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Diversity Audit:
During the 19-21 school year I began a comprehensive "Diversity Audit" on the fiction collection of our library. The initial audit was completed in Fall 2020. Going forward I will continue to audit the collection each year, including the newly purchased items. You will be able to view the current data on this page, as it will be updated each year.
What is a Diversity Audit?
A Diversity Audit is the process of determining whether a collection represents diverse voices and experiences. You do this by choosing which criteria you will audit for, and then evaluating each book to determine which of that criteria it meets. The audit I did was large-scale and fairly comprehensive, though it is a living organism and the criteria we look for will likely grow over time. Our initial audit was done in two components: Author data, and Main Character data.
Why do a Diversity Audit?
Our school, community, country, and world is beautifully comprised of a phenomenal array of diverse voices and experiences. Each member of our school community deserves to see themselves represented well within the library's collection. Representation matters. It's critical for our student's growth and development that they are surrounded by books that represent the full human race and experience. In light of this need, it is important that the library audits to ensure the collection is not prioritizing just one type of voice & experience. The library must be well-rounded, diverse, and as representative as possible. The data compiled during the audit will help guide the Librarian in what voices are being under-represented in the collection and will help guide purchasing decisions of what kind of books need to be added.
The Results?
The results of our initial audit indicate that our collection is not yet as representative as it needs to be. We expected this result and are excited to be actively working to brnig the collection into better balance.
You can view the progress and data here:
Click here to View Comprehensive Diversity Audit Results (for 19-20 school year, not yet updated with 20-21 info as the images above are)
