Parents and educators often struggle to find diverse books that afford their young readers adequate mirrors or chances to see themselves in the stories they encounter. Children’s librarians in public libraries have long been committed to promoting diverse books, and teacher educators aim to prepare teachers who embrace the need for diverse books. In this session, a public librarian and teacher educator show how they have collaborated to have more of a presence in local schools in order to better equip teachers and families with the skills to find and share the best diverse books. This partnership engages school administrators, parents, and other stakeholders by highlighting library resources and sharing standards of quality for diverse books.
Learning Objectives:
Identify engaging collaborative opportunities between public librarians, university professors of education, and schools.
Explore how partnerships between parents, teachers, librarians, and teacher educators can foster a love of diverse books.
Describe the unique strengths and opportunities that public librarians and education professors each bring to collaborations.
