Since YA author and founder of Disability in Kidlit Corinne Duyvis coined the hashtag #ownvoices in 2015, it has become an integral part of the discussion and evaluation of books, particularly in the kidlit and teenlit communities. Duyvis defines the term as being applicable to all art forms in which "the protagonist and the author share a marginalized identity."
Here at NoveList, we've been discussing ways in which to introduce the concept of #ownvoices into our work of cataloging books and curating content. We're interested in how #ownvoices meshes with the work we've been doing for years around authors' gender identities, nationality, and cultural identities, as well as our character appeals that address aspects of diversity. How's the #ownvoices conversation playing out in your library?