We Need Diverse Books

Librarians perform many duties behind the scenes to make sure that the members of their communities have quality resources when they research or read for pleasure.   One of these duties is collection development. Librarians read book reviews, communicate with other professionals, chat with students, and consult with faculty, in order to select the best books and databases available. They also evaluate the library collection on a regular basis to identify books and other materials, such as films and magazines, that are out of date, no longer relevant, or unreliable.  Then they “weed” these materials from the collection. 

Last summer, Ms. Summers, Dr. Yeager, Ms. Hruban and I received an Innovation Grant to analyze the print collection of the Edith Hamilton Library through the lens of diversity. Our mission was to locate books in specific subject areas that were no longer relevant, or accurate and withdraw them, and then to rejuvenate the collection with new, up- to-date books that support the interests and needs of the Bryn Mawr Community.

Ms. Summers weeded the literature section and selected fiction in the fields of Latinx, LGBTQIA+, American Indian writers, and books of interest to International Students.  Dr. Yeager culled the U.S. History collection and recommended books in the areas of U.S. History, identity, including histories of disability in the U.S., immigration, intersex, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, environmental racism and mass incarceration. Ms. Hruban and I continued  a weeding project in the social and political history,  gender studies, and family studies sections, and withdrew and packed several carts of books, which were sent to the Maryland Book Bank.

Thanks to Ms. Summers’ and Dr. Yeager’s subject expertise, we were able to refresh some of  the most heavily used areas of  our stacks.  Our teamwork resulted in a more relevant and streamlined collection. Stop by and see a selection of the books we've added. Ms. Summers’ and Dr. Yeager’s are displayed in the case before you enter the library. The books on the table inside the library are selections from Ms. Hruban and me, and reflect our ongoing work to diversify the library collection.

To learn about other ways that we are diversifying the Edith Hamilton Library Collection, see Noran Shalby’s annotated bibliography on Arab American Literature and the Arab Experience (These books are now in the Edith Hamilton collection), Honoring Women of the Civil Rights Movement, Survival Guide for International Students, by Ran "Rachel" Yan '17,  Guide to Learning About Native Americans, by Niara Robinson '16, and the Edith Hamilton Library Blog post on,  Ellen Oh's visit to Bryn Mawr. Ellen is the co-founder of “ We Need Diverse Books”. 

                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                     ~Ms. Rickert-Wilbur