Library program strives to foster diversity
Books that reflect S.F.’s cultural mix emphasized
Crack open a book at the San Francisco Public Library, and you can find tales about dragons and castles, ancient cultures and traditions, mysteries and romances.
But here’s the thing: The characters will probably be white. Despite a push by book lovers for more ethnic diversity in published books, library shelves have remained largely uniform, with white authors penning tales about white people, statistics show. Those books fail to reflect the rich diversity of San Francisco, and point to a persistent problem across the country, librarians say.
But a San Francisco Public Library program running this month seeks less homogeneity within the pages of books. The citywide We Love Diverse Books program includes 50 events during January to broaden the scope of what patrons read, including author discussions, cooking lessons and manga art workshops. The program emphasizes the importance of “literary mirrors,” where readers see themselves and their identities reflected in the books they read.
“We are the place that supports the values of equity and inclusion — the bedrock of American democratic values,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera. “We work hard to ensure that the books and resources on our
shelves mirror the diversity of our city. … We believe it is important for everyone, especially children, to see themselves reflected in literature.”
In recent years, the number of books featuring diverse characters, everything from skin color to sexual orientation or family makeup, has stagnated. Less than 10 percent of books published each year feature characters who break from tradition, showed a 2015 study from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a research arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education.
Homogeneity can be particularly damaging to children, studies reveal. Diverse literature helps young readers build pride in their community and opens them up to other cultures, a 2010 University of Chicago study found. That exposure begins with what literature is available on library shelves, said Meredith Steiner, a children’s librarian at the West Portal Branch Library.
But when Steiner is creating seasonal book displays or picking a picture book to read during story time, the options are limited. She often cycles through the same books, she said.
“There are few books about race, which is pretty egregious,” Steiner said. “And there are very few books about kids with disabilities or books about children who come from families with two moms or dads. One of the fundamental pieces of childhood is building empathy and being able to put yourself in another person’s shoes. That is the beauty of really good writing and illustrations.”
During the program, local authors, including Robert Liu-Trujillo, Katrina Goldsaito and Maya Gonzalez, will read from their books and teach children how to write and illustrate their own short stories. Janine Macbeth, who runs Oakland publishing house Blood Orange Press, will also explain the process that takes a book goes from writing desk to library shelf.
Macbeth, 37, opened the press in 2013 after she noticed her community wasn’t reflected in the books sold in Oakland bookshops and lining library displays.
“I first started looking and noticing that authors and illustrators weren’t reflected in the books in my school library,” she said. “Growing up in Oakland, there was such a broad diversity of my classmates and peers and people I lived around. I started to think that, oh, this is an industry that you have to be white to play in and to succeed in. We need more books that show what our city is actually like.”
And the program is timely, given the issues playing out at a national level, said Naomi Jelks, the adult engagement coordinator for the Main Library.
“With the political changes we are seeing, it’s a very timely program,” she said. “As a library system, it’s important for us to highlight and elevate authors of merit, writers of color, women and the LGBTQIA community. We need to catch up.”
Besides, she added, a region like the Bay Area should reflect everyone that lives there and the acceptance it is known for.
She said, “That’s just part of the fabric of San Francisco.”