instincts to save his friend Darryl from a major government entity, made it feel like he was way older than 17 years old; traits that not every teen can relate to.

 

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. Simon Pulse, 2011. 432 pages. TR $12.99, ISBN 978-1442419810

If you liked this book, you would probably like Uglies by Scott Westerfield (2005). While Little Brother takes place in current day San Francisco, CA and Uglies takes place in a future world, both texts share themes of combating their government to make a difference for humanity and their future. According to Novelist, both share the same appeal terms:

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Pace: Fast-paced

Tone: Thought Provoking

Subject: Dystopias; Teenagers

Diversity is Key to a Successful Teen Collection

After completing the assigned readings for this week, I couldn’t help but play “connect the dots” with what I’ve learned so far (in both life and academically). Reflecting back on my youth, I can’t remember the last time I  read any books with Chinese characters in the story line. I can’t even remember reading any texts that had minority or female characters in school except for Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God . I do remember however reading Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Voltaire’s Candide; texts that had White, male, and heterosexual protagonists. While I was not conscious of the intersections between race, class, and/or sexuality at that time, I can see it very vividly now. I can also see why it is important for us to read texts that have characters from different backgrounds and experiences; so we may immerse ourselves in their footsteps and walk with him/her as their journey begins.

As a future teen librarian, I would first analyze the stacks to see how diverse the collection is. As mentioned before, it is not only important for us to see ourselves in the characters portrayed in the text, but it also helps us identify with who we are as people and allows us to reflect on the representation of ourselves in society. Aside from looking for racial diversity in teen literature, I would also look through the collection to ensure that they contain an array of characters, genres, and plots that situate story lines in different contexts.

In addition to the analysis, I would also use resources online that specializes in teen literature. I found that Bookriot (https://bookriot.com/) is a really useful for staying in the know about new, upcoming and/or trending teen literature on the market. Their website also has podcast recordings and a section on comics for those who love manga and anime. Subscribers also get daily newsletters from Bookriot with headlines of new articles posted.

Saving the best for last, I would also ask the teens themselves for what to buy. It’s not only important to ask them what they like or what’s trending in their social circles, but having their voices heard will show them that they are valued and appreciated. The creation of a teen advisory board for creating displays or selecting good reads would be a great way to start this partnership.

While not discussed in this week’s readings, I would also avoid placing unnecessary stickers and labels on materials that refers to one’s private lifestyle or situation. Naidoo-Campbell (2013) and Robinson (2016) found that some libraries were placing labels of broken homes and rainbows on books to identify LGBTQI literature. Not only is this uncalled for, but also disturbing to say the least. Teens will be forced to read in privacy and possibly ridiculed by their peers. Removing this practice from collection development procedures and policies will well be worth it if it means creating a safe space for teens.

References

Campbell-Naidoo, J. (2013). Over the rainbow and under the radar: Library services and programs to LGBTQ families. Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children, 11(3), 34-40. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9679496a-5c81-416e-b005-a67f8420678d%40sessionmgr4006&vid=5&hid=4204

Robinson, T. (2016). Overcoming social exclusion in public library services to LGBTQ and gender variant youth. Public Library Quarterly, 35(3), 161-174. Retrieved from: http://www-tandfonline-com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/doi/pdf/10.1080/01616846.2016.1210439