By Diana Maliszewski, with input from David Hoang, Kim Davidson, and Salma Nakhuda
School libraries are supposed to be sanctuaries, where the principles articulated by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishops are made manifest:
“books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror.” (Sims Bishop, 1990)
Behind this utopia is a different reality. Who are the individuals running the school libraries? How do the school library professionals reflect the various identities of the learners in their spaces? Why is diversity in the profession important?
Blogger Chris Bourg (2014) shared stark statistics from America: According to a survey in 2009-2010 by the American Library Association, 88% of credentialed librarians are white, 5% are African American, 3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 3% Latina/o, and less than 1% either Native American or multi-racial. In addition, librarianship is 80% female-identifying. (ALA Diversity Counts 2012)
Locating Canadian data is difficult, but a report released in 2022 by The Canadian Association of Research Libraries shows similar trends. There are fewer racialized individuals, and fewer Indigenous research librarians in Canada (CARL, 2022). A paper shared by the British Columbia Library Association asserts that 89% of Canadian librarians are white (Miller, 2020).
What does this mean for teacher-librarians who do not fit the stereotype? How are they nurtured and supported, personally and professionally, in a career that makes them the exception rather than the norm? This article consulted with a few teacher-librarians in the GTHA (Greater Toronto Hamilton Area) for their experiences. You might wonder why a cisgender, heterosexual, old, white woman is the lead writer on this article; it is critical that school library professionals who “fit the mold” work towards breaking the mold. Allyship should be a verb and it is imperative that many people work towards diversifying the field, not in terms of tokenism but in a sincere effort to widen perspectives and the health of the profession. It should not be up to individuals who come from communities underrepresented in school librarianship to advocate alone for their inclusion.
David Hoang is a “CBC,” a Chinese-born Canadian with family roots from China and Vietnam. As a male educator in elementary school, and having previously worked as an early childhood educator, he has often reflected on how representation shapes perceptions of leadership in schools. David vividly remembers two Asian male role models in library spaces: a Toronto Public Library librarian who shared his love of comics and graphic novels, and teacher-librarian Francis Ngo, who modeled how a library can be a space for leadership, collaboration, and engagement. “It made me realize that representation matters, not just for me, but for students who need to see themselves in leadership and learning spaces.” These role models challenged his understanding of what a library is for and who belongs in it. “Libraries aren’t just quiet spaces for the avid bookworm; they are community hubs at the heart of the school, where students, staff, and community members with varying reading abilities and lived experiences actively engage with ideas, pursue their natural curiosity, and participate in collaborative programming and inquiry projects.” For David, this means using the library to challenge stereotypes, foster inclusive, shared leadership, and show that these spaces are welcoming to everyone, serving as a living lab for collaborative learning and community engagement.
Kim Davidson is used to being asked to be the “equity lead” at the schools where she works. She realizes why the request comes her way, but, as a Black woman, she says that her life experiences are her own and should not be taken as some sort of common denominator for all people of colour. Kim was eager to credit two mentors who influenced her path into school librarianship. It is no coincidence that both were influential Black women. The first was Sandra Smith, who was the teacher-librarian at Kim’s elementary school and eventually became her Grade 7 teacher. Years later, when their paths crossed as fellow educators, Kim recounted that Sandra remembered Kim’s assertion that she would be the first Black female Canadian Prime Minister. Kim said, “Sandra Smith was a powerhouse. It wasn’t conscious on my part, but she made me see what was possible.” Kim’s second library mentor, Maxine Parchment, was the precise reason why Kim became a teacher-librarian. It came in the form of a deliberate shoulder tap and recommendation that Kim follow in Maxine’s footsteps. “To have someone who I considered a living legend say this to me, when being a teacher-librarian wasn’t even on my radar … I’ve been a teacher-librarian ever since.” Kim states that it’s incredibly impactful to see someone who looks like you in this powerful position.
Salma Nakhuda has been a teacher-librarian at several different schools, and she has noticed consistent patterns of conduct that should concern everyone who claims to care about diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. As a racialized, hijabi-wearing, Muslim woman, she constantly navigates the microaggressions she encounters. “I feel like society has become more accepting of seeing people like me in general teaching positions,” she explains, “but for some reason, when people learn that I am the teacher-librarian, I notice a certain look on people’s faces, an unspoken assumption that I am not capable or equipped to be in the role. I have to prove myself constantly, in ways that my predecessors did not. At first, I doubted myself. Was I being too sensitive? After a while, I realized that it’s not me; I’m not imagining it.” Salma described several examples where her expertise was overlooked / minimized, or her choices in displays, readalouds, or programming were challenged / questioned in ways that would not occur if a white woman was making the decisions. Salma is a part of COMET, the Collective of Muslim Educators of Toronto, an affinity group for Muslim educators in the Toronto District School Board. This group, with over 250 members, is a safe space where educators have a support system in place. “They instantly relate”, Salms shares.
As much as I do not wish to be the one with the final word on the subject, it’s important for me to describe what can be done by those who “look like traditional teacher-librarians”. Offer mentorship and support to all potential librarians. Listen when colleagues are comfortable enough with you to share their stories. It’s not enough to use approaches like “residency or fellowship programs, scholarship programs, mentoring opportunities, and succession planning” (Miller 2020) if the school environment is so toxic and unwelcoming that teacher-librarians from under-represented groups do not wish to stay. Ask difficult questions of yourself and others. Make space and share space, so that students can see library leaders that look like them.
Works Cited:
Miller, C. (2020). Beyond tokenism: The importance of staff diversity in libraries. BCLA Perspectives. https://bclaconnect.ca/perspectives/2020/11/30/beyond-tokenism-the-importance-of-staff-diversity-in-libraries/
Canadian Association of Research Libraries. (2022). CARL Releases Insights Report from its Diversity and Inclusion Study. https://librarianship.ca/news/carl-diversity-and-inclusion-study/
Bourg, Chris. (2014). The unbearable whiteness of librarianship. Feral Librarian. https://chrisbourg.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-librarianship/
Schlesselman-Tarango, G. (2016). The legacy of Lady Bountiful: White women in the library. Library Trends, 64(4), 667-686. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/library-publications/34
Sims-Bishop, R. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3). https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf
Smith, D. L. (2017). The Role of mentoring in the leadership development of pre-service school librarians. Education Libraries, 36(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.26443/el.v36i1.322
Diana Maliszewski (she/her) OCT BA BEd MEd is the teacher-librarian at Agnes Macphail Public School in the Toronto District School Board and has worked as a school library professional for over twenty-five years. From 2006 – 2018, she was the editor-in-chief of The Teaching Librarian, the official publication of the Ontario School Library Association. Currently, she is the co-Vice President of the Association for Media Literacy and Canada’s representative with the North American and European chapter of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Alliance. Diana developed and still facilitates the Teacher Librarianship Additional Qualification courses for York University and Queen’s University. Diana has been honoured with several awards, such as the Follett International Teacher-Librarian of the Year in 2008 and the OLA President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2013. She blogs weekly as part of her reflective professional practice at mondaymollymusings.blogspot.com.