Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.60 (816 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0838914853 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-01-12 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
His professional career reflects over 30 years of education, training, administration, and management of employment and training programs for persons with disabilities. Michelle Kowalsky is a librarian and professor at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. His most recent activities include outreach to faculty and students to increase empathy for the varying needs of stude
Librarians are continually faced with challenges of how to best meet the needs of patrons with disabilities, whether those patrons have physical or intellectual disabilities, differing learning styles, or even temporary problems which impact their access and may change over time. And because planning considerations range from policies and organizational culture to facilities, technologies, and beyond, librarians need a guide that covers everything: areas that can be addressed quickly and easily as well as those that require long-term strategies. Packed with research-based best practices and handy checklists applicable to all types of libraries, this comprehensive resourcedefines what makes environments barrier-free, whether physical or virtual, and talks about how libraries can develop a user-centered culture;includes techniques for writing policies and procedures that are clear, realistic, and flexible;provides strategies for setting up facilities, training staff, and maintaining daily operations;discusses collaboration and outreach through community partnerships, including ways to connect patrons with nonprofits and disability organizations;offers programming and workshop ideas such as open houses, tutorials, and tours of the library;delves into assistive technology, website design, making vendor-purchased products accessible, and other information technology issues; andshares ideas for library assessment, realigning strategies,
The suggestions provided throughout this book will help make libraries more ergonomic and person-friendly, benefiting everyone, not just those with disabilities." --Reference & User Services Quarterly . This will benefit not only those in the enviable position of building from scratch, but also those who must retrofit existing environments Recommended for all libraries." --Journal of Hospital Librarianship"Concise but complete This title has two major strengths: its emphasis on invisible disabilities in addition to visible ones, and its recognition of the needs of library employees with disabilities, along with the needs of patrons. Demonstrated through their experiences and research, their expertise on the subject makes this work a valuable and credible resource." --Library Journal"With this work by Kowalsky and Woodruff as a guide, libraries will be able to achieve the most inclusive environment possible. "The book features checklists to support th