Many librarians consider themselves to be the standard-bearers when it comes to providing students with the highest-quality resources.  Licensed characters, like Scooby Doo and Disney princess, often attract student interest, but librarians may struggle with whether it is appropriate to include these in their collections.  Friese (2008) argues that including characters from popular culture in the library’s collection creates an opportunity to engage students in critique and engage their developing media literacy skills.  With increased exposure and instruction, students can go beyond being passive consumers of media messages and advertisements and develop the ability to both appreciate and deconstruct these texts (p. 78).  

 

While these materials may be branded, providing students access to texts from popular culture through collection development opens up discussions about things like gender roles, cultural biases, and traditional archetypes.  Students will be bombarded with popular culture in their lives outside of school, and giving students the chance to explore the limitations and implications of these types of media will help them navigate this media-saturated environment.