1. ALSC COMMUNITY FORUM – January 2018
Inclusive Spaces and Services for Children of All Abilities
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2. welcome
Nina Lindsay
ALSC President
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3. News & NOtes
BOOKAPALOOZA TURNS 10!
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4. #alscforum News & Notes
ALSC provides $70k in Strengthening Communities Through Libraries Grants
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5. National Institute, September 2018!
News & Notes
National Institute, September 2018!
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6. News & Notes
Bringing Literacy Home: An Evaluation of the Every Child Ready to Read Program
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7. ALSC Blog in Feedspot Top 100 Children’s Book Blogs!
News & Notes
ALSC Blog in Feedspot Top 100 Children’s Book Blogs!
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8. Jason Driver, Renee Grassi, Eva Thaler-Sroussi
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Community Forum Inclusive Spaces and Services for Children of All Abilities
Jason Driver, Renee Grassi, Eva Thaler-Sroussi

9. Today’s Agenda #alscforum Scenario One - 5 min Discussion - 10 min
Scenario Two - 5 min
Scenario Three - 5 min
Questions? Ideas? - 5 min
Resources - 5 min
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10. Scenario One #alscforum

11. Scenario One #alscforum
You are a staff member at a small public library with a limited programming budget and limited staffing in your Youth Department.
How can you leverage community partnerships to support the development and growth of a new program or service for children with disabilities? What are some of your first steps? What are your overall goals?
Renee
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12. Scenario One #alscforum
- Research your community
- Don’t reinvent the wheel--avoid duplication
- Collaborate with local organizations
- Ask questions--formal and informal assessments
- Go where they are--take services outside library
- Target built-in audiences for promotion
- Enhance online presence
- Be transparent
- Start with what you know
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13. Forum Discussion
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14. Scenario Two
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15. Scenario Two #alscforum
Your library offers a weekly Afterschool Storytime: a 30 minute storytime and craft for kids in Grades K through 2. Children attend the program independently, while their caregivers stay in the library.
One young boy in this program is particularly energetic. During the storytime portion of the program, he doesn’t stay seated. Instead, he walks around the room, taps on the wall, plays with the blinds, and interrupts the librarian with questions. The other kids in the program are easily distracted by him. How would you approach this situation?
Jason
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16. Scenario Two #alscforum
- Why is this happening?
- Expand your horizon and learn about a variety of behavioral presentations
- Prepare for different scenarios (toolkit)
- Be flexible
- Set ground rules?
- Group size
- Routines help settle down children who thrive with structure
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17. Forum Discussion #alscforum

18. Scenario Three #alscforum

19. Scenario Three #alscforum
You are staffed at a small branch library with a small footprint. While your library offers children’s materials, it doesn’t have a separate children’s department with a designated space for children and their families to interact. It does, however, have a small program room that is used for both adult and children programs.
One day, your branch receives a written comment that reads: “I no longer feel comfortable bringing my child to your library. My child can’t help but make loud noises when she is excited and happy, but when she does, staff at your library stare at us and make us feel unwanted.” What is your response to the patron? How do you handle this with staff?
Eva
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20. Scenario Three #alscforum
- Recognize the opportunity to learn and improve.
- Evaluate your spaces. Consider Universal Design, “quiet spaces” and other creative solutions.
- Audit and assess current services and programs. Do you have a variety of targeted and inclusive programs available for families?
- What adaptations do you offer? Provide tablets, apps, noise-cancelling headphones, and flexible furniture.
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21. Scenario Three #alscforum
- Thinking outside of the box - Before and after hours visits, create a “social story”, borrow adapted toys, etc.
- Advocate for inclusion - As a community nexus we welcome everyone and have the opportunity to be a leader in modeling inclusion and access for all.
- Offer training for staff in the library JJs List(IL) or EPIC(MA) provide instaff interactive role-play training.
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22. Forum Discussion #alscforum

23. Questions? Ideas? #alscforum

24. Further Learning #alscforum

25. ALSC
Service to Special Population Children and their Caregivers Committee Toolkit
Light the Way Grant
ALSC Blog
ALSC archived webinars
ALSC Blog “The Social Model of Disability in the Children’s Area”
ALSC blog “Sensory Storytime On the Road”
ALSC blog “Sensory Storytime on a Shoestring”
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26. Resources from Library Service to Underserved Children and their Caregivers Committee
A Toolkit for Library Workers
ALSC Blog from Committee
Sensory Storytime Pinterest Page
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27. ASCLA
“Universal Design”
ASCLA AccessAbility Academy
ASCLA online webcasts
ASCLA resources and tools
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28. #alscforum Books about learning about developing and enhancing spaces
Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities by Michelle Kowalsky and John Woodruff
Designing Space for Children and Teens in Libraries and Public Places by Sandra Feinberg and James R Keller
The Power of Play: Designing Early Learning Spaces by Dorothy Stolz
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29. Books about strategies and best practices about inclusive programming for all abilities
Programming for Children and Tweens with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Barbara Klipper
Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together by Kathy MacMillan
Early Intervention Games by Barbara Sher
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30. Books about strategies and best practices about about inclusion, customer service, wholistic approach to library services for all abilities
Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, revised by Carrie Scott Banks
Library Services for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Lesley S.J. Farmer
Making the Library Accessible for All: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jane Vincent
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31. Adaptive Umbrella Blog http://adaptiveumbrella.blogspot.com/
Inclusive Early Lit blog
Jbrary blog post Using American Sign Language in Storytime
SNAILS
State library associations
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32. Thank you! #alscforum Jason Driver, Early Literacy Specialist at
Chicago Public (IL) Library
Renee Grassi, Youth Services Manager at Dakota County (MN) Library
Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Children’s Programming Librarian at
Needham Free Public (MA) Library
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33. Thanks for Participating!
Conclusion
Thanks for Participating!
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