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IST 605: Diversity in Children's Literature

This guide provides resources to help parents/guardians/caregivers help build a more diverse collection of books for their child.

Search Strategies and Databases

The following search strategies are meant to be used in conjunction with the Databases listed at the bottom of this page. 

Users who are unfamiliar with more advanced search strategies and techniques are encouraged to use the "Help" and / or "Tips" pages found on the various Databases' websites. It is also recommended that users reach out to their local librarian for more direct support.

Search Terms and Keywords for Research

The following keywords would be most useful in assisting users with finding information about diversity in children's literature:

  • children
  • adolescent
  • literature
  • diversity

To make the best use of the above keywords, specific search strategies should be employed. Examples of helpful search techniques include:

  • Truncated searching
    • This technique allows a database to search for multiple instances of a word without the user having to type each one out
      • child* = child, children
      • adoles* = adolescent, adolescents
      • literat* = literature, literary, literate (the last will not be relevant to this search, but it is still helpful to include all variations)
      • diverse* = diverse, diversity
  • Boolean Operators
    • Using AND between each keyword will help narrow the search and results will be more relevant
    • The word AND can be added manually, or under an Advanced Search, users could enter one keyword in each field
    • Use OR for similar terms
      • children OR adolescent
      • This will ensure results are not so narrow they exclude potentially relevant resources
  • Order matters
    • An example of an ideal search would be: (child* OR adoles*) AND literat* AND diverse*
  • Proximity searching
    • Can also be beneficial if results are too broad, or the keywords are not yielding relevant results
    • Using the command NEAR or N/n (n= number) will ensure keywords are only a certain number of terms apart.
    • Searching child* N/4 literat* would yield results where the terms "children" and "literature" are only 4 words apart. 
  • Date Filters
    • Currency of information is important to consider when addressing the topic of diversity in children's literature.
    • Use date filters either before or after completing the search only those results published within the last five to ten years. The more recent a result is, the more relevant the information will be.
For all search strategies, check the specific Search Tips or Search Help pages of the database in use. Some databases use different symbols for the same operations. 

Databases for Research

The following databases would be useful for finding more information and resources about diversity in children's literature. These resources would mostly be non-fiction and useful for parents/guardians/caregivers who want to learn more about the issues surrounding lack of diversity in children's literature, and research about why diversity in children's literature is so important. 

These are more specialized databases, so users might not feel comfortable using them independently. Users might also find they do not have access to all of the databases. This LibGuide is intended for parents to use in conjunction with the resources available at their local library, so It is recommended that parents/guardians/caregivers interested in using the databases listed below, first seek the assistance of a local public librarian.

The University Libraries' Advanced Search feature allows users to more easily customize their search in order to yield the most relevant results. This search feature is the best resource to begin with when first setting out to find information about a topic.

The following databases would be useful for finding more information and resources about diversity in children's literature. These resources would mostly be non-fiction and useful for parents/guardians/caregivers who want to learn more about the issues surrounding lack of diversity in children's literature, and research about why diversity in children's literature is so important. 

These are more specialized databases, so users might not feel comfortable using them independently. Users might also find they do not have access to all of the databases. This LibGuide is intended for parents to use in conjunction with the resources available at their local library, so It is recommended that parents/guardians/caregivers interested in using the databases listed below, first seek the assistance of a local public librarian.

ERIC, Education Resources Information Center, provides access to educational resources. While the target audience for this database is educators, parents/guardians/caregivers are their child's first educator, as learning begins in the home. Use the keywords and search techniques outlined above to find the most relevant information about diversity in children's literature. 

The following databases would be useful for finding more information and resources about diversity in children's literature. These resources would mostly be non-fiction and useful for parents/guardians/caregivers who want to learn more about the issues surrounding lack of diversity in children's literature, and research about why diversity in children's literature is so important. 

These are more specialized databases, so users might not feel comfortable using them independently. Users might also find they do not have access to all of the databases. This LibGuide is intended for parents to use in conjunction with the resources available at their local library, so It is recommended that parents/guardians/caregivers interested in using the databases listed below, first seek the assistance of a local public librarian.

This database provides resources about LGBTQ+ matters, and could be helpful when looking for specific resources for children that cover such topics. 

The following databases would be useful for finding more information and resources about diversity in children's literature. These resources would mostly be non-fiction and useful for parents/guardians/caregivers who want to learn more about the issues surrounding lack of diversity in children's literature, and research about why diversity in children's literature is so important. 

These are more specialized databases, so users might not feel comfortable using them independently. Users might also find they do not have access to all of the databases. This LibGuide is intended for parents to use in conjunction with the resources available at their local library, so It is recommended that parents/guardians/caregivers interested in using the databases listed below, first seek the assistance of a local public librarian.

Education Source provides access to a multitude of education-related resources. Using the keywords and search techniques above, parents/guardians/caregivers will be able to find a wealth of information about diversity in children's literature.

The following databases would be useful for finding more information and resources about diversity in children's literature. These resources would mostly be non-fiction and useful for parents/guardians/caregivers who want to learn more about the issues surrounding lack of diversity in children's literature, and research about why diversity in children's literature is so important. 

These are more specialized databases, so users might not feel comfortable using them independently. Users might also find they do not have access to all of the databases. This LibGuide is intended for parents to use in conjunction with the resources available at their local library, so It is recommended that parents/guardians/caregivers interested in using the databases listed below, first seek the assistance of a local public librarian.

The Gale Product Menu provides access to numerous topic-specific databases, some of which include: Archives of Sexuality and Gender, Gale in Context: Elementary, Gale in Context: Literary Index, Gale OneFile: Diversity Studies, Gale OneFile: Educator's Reference Complete. There are only some of the Gale Products that would be useful in finding more information about the topic of diversity in children's literature.