Friends of Chapel Hill Public Library recently announced the launch of a new, community-wide fundraising campaign, “Diverse Books for a Diverse Community.”

The campaign, which will run through Labor Day, aims to raise $15,000 for the Chapel Hill Public Library to increase the diversity of its book collection – particularly for children.

While the library can address some of its need for more diverse books through the town’s annual budget process, Susan Brown, director of the Chapel Hill Public Library, said that is not enough.

“We’ve done a pretty good job – we’ve been thoughtful about this for a while – but our collections, especially our kid’s collections are not as diverse as we’d like them to be,” Brown said. “We’d like them to be more reflective of the diversity in our community and our world.”

Over the past two years, library staff began a “diversity audit” of their collections, examining what they are buying and what voices and experiences are being represented in those purchases.

“When they dove into the data they found, like many places that have done this, that we still have some work to do,” Brown said.

The Diverse Books for a Diverse Community fundraiser is looking to change that.

The types of materials the library plans to purchase with these funds include picture books that feature differently abled kids, books in languages other than English and young adult books about Black teens written by Black authors.

Additionally, Brown said they hope to buy more children’s books written by Asian American and Latino authors and books by LGBTQ authors that feature LGBTQ characters.

“So, there is this overall focus and concentration on books for kids because we know that, when you read as a child, it’s really important to both see yourself in the book and to see others,” Brown said.

While the fundraiser’s official, public launch isn’t until June 12, the library has already raised more than $3,600 after the campaign went live on social media last week.

The first campaign event will be held at the library this Saturday, June 12. To learn more about the Chapel Hill Public Library’s Diverse Books for a Diverse Community fundraiser, or to donate, click here.


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