We Stories: Diversity in Children’s Literature at the Library
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2pm Eastern (11am Pacific | 12pm Mountain | 1pm Central)
Register: https://bit.ly/2lRzSMn
Description: Research of family habits indicates that the vast majority of white families rarely, if ever, talk about race at home. At the same time, many library patrons from minority groups observe and report that there are few books for children that are culturally relevant and reflective of their lives. St. Louis County Library initiated a partnership with a local organization that aimed at addressing both of these deficits. Learn how the collaboration between a non-profit and the public library evolved and the results of this collaboration.
About the Presenters:
Kristen Sorth became St. Louis County Library’s first female director on November 19, 2013. Under her leadership, the library has embarked on a multi-million dollar capital improvement campaign called Your Library Renewed. To date, the campaign has renovated or replaced 18 library branches. During Ms. Sorth’s tenure, the library has focused on building community partnerships to provide innovative programming and cultural enrichment. This effort has resulted in several successful and award-winning partnerships with local organizations including Operation Food Search, We Stories and the Little Bit Foundation.
Eric Button is currently Deputy Director at St. Louis County Library (SLCL), the largest and busiest public library in Missouri, where he has worked for more than 20 years. In addition to leading the development of collections, programming, and public services at SLCL, Eric has fostered and supported many key partnerships in the community. In recent years, he has been heavily invested in the “Your Library Renewed” campaign at SLCL, which is renovating or replacing all 20 library facilities in less than eight years. Eric earned a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.