Diversifying and Transforming a Public University’s Children’s Book Collection: Librarian and Teacher Education Faculty Collaboration on Grants, Research, and Collection Development

Abstract An education librarian and faculty member collaborated on research grants to study teacher education student’s experiences with diverse books and to develop library collections. This study explores the development of internally grant-funded linguistically and culturally sustaining children’s book collections and assesses the impact of the grants with a model that analyzes research guide use, library instruction sessions, and reflection on grant-funded research, among other components. Intentional collection practices, including grant-funded collection development; faculty partnership; nontraditional bibliographic tools; and alternative forms of access, discovery, and shelving led to a vital and linguistically and culturally sustaining collection which reflects education student’s diverse identities.