Immigration is no longer a single story about Ellis Island. Our Immigrant and New Generation community is multiracial, multicultural, and multilingual.
The Welcoming Library
offers curated collections & conversations to celebrate the diversity of the modern migration, resettlement, and new generation experience.
The Welcoming Library collections build the welcoming skills of the long-term community and create a crucial sense of belonging for immigrants and their new generations.
The Welcoming Library comes in three different collections.
Download an information sheet and explore more below.
traveling collection
Designed to be a shared resource and move between locations in provided totes, this collection of 30 acclaimed Immigrant and New Generation picture books with our lauded Discussion Questions comes with a pop-up Display Unit to celebrate the collection and conversation. Explore More.
This collection is an American Association of School Librarians Commendation Recipient.
cart collection
Innovated to move a collection and conversation within a school, library, or other building, this beautiful wooden cart holds 30 acclaimed Immigrant and New Generation picture books with our embedded Discussion Questions and 30 novels and graphic novels. Explore More.
This project launches in Fall 2023.
stack collection
Building on your previous Immigrant and New Generation children’s book acquisitions, this collection expands your diversity, invites you to centralize it, and unites it as a genre with provided stickers and signage. Explore More.
This was previously called the Welcoming Genre.
Curated Children’s Book Collection
Every Welcoming Library Collection contains a curated collection of chidlren’s books that both reflects America’s diverse Immigrant and New Generation communities and your local communities. These collections are hand-selected to reflect your demographics.
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- Novels are not part of the Traveling Collection
Picture Books with Discussion Questions
Every Welcoming Library Collection contains a core collection of 30 acclaimed Immigrant and New Generation picture books with IYNB’s Discussion Questions embedded as high quality stickers on the back endpapers. Each unique question asks the reader to establish a personal reaction and/or connection to the story. Several of the questions provide a cultural framework within the question to give the discussion leader up-to-date language and information approved by the community depicted in the book. Educators have stated that the discussion questions increased their comfort in sharing a book outside of their culture and experience.
Book Processing
Every Welcoming Library Collection contains books processed for durability and to highlight the mission. Each book is highlighted with a cover sticker with “I’m Your Neighbor” in 10 languages, a spine label and a bookplate with the Welcoming Library’s mission statement and your customized message. Finally, each book jacket is wrapped in mylar.
Book Displays and/or Signage
Every Welcoming Library Collection contains display units and/or signage that bring the collection together in a single place to emphasize that these individual books are part of a large, diverse conversation on immigration. Each book display has signage that invites readers to both, Read to Welcome and Read to Belong and includes IYNB’s logo which is the phrase, “I’m Your Neighbor” in 10 languages.