Inclusive Selections for an Equitable Collection
Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Ill.
Innovation Synopsis
Recent issues surrounding civil rights and inclusion offered the library an opportunity to shift the popular materials collection strategy to focus on selecting materials that will broaden the understanding of customers. The focus is not only on “give them what they want” but also, “give them what they might need.”
Challenge/Opportunity
The goal is to broaden the library’s collection to include additional toys and games for children with special needs, more foreign films, more LGBTQIA materials for all age levels and more fiction portraying people of color and various religions. The collection will also include more braille and large type books as well as a host of other materials reflecting greater diversity.
Key Elements of Innovation
Examples of titles for families include the picture books, Still a Family, about a family experiencing homelessness and Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey, about a refugee experience with text in English and Arabic. These books will help our young customers learn about the situations of families different from their own. Titles reflecting diversity will also help children from lower socio-economic backgrounds feel more secure in who they are and the value of their experiences.
Achieved Outcomes
Our intention is to see an outcome of increased interest by the customers in the lives and situations of people unlike themselves as well as to create a welcoming atmosphere where all people can feel their experiences are recognized and valued in our library and our community.