Starting a Diversity Audit
All credit from here on out goes to the amazing Kelsey Brogan who brought this idea to my attention this summer. I was able to use her blog www.dontyoushushme.com to start my own diversity audit after the beginning of the year craziness died down. So far I have only been able to do one genre section, but what I’ve done so far has been incredibly eye-opening.
Why did I decide it was time to do a diversity audit? I have been working on diversifying my genre sections since I started at my campus five years ago. After genrefying it right away I started adding more diverse titles. However, I quickly have to come to realize not as well as I thought (more on this later). I feel like it’s important that we represent everyone in the library. Recent movements such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA+ allies and champions for the cause, #metoo, as well as more BIPOC in movies and books coming out made it imperative that those causes and people find their space in our libraries. I have more students than ever asking for books to learn more about various movements, causes and topics. It’s vital that I have books to adequately explain the significance of these issues like in nonfiction and tell fictional stories to humanize the issues and have the reader empathize with what someone else might be going through. Books should always act as windows, mirrors and doors. The audit for me personally is so I can actually see the gaps that I have in my genre sections and use this knowledge to best fill them when purchasing new titles. I also want to take that data to help me get grants for my library because our budget is usually pushed to the max for ebooks and audiobooks (this year especially) and they are so expensive (this year especially). I’d love to be able to get some extra funds to help fill in these problem areas that I’m finding. I plan on also using indie publishers and local bookstores, particularly those owned by BIPOC and the LGBTQIA+ community.
After completing just one genre section in my library (Adventure) the results were staggering. I thought I was crushing it with my diverse book purchases, but I feel like I have been doing well with Realistic Fiction and Fantasy and not with the other smaller sections, which is another reason why it’s so important to really take the time to do one of these audits. (For step-by-step instructions visit Kelsey’s blog. I only changed a few of the categories, but did the rest pretty much exactly as she did it). I can’t wait to see what data and statistics more genre sections bring as I move through this audit in the 2020-2021 school year. We need to do better and even though the work is hard—it’s work worth doing.
Helpful Links:
Kelsey’s blog: www.dontyoushushme.com
Diversity in Publishing Statistics (statistics image from here)
