How to Become a More Culturally Responsive School Librarian

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Barbara Paciotti

February’s Black History Month is an important national celebration and a busy time for School Librarians. As I read and hear about activities I often wonder:

What will School Librarians do about Black History during other months of the school year?
How will we honor other cultural groups throughout the school year?

We need to consider all aspects of our School Library Program and ask: How can we, as School Librarians, make ourselves, our Library Collection, and our Library Lessons culturally responsive to all students?

EXAMINE OUR OWN CULTURAL ATTITUDES

Regardless of our preparation (or lack of) for being a School Librarian, our school library program will reflect our own beliefs and attitudes toward others. Our collection development, our library decor, our library lessons, and how we interact with our students reveals our own implicit beliefs and biases. If we examine our own attitudes, we need to ask: Do we consider someone of a different race, ethnicity, or cultural background with “empathy” or with “respect”? They are actually opposites!

Empathy—and its related term sympathy—stem from the Greek ‘pathos’—feeling—and relate to suffering. Both apply to a sharing with another individual, but when carelessly applied to groups, it can engender either shame or arrogance about our own background.

Conversely, respect is from the Latin ‘respectus’—looking at—and connotes regard and consideration. It is more encompassing: respect impels us to see the glory in the culture and heritage of others. When we truly respect the culture and heritage of others, then we will choose library materials, give presentations, and have conversations that build positive cultural awareness among our students and teachers.

We have to be passionate about affirming respect in personal interactions. One year we had a substitute teacher who spent his entire lunch break complaining about “those kids” and their behavior or language or ability. I finally challenged him: I told him I was tired of hearing him complain about our kids, and if they bothered him so much why didn’t he just quit coming to our building. I then informed our principal that I had “mouthed off” to the sub, but she was relieved someone had finally spoken up, as were other teachers who heard about it! (Thankfully he never returned.)

I’m not promoting myself here. I’m trying to say that we may be inclined to ignore such incidents, but supporting any and all of our kids when necessary will ensure that students have an upbuilding educational experience in our libraries and our schools, which will impact everyone’s future.

EXAMINE OUR LIBRARY COLLECTION

Can your students find themselves in your school library collection? Students can’t develop pride in their culture and heritage if they never read about its positive aspects, and students won’t develop respect for other cultural backgrounds if they only know about their own. Expanding awareness through reading builds pride and respect.

I was fortunate to be the librarian at the most diverse middle school in our district: 33% African-American, 25% Asian, 25% Euro/Anglo, 15% Latinx, and 2% Native Nation. One year our ELL students spoke 30 different languages. I was initially impressed with the collection in the 2-year-old school library, yet later that year a library course on multicultural books helped me discover how few resources we had for 75% of our students:

A few books on slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, but nothing about African-American culture or other time periods.
Numerous books on countries, but nothing on Latinx or Asian culture, events, or place in U.S. history.
Typical food/festivals/folktales books for various cultural groups, but few on other aspects of culture and none on contemporary society or issues, especially emigration/immigration.
Some reference books but few individual biographies about Black, Latinx, Asian, or Native Nation people.
A few historical fiction books or award-winners about other cultures/ethnic groups—many by authors who didn’t represent who they were writing about—but meager contemporary realistic Fiction.

Over the years I worked hard to acquire materials that were more representative of our school population and that would broaden our students’ perspective on the U.S. and its history. You might want to examine your school library’s collection to make sure you have these representative topics on your shelves:

A more comprehensive view of slavery …
- ante-bellum personal narratives & biographies, such as Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, and Solomon Northrup;
- slave resistance and rebellions, and runaway slave communities such as those in Florida and Mexico;
- U.S. court cases where slaves prevailed;
- Slaves and former slaves who fought, spied, or worked with Union soldiers during the Civil War.
Various cultures, ethnic groups, and time periods in U.S. History …
- from the Trail of Tears to the American Indian Movement;
- from early Meso-American settlement to United Farm Workers to contemporary border issues;
- from the Transcontinental Railroad to WWII Internment Camps to Southeast Asian refugees;
- the Harlem Renaissance and African-American roots of contemporary music.
Contemporary non-fiction about art, music, family life, and other cultural elements over a wide range of ethnicity.
Individual biographies about Blacks, Latinx, Asians, and Native Nations from ancient to modern times. (I eventually expanded these to 42% of the biography section.)
Historical and Contemporary Realistic Fiction by and about all races, ethnicities, and cultural groups in various situations and locations in the U.S. and other countries.

Building a culturally diverse collection is essential, but we also have to analyze the quality of diverse books on our shelves to be sure they are accurately reflecting cultures and histories. Here are a few sources I use for recommendations on quality reading material:

What books are in your personal library? Even with authoritative recommendations, we cannot reliably choose quality diverse material for our library collection unless we have a broad knowledge base through personal reading about cultures and history. I began my own quest in college with 2 books that I still pull off my shelf to reread—No More Lies by Dick Gregory and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. I retain more than 6-feet of multicultural non-fiction and fiction books on my shelves at home. (I’ve also taken college-level coursework to attune myself to cultural issues.)

EXAMINE OUR LIBRARY LESSONS

A while ago I read something in a blog post that embodies my mindset for Library Lessons, and, with slight rephrasing, I believe this goal can help any school librarian become culturally responsive:

Teach students of all cultural backgrounds to love themselves.

Black History Month can bring out the worst in our lack of cultural respect for Black Americans. I’m referring here to slavery simulations. This is an example where supposed “empathy/sympathy”—expecting students to “feel slavery”—is dispiriting and devoid of cultural benefit. Rafranz Davis states it even more boldly:

If your idea of “celebrating” the contributions of Black people during the month of February is a lesson in slavery…you are the one that needs a lesson in history and the countless contributions that we not only have made but are still making.

I’m not suggesting we avoid the discussion of slavery, but rather use care about how and when we do it, and instead focus on topics like those I mentioned earlier. I’m reminded of a TED talk by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “The consequence of the single story is this—that it robs people of dignity.”

Slavery can’t be the only story our students—regardless of color, ethnicity, or cultural background—hear about the history of Black people in America. The Holocaust can’t be the only story they hear about Jews. Terrorism can’t be the only story they hear about Muslims. Pearl Harbor can’t be the only story they hear about Asians. Undocumented workers can’t be the only story they hear about Latinx. And Thanksgiving can’t be the only story they hear about our Native Nations.

We need to work tirelessly with our social studies, English Language Arts, art, and music teachers to enhance classroom learning with Library Lessons that build respect for the contributions of all social groups. When developing Library Lessons, I ask myself:

How can I make this lesson culturally responsive for all my students?
- Can I choose a wider range of resources?
- Does the activity allow for the cultural learning styles of all students?
- Am I phrasing my topic in a culturally sensitive manner?
Is this lesson building respect for all students?
- Am I giving balanced and equitable historical insight?
- Am I sharing positive contributions from a variety of cultures?

BUILD A RESPECTFUL SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM

With the divisiveness that currently pervades our society, it’s imperative for School Librarians to build respect for other cultures/races/ethnicities in every facet of our School Library Program. We can’t just promote heritage celebrations for a month. We must work diligently, and throughout the school year, to be culturally responsive with ourselves, our library collection, and our Library Lessons. It’s the only way our students can learn to love themselves.

Updated 2026.

How a School Librarian Responds to Teacher Requests & Lesson Ideas

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Barbara Paciotti

Every school librarian experiences the teacher who comes in with a new idea for a library visit—something they did at their previous school, a suggestion from a book/curriculum guide, or a great project they heard about at a meeting or conference. How do we decide whether we can accommodate this teacher’s request? Over the years, here’s what I learned:

We can’t discourage teachers from bringing us lesson ideas, but they can’t expect us to instantly put together a lesson.

So, when a teacher approaches me about an idea, I grab a Library Lesson Collaboration Form and use it to fill in information as they tell me their proposal. Then I ask them these 2 questions:

Can I learn more about this from a book, handout, Website, or lesson plan?
Can I have the rest of the day/until tomorrow/a couple days to make sure we can meet the needs of the visit?

I find that this response is better than a simple yes or no, because the teacher sees I’m taking their suggestion seriously enough to investigate it. Having some time to cogitate helps me put everything in perspective and to prepare myself for the next conversation with the teacher. When I return to them with “Yes, let’s do it!” and what we can do together (or “Sorry, this isn’t possible because… but we could do this instead.”), they are impressed and I create the pattern for future dialogue.

ASK THESE QUESTIONS TO DECIDE

Using info on the Library Lesson Collaboration Form, I begin my ‘thinking-time’ by asking the same question I ask for all my school library decisions: How will this impact student learning? Does this lesson:

Promote reading?
Promote problem-solving?
Support the subject and the library curriculum?

If I can answer ‘Yes’ to any of those questions, I know the lesson can have a positive impact on students.

However, I also need to consider the library, so I ask myself this question: How will this lesson impact library management? How does it affect…

Collection development
Do we have the materials for the lesson?
If we don’t have materials, do I have enough time to gather them through Inter-Library Loan?
If I purchase materials, will they be used again?
Facility
Can we accommodate this lesson in the library?
Do we have the audio/video/digital equipment needed for the lesson?
Will we need to rearrange the facility or bring in anything else for the lesson?
Library schedule
How much time will students need in the library?
Will this be a single visit, or do we need more than that?
Is the teacher flexible with the timing of the visit, or must it be within a certain time frame?
Library Promotion
Do we need involvement by other teachers, administration, the district, the community?
Will this lesson advertise the library program in a positive way?
Professional development
Do I have the expertise to do this lesson?
Can I get help from another district librarian or on one of my listservs?

Answers to those questions determine preparation time/effort and whether it can be accomplished before the teacher wants the library visit. I may need to offer suggestions about how to implement or improve their original idea, which is a delicate process:

We don’t want to patronize teachers, but rather use tact to infuse their idea with what we know is best library literacy practices and guide the lesson toward student-centered inquiry.

If the lesson request is a viable one, I transfer the Request Form information to the Library Lesson Planner and fill in how I can implement the lesson. Usually when the teacher sees my Library Lesson Plan with detailed consideration of their idea, they readily accept my suggestions and appreciate the work I’ve put into making their idea come alive.

AN EXAMPLE OF IMPLEMENTING A TEACHER REQUEST

Our 6g Multicultural Folktales Unit is an example of how a teacher request became a multi-visit ELA/Librarian collaborative unit. It began as a single-visit idea from an English Language Arts student teacher. Our collaborative lesson was so successful with students that the following year the ELA teachers asked to repeat it.

I suggested that we have a second lesson visit to extend their content immersion, and teachers accepted. The next year I suggested a third visit where teachers could introduce a student project and take advantage of the library’s resources. Now this entire unit is a truly joint-taught collaboration between 6g ELA teachers and the School Librarian.

We use multicultural folktale picture books because they can be read during a single-period library visit and even struggling readers can do the lessons. Initially I borrowed from elementary schools, but purchases now allow me to host two ELA classes together for the lessons. (Theater and art teachers also use them for projects, so they were a good investment.)

1^st Library Visit – Multicultural Cinderella Fairy Tales
We introduce plot and story elements using the fairy tale Cinderella as an “exemplar.” As the teacher presents story elements and each plot element, I read aloud the pertinent segment from the traditional Perrault Cinderella story. Then, student partners read one of the multicultural Cinderella picture books from their table and use a double-bubble graphic organizer (the daily grade) to compare/contrast story elements of the original French story with their cultural version. I have some very humorous Cinderellas, so even boys enjoy this activity.

2^nd Library Visit – Multicultural Folktales
A week later we introduce unity vs. diversity of cultural beliefs, customs, and traditions with the 5 types of folktales—myths, fables, legends, tall tales, and fairy tales. The activity is similar to the earlier visit, but with deeper examination of a story. Student pairs choose a folktale picture book from their table and, as they read it, use a ZIZO graphic organizer (daily grade) to “Zoom In” on the cultural details of their particular tale and “Zoom Out” to glean the universal ideas common to every culture.

3^rd Library Visit – Personal Multicultural Folktale
At the next visit, a week later, I begin in the oral storytelling tradition of folktales, by relating “Little Dog Turpie and the Hobyahs”, an Old English tale I learned from my grandmother, using dressed pipe-cleaner dolls as storytelling accessories (also from my grandmother). Then teachers introduce the student project using the project guide/rubric worksheet and while they elaborate on the presentation choices, I show those other examples so students know what is expected.

Students will create their own cultural folktale, including cultural story elements and unity/diversity principles, and then present it in a unique way:

tell it orally with an accessory

make a book, handwritten or digital, with a handmade book cover

create a graphic story, by hand or digitally

4^th Library Visit – Presentations & Folktales to Fiction
About a week later students are ready to present their folktale project. Depending on variables, we may have this in the library or the teachers handle it in the classrooms. Typically the oral storytellers are interspersed with “book” browsing on desks or tables so students have a chance to move around. Not only do 6g ELA students enjoy this project, but it coordinates with their study of World Cultures in Social Studies.

I give the 4th lesson of the unit either at the presentation visit or at their next regular scheduled library book visit. I offer the premise to students that folktales may have “morphed” into the different kinds of stories in Fiction books. Students and teachers are fascinated by this idea, as are other librarians. (I’ve done some research which seems to support it.) After the excitement of the multicultural unit, this lesson excites students into expanding their reading choices of fiction books!

Continuing the “Story”

The 7g ELA teachers were impressed with our project options and began offering similar choices for their mythology unit project: a diorama or mobile illustrating a created myth (which we display in the library), a narrated group pantomime, or a compare/contrast interview with a “mythological” actor, pop star or sports figure. The interactive choices particularly appeal to 7th graders, who need movement and peer interaction.

If you are interested in part or all of the Multicultural Folktales Unit, you can find them at No Sweat Library, my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Students know the Cinderella story, but examining its story elements through an interspersed read-aloud gives it new meaning. Students then read other cultural renditions of the story, and make comparisons to identify the diversity of cultural elements. | No Sweat Library

Help your students explore the universality of storytelling and the diversity of cultures by reading folktales from various countries around the world using a Zoom In-Zoom Out graphic organizer. Get this lesson from No Sweat Library, a Teachers Pay Teachers store.

The Folktales to Fiction lesson is part of the Bonus for the Unit Bundle.

Give students a creative way to share a folktale from their own culture through an oral storytelling with accessory, by creating a handmade book, or designing a graphic story. Sixth graders LOVE this project!

Give students a more personal experience exploring multicultural folktales by partner reading from folktale picture books, then sharing a story of their own cultural background.

Updated 2026.

Looking Backward with No Sweat Library

School Library Lessons & Management That Work

Tag Archives: culturaldiversity