Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Andrew Russell Education seniors Stacy Marr, right, and Syleena Firkins, left, do homework amidst shelves holding the largest collection of children's books in the country.

Professor Kathy Short understands the global power of words. This fall, she is premiering the Worlds of Words project, which aims to expand students' and teachers' understanding of different parts of the world through children's literature.

"Particularly for U.S. kids, I'm really concerned that the majority of images about the world that they encounter are on television - which means it's war, catastrophe and terrorism," Short said. "Given the global world in which we live, kids need to understand how to interact with people from all different cultures, because that is their future."

Part of the WOW project is the International Collection of Children's and Adolescent Literature. Hiding in the basement of the Education building, the vast collection of children's literature includes several rooms of books with a lounge and study areas.

Visitors can walk through and browse books by country and subject matter, Short said. The collection has many translated books, but also a large number in Spanish and other languages.

For years, Short collected children's books U.S. publishers sent to her as review copies and books she accumulated from travels abroad.

She said she wanted a way to share her collection with everyone. Three years ago, she and College of Education dean Ron Marx revamped the basement and made room for the International Collection. Boxes of books are received every month, and the collection has grown to be the largest in the United States and the second largest in the world, Short said.

"One of our main goals here is to build an international collection that's the best in the United States," she said.

The WOW program aims to help teachers learn to use international literature as a way to build cultural understanding in their classrooms.

One of its initiatives is a Web site, www.wowlit.org that launches Monday, Short said. It will have a searchable database for teachers, an electronic journal and a "WOW Review," where cultural insiders can evaluate the authenticity and cultural value of a book and share their thoughts with the teaching community.

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