LibGuides Home: Children's and YA Services: Equity in Youth Services

Different colored hands raise. Equity in Youth Services

Toolkits

Curiosity Lab
There’s never a feel-good time to talk about race & racism with our kids. But kids make meaning about race whether or not we are part of their inner dialogue.
Because we live in a racialized world, each of our kids will go on their own lifelong journey to understand race, racism, and humanity. Let’s go on this journey with our kids.
Let's Talk Race Toolkits
Talking openly about race with kids can dramatically improve their racial literacy—but adults often don't know where to start! Staff from the Salt Lake City Public Library (SLCPL) will share how they built picture book-based kits to give caregivers the tools to have these important conversations.
Open to ALL: Serving the GLBT Community in Your Library
This Toolkit is designed to help library staff better understand gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) library users, how to best serve their needs, and how to manage challenges that often arise.
Toolkit For Building a Diverse Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Library
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a process for developing cognitive, social, and emotional skills and competencies essential to success in school, work, home, and community.

Online Training

Dedicated to the Dream Together
Thinking about offering a race + culture education program in your organization? Explore ideas, considerations, and resources here.
Demand Diversity
A Junior Library Guild webinar on the importance of diversity in library collections.
Project Enable
Welcome to the Project ENABLE training Web site, providing free and accessible professional development on delivering effective, inclusive library and information services and programs to patrons of all abilities. While this site provides training for all educators who support diverse learners, we focus particularly on the school, public, and academic librarian to reach our goal of equity for all people.
Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth
This site hosts a series of free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.

Case Studies & Articles

Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries
The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) is producing a series of briefing papers that support institutions committed to achieving racial equity. This paper provides a framework for implementation by highlighting strategies public libraries are using to advance equity.
Place Matters: The Environment We Create Shapes the Foundations of Healthy Development
Understanding the powerful effects that
natural and built environments have on the early foundations of health and development calls for increased attention to important influences that fall well beyond the traditional boundaries of the early childhood field.

Resources & Websites

Anti-Racism Resources for All Ages- Padlet
This list is not a panacea. This compilation of resources is JUST A STARTING POINT to encourage people to do their own work and have their own hard conversations.
Building a Diverse, Anti-Bias Library for Young Children
Tips for being intentional as you assess your existing collection and build your library
Indians/Native Americans- Archives Library Information Center
Microfilm publications of NARA records relating to American Indians, including records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, census rolls, and treaties relating to territories.
Learning for Justice
We provide free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued and welcome participants.
Native Knowledge 360° - Interactive Teaching Resources (si.edu)
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. Most Americans have only been exposed to part of the story, as told from a single perspective through the lenses of popular media and textbooks. NK360° provides educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America.

Native Hope: How to Address Native American Issues Ebook
What story do you have in your head about Native Americans? When was the last time you thought about the lives and experiences of the Native Americans all around you? Have you ever felt uncomfortably ignorant about the true history of Native Americans in this country? You’re not alone. If you are interested in showing up as an ally for the Native American population in this country or simply want to know more about a group of people who is routinely ignored, discriminated against, tokenized, and misunderstood, you’ve come to the right place.

Racial Equity Tools
We offer tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large.

Credits

This project is funded by the State of Connecticut and the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library.

Children's and YA Services

Professional Resources Available at MLSC

ALA Organizations

ALA resources

Toolkits

Online Training

Case Studies & Articles

Resources & Websites

Credits