YALSA Podcast #57 - Diversity in the Library
In this podcast Alma Ramos McDermott interviews Helen Snowden, Gloucester Township Library (Blackwood, NJ) and Angie Miraflor, San Jose Public Library (CA), YALSA’s 2008 diversity stipend winners.
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The conversation covers:
- Annual Conference experiences
- Why attend ALA Annual Conference
- Street lit
- Collection development
- Serving immigrant teens
- Diversity in the library and in teen services (as seen in programs, services, and staff)
- Diversity in librarianship
- ALA Spectrum Scholars program
- How public and school librarians can collaborate successfully
Greetings; I just want to clarify that Street Lit is NOT YA fiction. It is adult fiction that YAs read. I think we need to be clear about that. The YA fiction that has developed as a response to street lit, is more teen-friendly, and collection-appropriate for the YA collection. Some examples include the Drama High series, the Platinum Teen series, and authors such as Nicole Bailey Williams, Walter Dean Myers, Sharon Flake, and newcomer Ni-Ni Simone. By and large though, most street fiction can be seen as Adult-YA, meaning it is most appropriate for readers aged 16 and up. In my humble opinion, the teen-friendly street lit makes street lit accessible to teens 12 and up. Thanks for listening!