University to collect children's books

Program Seeks Rare American Indian and Indigenous Books

The effort is an attempt to improve intercultural understanding through the use of children's books.A new effort at The University of Arizona’s College of Education is focused on indigenous populations and trying to help keep indigenous languages from disappearing--and to do this, children and adolescent literature will be used.

With a $15,000 donation from the Tohono O’odham Nation, the college’s International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature is initiating a project to bring some of the world’s most rare American Indian and indigenous peoples books to Tucson.

“We want to have books that reflect on indigenous populations around the world,” said Kathy G. Short, a professor in the college's language, reading and culture department.