Long Lake Public Library diversifies children’s selection of picture books

ST. AGATHA, Maine — The Long Lake Public Library expanded the diversity of the children’s selection of books thanks to a $300 grant from Diverse Bookfinder Collection Development Library Grant.

The grant allowed the library to purchase 35 new children’s picture books. 

Librarian Jenna St. Onge said that in order to receive the grant, the library had to enter all of the titles of the children’s books that the library already had. They ran the books through a system called the Diverse Bookfinder Online Collection Analysis Tool. 

“We were able to see what we currently had in our system and where the gaps in our collection were,” St. Onge said. “It allowed us to view our strengths and weaknesses within our collection and gave us a wonderful collection of book ideas to buy to fill those gaps.”

Support from The Brooks Foundation and the Diverse Bookfinder partnered with the Maine Humanities Council to help Maine libraries diversify their collections. All libraries in Maine were eligible to receive up to $300 to purchase books to fill the gap identified in their analysis tool, according to St. Onge. 

With the grant, St. Onge said the library was able to purchase books that included different cultural concepts, races, folklores, biographies and more. 

“We are very excited to have added these to our current collection and are anxious to see the children enjoying these new books,” St. Onge said.