The #ownvoices hashtag was created by writer Corinne Duyvis in 2015 as a way to shorthand book recommendations by authors who openly shared the diverse identity of their main characters.

Duyvis used the tag with her own novel On the Edge of Gone, which features an autistic protagonist, an identity that she herself shares. However, the tag quickly turned into a blanketed marketing term, which placed diverse creators in uncomfortable and unsafe situations. In an interview, Duyvis stated, “Regretfully, the hashtag is regularly weaponized against marginalized authors. I’ve seen this happen along pretty much every imaginable axis of marginalization, and I absolutely hate that a hashtag that’s supposed to uplift marginalized authors is being used to police and pressure them.”

In June of 2021, We Need Diverse Books posted a piece explaining why we would no longer use the hashtag #ownvoices. Instead we are committed to moving toward focusing on the specific descriptions authors use for themselves and their characters, and not on forced representation. To better understand how this pivot is affecting the publicizing and sharing of books, I interviewed four librarians about their shift from using #ownvoices. — Gianna Macchia

Read more from the librarians below and check out their expanded responses on the WNDB blog!

Gabby Womack M.S., M.A (She/Her) is a librarian at the McQuade Library of Merrimack College located in North Andover, Massachusetts.  She is also a dedicated historian and archivist who is passionate about anti-racism and sharing the stories of minoritized folx. Find Gabby at @Bookish_AfroLatina (Instagram and TikTok) @BookishAfroLatina (Facebook) or on her website bookishafrolatina.com

Based on WNDB’s shift, what are you using now in place of the #ownvoices hashtag when you want to share or promote diverse content? 

When I want to share or promote diverse content I usually look into the representation within the book and the author’s identity (if they’ve defined it). Some of the hashtags I use to indicate that are: #diversebooks #blackauthor (or other variations, depending on race or ethnicity) #Lgbtq (and/or more specific like #gay or #sapphic) #disabled  #chronicpain or #chronicillness #decolonizeyourbookshelf

Suzanne Acharya (she/her) is a librarian at the Burlington Public Library in Ontario, but is currently preparing for an international move to Auckland, New Zealand. She loves bringing organizations together under the belief that group efficacy always has a greater impact than what a single person could achieve alone. Suzanne believes that equity, diversity and inclusion starts with her so she is constantly expanding her reading to better understand the lived experience of voices she has not heard. Suzanne told me “I can bring the change in every action I do when I understand.” Find Suzanne and more book recommendations by following @librarian.suzanne (Instagram). 

Have you created any display/tool/or event at your library that you are particularly proud of? Please explain. 

Madison Maler (she/her)  is a librarian at the Palm Desert Public Library in Palm Desert California. She has a masters in Library and Information Science and runs a bookstagram account, @anxious.librarian, where she posts reviews and photos often with a focus on LGBTQIA+ fiction and mental health. 

Based on WNDB’s shift, what are you using now in place of the #ownvoices hashtag when you want to share or promote diverse content?

It’s a shift we’re still going through where I work. Some are having a hard time switching from what they see as a useful “catch all” term to a different form of marketing while others still believe we should use the hashtag but be more careful with its use. It has been a useful tool for promoting new authors and unexpectedly useful in cataloging these stories in an easy to access way for both librarians and patrons, but the way the hashtag is being used is now preventing some stories from reaching the people who need them and the language is shifting from helpful to harmful.

We are exploring new alternatives. At the moment, this involves dropping the OwnVoices part of the hashtag leaving us with things like #LatinxAuthor or #MuslimRep. Alternatives like #TrueStory or #DiverseReads are also used when appropriate. I wish I had a better answer but there really isn’t one. Not yet, in any case. Right now it feels a lot like stumbling around in the dark flipping switches until you find something that works.

Have you created any display/tool/or event at your library that you are particularly proud of? 

The library event that I am most proud of to date is my Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) program that I held for all ages. I started off the event by explaining the meaning of Día de Los Muertos to all attendees and allowing time for questions. I then had various stations available with crafts and activities for families or individuals to complete. The first station was dedicated to decorating sugar skull cookies (this was pre-pandemic). The second station had coloring sheets for all ages. The third station was dedicated to creating mini ofrendas. Library patrons were encouraged to bring in photos of their loved ones and then they would place them in a heart shaped tin and decorate the tin with whichever items they desired. And our fourth station consisted of face painting. One of our talented staff members painted calaveras, roses and other designs on our patrons! I also made sure to have a display of books available for all ages.

The library program was a success with over 90 attendees and several shared their stories about their loved ones with me. A few even mentioned that they felt drawn to the program and looked forward to learning more about Hispanic culture.