How Diverse is the Academic Library Children’s Picture Book Collection? Using Diverse Bookfinder’s Content Analysis, Demographic Data, and Historical Bibliographies to Analyze a Picture Book Collection

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine how diverse the academic children’s library picture book collection is at San Diego State University Library and how well it represents the members of the community who use it. Using the results of a Diverse BookFinder’s Collection Analysis Tool (DBF CAT) report, the researcher compares ethnic group representation in a library’s holdings to local patron demographics to analyze how well the collection represents the community that uses it. More specifically, the DBF CAT data were compared to demographic statistics of the university student body and to demographic statistics of local school children whose teachers use the collection to develop lesson plans. While this comparison broadly identified some strengths and gaps in the collection, the demographic category mismatch between the DBF CAT data categories and the demographic statistical sources was problematic. Assessment of the historical part of the picture book collection was also explored and led to a recommendation for further collection diversity assessment research using historical bibliographies and book reviews.