Exploring Anti-racism in School Libraries:
Contributions and GapsMiriam Larson
University of Illinois at [email protected]
April 20, 2013ISLMA Mini-Conference, Bloomingdale
Exploring Anti-racism in School Libraries:
Contributions and GapsMiriam Larson
University of Illinois at [email protected]
April 20, 2013ISLMA Mini-Conference, Bloomingdale
What interests you about the topic?
Why did you come?
IntroductionsIntroductions
To recommend resources that you can use for your own learning, report-writing or for sharing
To send you away with new ideas for how to practice racially conscious librarianship
Goals for this SessionGoals for this Session
If we aim to be compassionate school librarians and advance a world in which all people have equal opportunity regardless of race, culture, class, religion, etc. . . .
What scholarship exists to prepare us and to guide our practice?
Guidance from ScholarshipGuidance from Scholarship
Cultural competence as defined by Patricia Montiel-Overall is . . .
the ability to recognize the significance of culture in one’s own life and in the lives of others; and to come to know and respect diverse cultural backgrounds and characteristics through interaction with individuals from diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic groups; and to fully integrate the culture of diverse groups into services work, and institutions in order to enhance the lives of both those being
served by the library profession and those engaged in service. (from Cultural Competence: A Conceptual Framework for Library and Information Science Professionals)
Domains:
1. Cultural self-knowledge
2. Interpersonal appreciation - an “ethic of care”
3. Environment - language, space, policies, etc.
Buzzword: Cultural CompetenceBuzzword: Cultural Competence
Referring to multiculturalism, Lorna Peterson writes . . .
“Differences in culture instead of historical treatment become the focus, and equity issues are obscured by a "me too" claim in victim status in which everyone's differences are made equal.”
(Library Journal, 1995)
Why it’s not enough . . . Why it’s not enough . . .
Racism Then and NowRacism Then and Now
INCARCERATION
In major cities wracked by the drug war, as many as 80 percent of young African American men now have criminal records.
The incarceration rate for Latino drug offenders in 2000 was more than twenty-two times their rate of incarceration in 1983. In the same time span rates of incarceration for white drug offenders have also increased, but they are only eight times what they were in 1983
But studies show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates.
From Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow
Although the majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white, three-fourths of all people imprisoned for drug offenses have been black or Latino.
As of September 2009, only 7.9% of federal prisoners were convicted of violent crimes.
The U.S. incarceration rate is six to ten times greater than the rate in other industrialized nations.
From The New Jim Crow
Racism Then and Now (cont)Racism Then and Now (cont)
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If libraries promote democracy . . .If libraries promote democracy . . .
. . . then racism is our concern.
Librarians’ ContributionsLibrarians’ Contributions
Advocating for diverse books
Providing student-centered learning spaces
“Nobody pushed me to make a fool of myself, to let everybody know I couldn’t yet handle all those books. I hung around here with my friends, fooled with all the computers, talked a lot, and found out that I wanted to know more” - Hispanic Student
to racially equitable education
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Other specific benefits?
Ross Todd and Carol Kulthau’s study of school libraries in Ohio found that students perceptions of how the library helped them with reading scored higher for African Americans than whites
Addressing GapsAddressing Gaps
Library-specific examples of racism
• Underrepresentation of books by and about people of color
1. Need for professional recruitment and retention of librarians of color
School-wide examples of racism
1. Achievement gap: Locally and nationally, test scores for Latino and Black students are lower than scores for other racial groups.
2. Disproportional disciplinary actions for students of color contribute to a “school-to-prison” pipeline
*Data about books is from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) and most accurately documents books in trade book format, as well as some series non-fiction titles. Population statistics are from the U.S. Census.
African/ African Americans
American Indians Asian Pacifics/Asian Pacific Americans
Latinos
2012 Characters in Books
3.3% (119)
6% (22)
2.1% (76)
1.5% (54)
2012 Book Autho rs
1.8% (68)
.1% (6)
.2% (83)
1.6% (59)
2011 U.S. Population by Race
13.1% 1.2% 5% 16.7%
Racial Representation in Children’s and YA LitRacial Representation in Children’s and YA Lit
• High Standards
a) Cultural Competence
c) Sociopolitical Consciousness
Racially Conscious Library PracticeRacially Conscious Library Practice
Education scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings proposes a framework that includes cultural competence called culturally relevant pedagogy
“students must experience academic success”
“students must develop and/or maintain cultural competence”
“students must develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the current status quo”
Scenario 1: Collection Development Scenario 1: Collection Development
Helpful fact: Research indicates that books that reflect the same race and cultural background as the readers improve students’ motivation and success in learning to read.
Scenario: Imagine you are a middle school librarian. When the “multicultural” box arrives from your book fair provider you find that almost all of the enclosed books are picture books and transitional series books. How do you explain this? What do you do?
Scenario 2: Instructional CollaborationScenario 2: Instructional Collaboration
Scenario: A white school librarian works at a predominantly white elementary school. An Asian American teacher is working with her class in the library. The librarian observes that a black student is repeatedly talking out. The librarian pulls the student out into the hallway and reprimands that student. How might race be significant in this scenario? How might the librarian deal with this differently? Do you have experience with variations on this scenario?
Scenario 3: Teaching for Sociopolitical Consciousness Scenario 3: Teaching for Sociopolitical Consciousness
Scenario: “A group of African American youth, who attend a predominately white high school, are overheard complaining about their teachers' and administrators' perceived lack of support and cultural sensitivity. The library media specialist, in collaboration with several classroom teachers, recognizes this as an opportunity to explore the concept critical inquiry with students.” (Kumasi, 2007)
What kinds of critical inquiry projects might conducted in the library? What are benefits to hosting such a project in the library? What are constraints?
Discussion: Culturally Relevant Library PracticeDiscussion: Culturally Relevant Library Practice
What else do I need to know?
Teaching/Librarianship
Cultural differences/Racial inequity
Adult-level knowledge
Research
Ideas for different librarian roles?
TeacherInformation SpecialistInstructional Partner
Program AdministratorLeader
Space DesignCommunity Programs
“Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans” (2).
“Like Jim Crow, mass incarceration marginalizes large segments of the African American community, segregates them physically (in prisons, jails, and ghettos), and then authorizes discrimination against them in voting, employment, housing, education, public benefits, and jury service” (17)
And in an era of colorblindness, discriminating against criminals sidesteps any need to name race or use it as a justification for oppression.
Systematic DisenfranchisementSystematic Disenfranchisement
