The Necessity to Include Diverse Books for Preschoolers in Libraries

Living in a time where inclusion, representation, and multi-cultural diversity are widely discussed, carefully considered, and unbiasedly accepted, it’s high time now, more than ever- to include diverse books for children in every library, public and private. There is a call for representation, especially in places where multi-cultural co-existence is dominant. Therefore, it is quite necessary that libraries, especially those in schools should include diversified books in their collection. 

In preschools, especially those with a multi-racial population, there is a need to include books that represent every child from every race, regardless of their cultural and racial background. “All children have the right to be included in books, to see faces that they can relate to the covers, to meet characters with similar families, lives and experiences. Equally important is for children to see differences in books, to learn about those who are different from themselves, and to realise that they do, in fact, have many similarities.” (Cox, as cited by Flood, 2014)

“When children never see their culture represented …in materials on the library shelves, they receive a resounding message that the librarian does not think their culture is important” (Campbell Naidoo, 2014). It is very important that children with diverse ethical backgrounds are represented in the books available in their libraries, especially in preschools and primary schools. Representation is an important topic and a rising concern that should be taken seriously, and more importantly, actions should be taken to address these growing concerns and demands in representation! 

The Effect of Including Diverse Books for Pre schoolers in Libraries

In 2006, a study suggested that only 5% of the books available in the market featured black people. A decade later, in 2016, this percentage only increased to 8.4%. (Children’s Books by and About People of Color, 2017). The truth of the matter is, that there are only very few books that feature diverse characters. Making these books available in the libraries, for the children to read and access, leaves an impact on them that they are actually heard, included, and valued in the society where they live. 

Schools, more importantly, have the moral obligation to give every child the right to feel included and important in the school community. Good thing now, that more and more schools have heeded this demand. Libraries that once contained few-to-none diverse books have been updated and stacked with multi-cultural books that are easily relatable and resounding to children with diverse racial backgrounds. 

The importance of having culturally diverse books are often overlooked by the schools much more so by the society. But, this should not be taken lightly. Keep in mind that representation in children’s books actually has a lasting impact on the lives of the kids. When the children see that they are represented through the books that they are reading, they feel more empowered and become more involved with their peers, and are more socially available. Diversified books bridge the gap between cultures, creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all the children! 

Personalised books are customisable children’s books where you can create your own character that best represents your child. With over 400 character variations, every child from every culture, race, ethnicity, and skin colour gets the chance to be represented in the books that are made available to them. 

The inclusion of diverse books in libraries through personalised books is a big step towards a more inclusive school and society. These things may look small from our point of view, but for the children that these books represent and resound, it does matter and it makes an impact!