Stepping out of Our Bubble: Developing Actively Diverse Collection Management Policies for Youth Literature

Collection development is at the core of library services. With growing awareness of diverse communities and the lack of diverse representation in literature and the publishing industry, it is essential that librarians create collection development policies that accurately and effectively advocate for diversity and representation within a library collection. This is especially imperative for youth librarians, who are serving patrons going through a process of identity development and have the potential to be deeply harmed by inaccurate portrayal of their communities. This study examined how librarians can use collection development policies and ongoing education to curate diverse collections. The study consisted of four semi-structured interviews with librarians and professionals in fields of children’s literature, some of whom are also members of marginalized populations, exploring topics of diverse literature, specific factors librarians should be aware of, and the language participants would like to see explicitly addressed in collection development policies.Master of Science in Library Scienc