Additional Announcements to Reflect Diverse Population

Librarians and library staff work to transform lives by connecting youth with materials that celebrate diversity, abolish cultural invisibility, and foster understanding. The American Library Association and its professional affiliates will highlight the best of the best in multicultural literature for youth by adding additional announcements to its 2019 ALA Youth Media Awards.

The United States is becoming more diverse. Demographics predict that by the year 2050, African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Latino/Hispanics, and Native Americans will constitute most Americans, yet multicultural literature for youth is at a low point. According to the University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), only a third of the 3,400 books received by the CCBC written for children in 2016 were by and/or about people of color.

“Often children in the United States are not exposed to print or digital materials that reflect themselves or their culture,” said ALA President Jim Neal. “A child’s lack of exposure to other cultures paves the way to bigotry and cultural invisibility. The addition of professional affiliate awards can only assist with our efforts to encourage understanding and abolish cultural invisibility.”

To bring awareness about and encourage the creation of more books that depict diverse cultures, or by authors of color, ALA will highlight titles selected by the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), and the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) during the upcoming 2019 ALA Youth Media Awards. In the meantime, ALA encourages readers of all ages to visit the affiliate websites to learn more about the 2018 award winners.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book, Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Award winners rarely go out of print and stay on library shelves for decades to come.

For more information regarding the ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit ILoveLibraries.org/yma.