By the afternoon of day two of the 2024 ALSC National Institute, my mind was spinning from the fantastic author talks, the informative sessions, and the many, many informal talks about library life. To be honest, my energy was flagging just a bit. But during the afternoon sessions, I was once again inspired by the librarians who were presenting their work, and once again I found myself rapidly jotting down ideas about what I might incorporate in my own work once I got home.
One of the afternoon sessions that I attended was Celebrate Autistic Joy in Your Library. We have been having a lot of discussions recently in my own library about how to provide better service and programming to neurodiverse patrons, so this session was one that I had been eager to attend. During their presentation, Chelsey Roos (Santa Clara County Library District) had so many valuable things to say, but what I was most struck by was their description of three pillars around which librarians can make practical changes to make library programs more welcoming to autistic patrons. These three pillars were:
- Special interest programs (i.e., programs about things like anime, vehicles, fandoms, or any other special interest) that are already a staple in libraries. These programs can be quite popular with autistic patrons, so think about how to make them safer and more welcoming to that audience
- Sensory programs, especially programs that allow construction and destruction and programs with big body movements. Again, these are very common kinds of library programs, so consider how they can be made safe and welcoming for autistic patrons?
- Working on building relationships between autistic patrons and creating opportunities for autistic patrons to be in programs together.
There was so much pragmatic advice in this session, not just about programming but also about collection development, but the overall takeaway for me was when Chelsey talked about looking through a new lens when we are thinking about how best to serve autistic patrons. It isn’t about reinventing the wheel, but rather shifting our focus to see how we can adjust what we are already doing to make it more accessible. In most cases the adaptations we need to make are neither hard nor expensive. Yet they only will happen if we take the time to consider that different perspective.
Shifting the gaze and looking through a new lens – this is also how we can provide good library service to anyone who comes to the library with a different understanding (for any reason) of the way the world works. In order to look through that new lens, we need to shift our feet, look and listen to what a person is telling us, and always try to build connections. The adjustments we make might differ depending on the audience or the particular needs of a group of patrons, but beginning by looking through that new lens is always a good way to start the process. Building connections, building community, listening to stories and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes – librarianship at its best.
Guest Contributor Catherine Ash (she/her/hers) is a Youth Services Librarian for the Clinton Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township, Michigan. Catherine is thrilled to be attending her first ALSC conference and is looking forward to the author talks, to making new connections with youth services professionals from around the country, and to getting newly inspired about all things youth services. Catherine’s favorite animals are red pandas and giant anteaters, and her favorite treat is ice cream, especially coffee ice cream.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.