UBC Library rethinks problematic Indigenous representations in children’s literature
June 7, 2022
What do you do with problematic materials in a library collection—with books that are outdated, that perpetuate stereotypes, depict cultural appropriation, or include racism and other harmful elements?
This was the question faced by librarians at UBC Vancouver’s Education Library, Xwi7xwa Library and UBC Okanagan (UBCO) Library, who found a way to contextualize problematic books from the children’s picture book collections.
“Because we serve so many competing interests—like the Teacher Education program, the History of Education program, and children’s literature [research]—we certainly didn’t want to remove these items entirely,” says Wendy Traas, Education Librarian at the Education Library. “I think we landed on something really innovative to mediate access to these materials through the lens of critical literacy.”
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