[Libs-Or] OLA Quarterly Author Showcase | Ayn Reyes Frazee | Notes From an Equity Fellow: Casual Diversity and ALA Conferences Spark Enthusiasm

[OLA Communications Committee]

 An elementary school librarian for Portland Public Schools, Ayn Reyes
Frazee takes seriously her responsibility to the 452 students she serves.
Please download and read her latest article, "Notes From an Equity Fellow:
Casual Diversity and ALA Conferences Spark Enthusiasm," here:
https://commons.pacificu.edu/olaq/vol25/iss2/6/

>From Ayn's article: "When I stepped into the role of librarian at my
elementary school five years ago, I noticed that books on the shelves
representing black and brown characters seem to stick to a narrow range of
topics and skew toward the stereotypical—books featuring African American
kids frequently have Civil Rights and basketball themes and books featuring
Latino children portray characters struggling with immigration issues.
While these topics are important and do represent the interests and
experiences of some of my students, I found myself searching for books
featuring main characters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
(BIPOC) in the ways that white characters have been represented for years:
solving mysteries, creating art, navigating friend drama and more. Finding
high-quality books featuring this type of casual diversity—meaningful
diversity that is incorporated into a book but isn’t the focus of the
story—became my new crusade."

In addition to her work in the school library, she serves on the board of
the Oregon Association of School Libraries and as a reviewer for Kirkus.
Ayn is a 2019 ALSC Equity Fellow.

Thank you,
Charles Wood
OLA Communications Committee Chair
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