Is There Diversity in Suburbia?

Abstract

Multiculturalism seems to be the buzz-word of the '90s. The New York State Education Department has mandated diversity requirements at all levels. As librarians, it is our responsibility to reinforce these programs by providing quality multi-ethnic literature to our patrons. To support this trend, it is necessary for public libraries to incorporate these materials into their collections. The following is an informal survey of three local suburban libraries (names changed-I shall call them Suburbville, Burg, and Gotham) to determine if, in fact, they are addressing this issue in their children's and young adult collections.