LibGuides: Youth Services for Pennsylvania Libraries: Equity and Belonging in Youth Services

Equity and Belonging in Youth Services

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries youth services team is dedicated to fostering equitable and inclusive library services for children and teens. As emphasized by the American Library Association’s interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights, ensuring that all community members, especially children and teens, feel a sense of belonging is crucial for their development and well-being. We aim support youth services library staff across Pennsylvania by providing essential resources and strategies for creating welcoming environments. By prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion in our libraries, we can better serve all families and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a supportive and respectful space.

Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries
The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) is producing a series of briefing papers that support institutions committed to achieving racial equity. This paper provides a framework for implementation by highlighting strategies public libraries are using to advance equity.
Learning for Justice
Free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use these materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create inclusive school communities where children and youth are respected, valued and welcome participants.
Library Accessibility Toolkit
This toolkit was created in early 2020 by the Library Accessibility Alliance (LAA) and is intended to be a living document that provides libraries with resources related to library accessibility.
“Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, often referred to as the "Mother of Multicultural Children's Literature," discusses how books can serve as mirrors that reflect readers' own experiences, windows offering views into others' lives, and sliding glass doors allowing readers to step into different worlds. This concept emphasizes the importance of diverse literature in fostering empathy and understanding.
New York State Library DEI Toolkit
Resources and actionable items to help libraries promote intellectual diversity and address discrimination with tools for managing complex change, having difficult conversations, and supporting social justice moveme
Place Matters: The Environment We Create Shapes the Foundations of Healthy Development
Understanding the powerful effects that natural and built environments have on the early foundations of health and development calls for increased attention to important influences that fall well beyond the traditional boundaries of the early childhood field.
Project Enable
Welcome to the Project ENABLE training Web site, providing free and accessible professional development on delivering effective, inclusive library and information services and programs to patrons of all abilities. While this site provides training for all educators who support diverse learners, we focus particularly on the school, public, and academic librarian to reach our goal of equity for all people.
Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth
This site hosts a series of free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.
Racial Equity Tools
This resource offers tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large.

Youth Services for Pennsylvania Libraries

BLD LibGuides

Compendium

Equity and Belonging in Youth Services