In public libraries, technology support sometimes moves through a relay. Parents sometimes ask on behalf of children. Adult children may ask for parents. Caregivers may carry steps home for later, while staff members may prepare colleagues for the next patron. When the question involves accessibility, access depends on a setting someone can use and an explanation someone can repeat.
Tag: accessibility
Accessible Story Times in 3 Easy Steps
Since joining ALA in 2022, I have fully immersed myself in the world of programming for children with disabilities, from attending ALA Annual sessions to completing virtual toolkits about this topic. However, it is not as easy to find resources and connections as you may think. To aid other public librarians who may be interested in this topic, I compiled a list of three tips to make story time programming just a bit more inclusive! It is my hope that with simple actionable steps, library staff will be able to include all kiddos in their programs without needing to completely revamp their programming models. While the tips listed below are specifically for story time aged kiddos, they can also be applied to a variety of programs and across age ranges.
Children’s Makerspaces in Public Libraries
In the last several decades, the landscape of public libraries changed from what one might consider a stereotypical book storehouse to an eclectic gathering space not just for materials, but for people. To remain relevant in their communities, public libraries adapted to this shift in focus, working to provide more versatile and technological resources for their community members. One trend in particular that has sprung from this change is the concept of makerspaces. A relatively young concept as far as technology goes, this idea has taken root and managed to establish itself in libraries across the country. It is believed that the concept of “making” was first discussed in 2005, as part of an article in Make – a magazine that published information regarding maker projects. Since then, many libraries have taken the steps to build their own makerspaces filled with different types of technology. At the very least, most…
Accessible Tech for Youth at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
This post is by guest blogger Ivy Kuhrman, the Young Adult Librarian at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library in New York City. The ALSC Children and Technology committee invited Ivy to write this piece to share information about the Andrew Heiskell Library’s innovative use of accessible technology in their youth services. The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library provides free library services to patrons living in New York City and Long Island who are blind, low vision, or otherwise unable to read standard print. In addition to free and accessible reading materials in both braille and audio formats and a robust calendar of library programming for all ages, we offer access to a wealth of accessible technology for patrons at the library and beyond!
Simple Ways to Be More Inclusive of Autistic Families
Making your programs more inclusive of autistic families (and families with other sensory needs or disabilities) doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money. There are small, simple changes that you can make in an hour or less today that will help autistic families feel welcome and supported at your library programs (not just storytime). Here are four ways to get started.
Supporting AAC-Users in the Library
October is AAC Awareness Month! AAC stands for “augmentative and alternative communication,” and it’s often used to refer to a tool that can help someone communicate without speech, like a picture board or a tablet with a communication application. It can be as simple as a white board, or as high tech as a computer that can detect the user’s eye movements and translate them to speech. Someone who is non-speaking, or has difficulty speaking, can use their AAC to communicate with others. Let’s learn a little bit about AAC devices and how you can support AAC-users in the library.
Accessibility of All Sorts #PLA2022
The #PLA2022 Virtual Conference had multiple opportunities to learn more about accessibility, while the conference itself utilized captioning throughout and sign language interpreters for the headline speakers. This struck me as especially pertinent in the week that the movie CODA was recognized for outstanding performances of its cast – many of whom are deaf – and that I am writing a reading response for Cece Bell’s graphic novel El Deafo. Sonia and Scott Norris spoke on Scalable Web Accessibility Training for Library Staff in Every Position. They shared fundamental accessibility components as well as more advanced ones for your library’s web team to utilize. The training should be meaningful and relatable to staff while complying with state laws. Just as we translate library information to a variety of languages, and utilize multiple marketing tools to reach different audiences, we should strive to meet the needs of the members of our…
Summer Reading Prizes and Accessibility
It’s February, and for many libraries that means planning for Summer Reading is in full swing. Summer Reading is a linchpin event in a lot of communities, and a fantastic free program that brings a lot of families a lot of joy. But for some families, even a free program like Summer Reading may be difficult to fully access.