Repurposing Problematic Books into Critical Literacy Kits

Abstract In response to varied needs from Education students, faculty and researchers, UBC librarians and library students repurposed problematic books from Indigenous children’s literature collections into Critical Literacy Kits. By repackaging these problematic books, along with librarian-created learning materials and activity guides, these kits mediate access to problematic books and become a new tool for pedagogy. This article explores the intersection between critical literacy and the development of children’s literature collections in academic libraries, proposing that the creation of kits like this increases the learning potential of problematic books, and prevents the erasure of critical engagement with these materials.