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Accessibility is key to serving an inclusive library audience.  Because of that, it’s important that librarians examine–not only our programming–but the accessibility of our library collections as well.  Unfortunately, the process of reading a typical library book may not be accessible for all abilities.  The simple act of turning the page, for example, may be difficult to accomplish by someone who has a disability.  What can librarians do, then, to make our books accessible to those children in our communities with special needs?

Leap Into Literacy adaptive books for special needs children

Partners with Passion

In the Chicagoland area, librarians are fortunate enough to have the expertise and dedication of Rita Angelini, founder of Leap Into Literacy. The mission of this non-profit organization is to create adapted books for children with special needs and make these books available in public libraries.  Using Boardmaker symbols and a bit of creativity, Rita and her amazing group of volunteers adapt small picture books into large, durable, accessible books that can be manipulated by a child with special needs.

What makes a book accessible?

Each page is laminated with thick laminate plastic sheets, allowing fast and easy cleaning for children with compromised immune systems.  Page fluffers or page turners are added, creating adequate space for children to turn the page on their own.  At the bottom of each page, four Boardmaker picture symbols are included that summarize the actions of the story in the illustration and text above. The symbols, which include both image and text of a particular concepts, offer an opportunity to reinforce vocabulary for children who are nonverbal or learning to read.  When all of the adapted pages are finished, the pages are inserted to a three-ring binder, making it a durable, long-lasting product that can be utilized by children of any reading ability.   Afterwards, the books are donated to public libraries across the Chicagoland area and are added to the libraries’ collections to circulate to each community.

Whether you partner with a local organization like Leap Into Literacy to create a circulating collection of adapted books, or you want to try your hand at creating a collection to be used in-house for  programs, any library can improve the accessibility by offering adapted books.  What has YOUR library done to offer unique and accessible reading formats?  Share your ideas below!  To learn more about page fluffers, laminate, and other adapting techniques, check out the Adapting Creatively Blog for some great tips.

The Gruffalo, released by N Circle Entertainment (2011)

Our Children’s Department is trying something new this April for Autism Awareness Month.  As a way to continue our outreach efforts to children with special needs into the library, we will be hosting our first ever inclusive family film program entitled Sensory-Friendly Family Film.

Our idea of a family film program designed especially for children with special needs is modeled after AMC Theatre’s own series of  Sensory-Friendly Films.  In partnership with the Autism Society, AMC’s Sensory-Friendly Films were first developed in 2007 as recreational opportunities for individuals with autism.  These special movie showings welcome people of all abilities to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment.  The theaters themselves offer a different kind of moviegoing experience, with lights that are turned on and sound that is turned down.  Audience members are even invited to move about the room as they please.  As explained by the Autism Society, “Being able to relax and enjoy quality family time without worrying if someone will complain or be disturbed by noise of movement is a wonderful experience. It’s a great opportunity for families to meet, siblings of children with autism to get to know other kids, and anyone to enjoy a movie in a climate of acceptance and understanding.”  Children with autism spectrum disorder often need a different adaption or a slightly altered environment to feel comfortable.  Sensory-Friendly Films offer that supportive environment.

There were many reasons why we decided to host a Sensory-Friendly Film program at the library.  Our Children’s Department has an ongoing series of Sensory Storytime programs for children with special needs, so we already have a core group of families who visit the library to attend these programs.  So, we wanted to build on our first program’s success.  We wanted to provide more opportunities for those families to feel comfortable visiting the library in a program that is still as welcoming and inclusive as Sensory Storytime.  Another goal of ours was to develop more programs that are family-oriented and welcoming for parents, caregivers, and siblings.  That way, families are able to make visits to the library together, with everyone able to enjoy the movie experience regardless of their age or ability.  We also wanted to bring attention to our selection of movies that are based on picture books.  There are many production companies, such as Weston Woods, Dreamscape, and Scholastic Storybook Treasures, that create quality audiovisual adaptations of picture book texts.  By showing one of these movies, we hope to bring more awareness to this mini collection of DVDs, while introducing kids with new characters and connecting them with new stories.

Here is a run down of our program details:

• Title: Sensory Friendly Family Film–The Gruffalo
• Date and Time: Saturday, April 5 at 11 am
• Target Audience: Children of all ages and abilities with parent or caregiver
• Program Description: Join us for our first sensory-friendly movie showing of “The Gruffalo.” The room will be lighter, the volume will be lower, and audience members will be welcome to move around, talk, and sing.  The intended audience is children with special needs accompanied by siblings and caregivers, although everyone is welcome.  Noise cancelling headphones and fidgets will be available to use.  No registration required–just drop in!
• Room setup: TV monitor at the front of the room with chairs arranged in auditorium style seating; large aisles and walkways in between rows of chairs and along the edge of the room for accessibility; table arranged at the back of the room displaying copies of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and collection of fidgets and other manipulatives for children to use during the program
• Fidgets and manipulatives made available: 4 pairs of noise cancelling headphones; 6 tangle toys;  4 giant sensory tubes; sensory balls; stress balls; puzzles

Here’s another quick tip.  If your library wants to host a family movie program, be sure to first acquire the rights to show the movie in your library.  Check out Movie Licensing USA or the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation for more information.

To find out more about the history of Sensory Friendly Films and to learn about the one family who made it all happen, click here.  For a list of participating theaters in your area, check out AMC Theatre’s website.  And to learn about more autism-friendly library programming strategies that work, check out the Libraries and Autism website.  Does your library offer Sensory-Friendly Film programming? If so, share your tips and ideas below!

I dream of the day when every public library is my public library.

-Brian Charlson

This Public Library Association 2014 Conference offers a particularly impressive selection of programs about various aspects of serving traditionally underserved users.  And boy–is there a lot to learn.  Before this afternoon, I hadn’t heard about Refreshable Braille Displays.  According to Brian Charlson, Director of Technology at the Carroll Center for the Blind, they are actually the most popular devices for K-12 students who are blind or have low vision.  Refreshable Braille Displays are electronic devices that allow users to read text that is typically displayed visually on a computer monitor.  The devices themselves do not have any screens, but are connected to computers by a USB cord.  Showing 18 characters at a time, Refreshable Braille Displays convert visual text into tactual text and produces Braille output for the reader.

A question that was asked during this program–how do we as librarians provide access to reading material to patrons who are blind or have low vision?  Brian went on to explain that three things are required:

1. Your users need to know that the technology exists.
2. Your users need to be able to afford the technology.
3. Your users need to know how to use the technology.

This is where our role as librarians is crucial.  Even our youngest patrons who are blind or have low vision rely on libraries to provide information, access, and training.  And while consumer products like Kindles and Nooks are not required to comply with ADA Standards, public libraries are, indeed, required.  So, if you circulates e-reader devices in your Children’s Department or elsewhere in your library, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do these devices have text to speech capabilities?
• Can the user change the font size and the font type?
• Is there functionality to change contrast settings?
• Can the user have individual words spelled out?
• Can users change the background and foreground colors and set transparency to make the interface easier to read?

One last takeaway.  No two people–whether they are blind or sighted–are alike.  Every user has their own set of needs, and we as librarians can/should do what we can to help.

Librarians excel at a great many things, especially when it comes to marketing to people who already use the library.  But what about non-users?  What strategies do we employ to reach those who do not currently utilize the library and its services?  As we strive to reach out to the community and advocate for the value of our public library, it’s important to remember that many families of children with special needs are still uncomfortable with the idea of stepping through our doors.  So, even though we may develop new programs and services specifically targeting children with disabilities and their families, traditional marketing methods may not work.

If your library struggles with getting the word out to families of children with special needs, here is a list of ten quick tips you can apply to your library’s marketing strategies right away.

1. Visit areas in the community that are frequented by everyone, regardless of their ability.  Share information and flyers at bus stops, train stations, park districts, community centers, and your local coffee shop.
2. Lead a library focus group or an advisory group made up of stakeholders from your community about expanding accessible library services.
3. Create a Special Needs Library e-Newsletter and send it out regularly highlighting new programs, materials, and services.  Check out the “Special Child” e-newsletter from Arlington Heights Memorial Library as a great model.
4. Join the conversation online. Find and contact parent support groups in your area using Meetup.com, Facebook, Twitter, or MySpecialNeedsNetwork.com.  Ask them if they would host you as a guest speaker, so that you could open up a dialogue about libraries.
5. Establish partnerships with local therapists, doctors’ offices, and other special needs related community organizations.  Many are looking to pass along free recreational opportunities to families in their network, so they may be able to post flyers or send emails about upcoming events at your library.
6. Attend disability expos, fairs, or forums that are happening in your community.  Represent your library by staffing an information table.
7. Connect with your local special education district.  Ask if they would be willing to email information, send flyers home in backpacks, or add your library’s programs to their calendar of community events.
8. Dedicate space on your library’s website to Special Needs or Accessible Library Services.  Check out “The Child’s Place” from the Brooklyn Public Library as an excellent example.
9. Create a community-wide survey to identify needs and to assess community interests and the perception of your library.
10. Involve parents of children with special needs in your Strategic Planning process to help inform the direction and scope of future library services.

One last tip.  Empower all levels of staff to be advocates for inclusion and accessibility by offering disability friendly training.  Once children age out of Youth Services, they and their families require accessible service from other areas of the library.  It’s important that all levels of library staff, especially staff on the front lines, are on the same page about making the library a welcoming place for patrons with special needs.  Take a look at “Disability Awareness Training: Essential Tools for Your Toolbox” for more information.

What are some ways your libraries has marketed its programs and services to families of children with special needs?  Share your ideas below!

December is an exciting time for the Library Services to Special Populations and Their Caregivers Committee as we begin to review applications for the ALSC/Candlewick Press “Light the Way: Outreach to the Underserved” Grant. Reviewing applications is a wonderful way to learn about the accessibility and literacy challenges facing children and their caregivers throughout the U.S.  It’s also an opportunity to learn about and support the creative programming happening in our libraries to meet their needs and help them feel at home in the library.

In addition to the grant, committee members remain busy writing about library services to special populations for the ALSC blog. This year, we’ve written about welcoming LGBTQ families into the library, providing fun financial literacy education during storytime, and getting started as a new librarian serving special needs populations. Committee members have also highlighted books to celebrate National Adoption Month and suggested ways the library can get involved with Hunger Action Month.

Contributing to the ALSC blog is the committee’s way of increasing awareness around these and many other important issues facing our library patrons. We see it as a way of advocating for those who aren’t always top of mind when it comes to services. What I love about this particular work of the committee is that we’ve written about the many faces of special populations, recognizing that special populations are not limited to those with disabilities. We hope our posts inform and inspire the work of fellow librarians, and we look forward to continuing this work. Stay tuned for more blog posts and activities from the committee.

And, if you’re interested in collaborating feel free to contact any committee member listed below:

Jordan Boaz

Sara E. Hathaway

Rebecca Anne Hickman

Lesley Mason

Amy Seto Musser

Amanda Struckmeyer

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Posted by Africa Hands, Librarian, Library Services to Special Populations and Their Caregivers Committee Chair.

I am thankful for Sensory Storytimes.  I’m also thankful to the ALSC community for giving me the support I needed to start something new.  What’s more, I’m thankful for your Sensory Storytimes.  I’m thankful that library services to families with children with special needs are continuing to expand in communities across the country because of librarians like you.  You are thinking outside of the box, learning, growing, and developing new programs and services to serve an underserved group of our communities.  It’s no wonder that the perception of the public library is starting to change.  Parents and caregivers are now looking to libraries for recreational and educational opportunities where their children with special needs can be included.  Now that’s truly something to be thankful for.

For many parents and caregivers, though, the public library is not a comfortable place to visit.  If we are to continue expanding services to children with disabilities, we must directly confront the perception that the public library is not a place for children with special needs.  In short, we must advocate for our library to non-users. One way to do that is to talk openly about the benefits for children with special needs when they attend inclusive library programs.  Not sure what to say?  Here are a few talking points.

• Storytimes are open to the public: Programs like Sensory Storytime–just like all other library programs–are free, recreational opportunities that are easily accessible.  Most libraries do not require advanced planning, though some require advanced registration.
• Storytimes are literacy rich environments: Sensory Storytime programs have many opportunities for talking, reading, singing, writing, and playing.  This can help increase language skills, vocabulary, and syntax development.  Storytimes and other library programs also foster a love of reading and support learning for all children.
• Storytimes are sensory rich environments: Programs like Sensory Storytime offer many fun and stimulating sensory experiences for children to see, touch, hear, and smell new things in their environment.  Increased sensory input helps stimulate brain development, not just for children with special needs, but for all children. Sensory rich environments also help children develop imagination, think creatively, and experiment.
• Storytimes provide opportunities for practicing life skills: Life skills help children with special needs function independently. So, it’s important for children to have opportunities to practice these skills, which include listening, attending, following directions, transitioning between activities, taking turns, and sequencing.  Storytime programs offer these and more!
• Storytimes provide opportunities for socialization: A wise librarian once told me that storytime is, at its heart, about connection between people.  The individual connections we librarians make during storytime with children, parents and caregivers is one of the most valuable aspects of our programs.  In programs like Sensory Storytime, children with special needs not only have the opportunity to connect with other children, but they practice how to work cooperatively and collaboratively with their peer group.
• Storytimes are inclusive environments: One of the main goals of a program like Sensory Storytime is to welcome families into the library who might not be included in other areas of community life.  It does not matter one’s level of ability, all children are included to participate equally.  Isn’t that the mission of our public libraries, after all?

If you are working at a library who has already began developing new and innovative services and programs for children with disabilities, I just want to take this moment to share my gratitude and say thanks.  If your library has yet to make this as a goal, I hope this post inspires you to be fearless and try new things.  I guarantee your community will be thankful.

One of the benefits of technology is the ability to meet and collaborate with other library professionals from across the United States (even the world!). This fall, ALSC began its first mentoring program matching professionals interested in library service to children together to foster collaboration, communication, and education.

I was paired with JoAnna Schofield from the Akron-Summit County Public Library system.   I’m a Youth Services librarian for Broward County Library in South Florida.  JoAnna and I immediately discovered we had a few things in common.  She has three kids, and I have four.  Both of us knew what it was like to try and balance work and family.  Even more compelling, both of us have been touched by autism.  For JoAnna, it was her sister.  For me, my son. Because we both have an interest in autism, we decided to create goals for our mentorship experience that concentrated on library programs for autistic children and their families. My library in South Florida recently began planning a program for preschoolers with autism as part of a grant by Autism Speaks.  This grant by Autism Speaks is a part of their project “Making Public Libraries Accessible for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders”.   JoAnna’s library is exploring library services to children with special needs, and they will be conducting in-service training on the topic in the spring of 2014.

After talking about potential goals, we came up with three to focus on.  Our first goal is to put together a resource list that would be beneficial for a library structuring services for children with Autism.  This resource could contain books that would be useful in a storytime as well as parental resources.  Our second goal is to create plans for social skills story times by choosing books that focused on specific life skills. For example stories could include “Going to the library and what to expect”, “How to make a friend”, “Taking turns”, etc.  Lastly, our third goal is to explore the development of a program for the siblings of children with special needs so they also can experience a positive library experience and connect with other children in similar situations. This is important since it can be very difficult to deal with the challenges of having a sibling on the autistic spectrum or other disabilities not to mention the difficulties of watching your parent(s) juggle their time between you and the various therapy visits that they need to do for their sibling.

By writing blog posts over the course of our mentorship, it is our hope to be able to dispel some of the fears and concerns that go with starting a storytime for children on the autistic spectrum.  It is normal for people who have not worked with children with disabilities to feel a little unsure or uncomfortable initially.  I’m hoping as we share this experience during the year, more may explore library programs and services for children with disabilities and their families. Please feel free to comment and share what your library is doing to reach and serve this community!

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Our guest bloggers today are Susan Ostrof and JoAnna Schofield who wrote this article together. For simplicity’s sake, they wrote the article as if it was from Susan’s perspective to avoid pronoun confusion.

Picture of “Sue and Sue” at the Field Museum in Chicago courtesy of blogger’s daughter, Caitlin Ostroff

Susan is  a Youth Services librarian for Broward County Library.   She  enjoys coming up with interesting program ideas and teaching others how to use databases. One of her goals is to develop more programs in the library for children and their families with special needs. She is married and the mom to four kids, two Labrador Retrievers and two pet Dumbo rats.  In her spare time, you will find her partaking in her photography hobby and occasionally some cake decorating.  Her photos can be seen at http://www.susanostroff.com/  Her library can be visited at http://www.broward.org/library/

Courtesy photo from guest blogger

JoAnna is a children’s librarian at the Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron, Ohio. She passionately enjoys her toddler, preschool, and school age outreach, baby time series, and school age science and technology programs. She is eagerly awaiting the start of 2014 and her new Tech Tuesdays school age programs. Along with her participation in the ALSC Mentoring Program, she has recently accepted appointment on the 2015 (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Book Award Committee. Her inspiration comes from her three beautiful children: Jackson (3), Parker (2), and Amelia Jane (8 months). She can be reached at [email protected].

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

Inclusion can mean different things to different people.  One definition of inclusion is “an approach to library service that includes patrons with disabilities in an equitable way.”  If library staff do everything that they can do to meet the varied needs of patrons with special needs, they are truly being inclusive.

Carrie Banks, the director of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs describes her library’s model for inclusion as “employing universal design and appreciating multiple intelligences so that all are welcomed and engaged.”  In her latest book “Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians,” Carrie provides a detailed guide for librarians looking to develop inclusive services for children and youth with disabilities.  This book is a must-have resource for any librarian looking to learn more about inclusion in public libraries.

Why is inclusion so important?  According to Child Action, Inc., inclusion has many benefits:

• Inclusion provides belonging, acceptance, and developmentally appropriate practices
• Inclusion teaches children with special needs typically developing skills
• Inclusion provides an opportunity to develop friendships
• Inclusion provides children with special needs an opportunity to develop positive attitudes toward themselves and others who are different from themselves

What does inclusion mean to you at your library?  For me, inclusive libraries are…

Adaptable

Aware

Cooperating

Diversified

Helpful

Learning

Open

Supporting

Universal

& Welcoming!

How do you select the right picture book to read to an audience of children with special needs?  A few years ago, I blogged about tips and strategies for those of us selecting books for special needs storytimes.  While I still use this criteria today, now I’ve come across a slight problem.  I will admit, it’s not exactly a problem…  With all the fabulous picture books published every year, how do you even begin to choose what to use for storytime?  This list is just one place to start.  So, whether your library hosts its own Sensory Storytime program, you’re just searching for books to read to an inclusive audience, or you’re just looking for a great readaloud, this list is for you!

Animals

• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
• Dog’s Noisy Day by Emma Dodd
• Jump! by Scott Fisher
• Ribbit! by Rodrigo Folgueira
• Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin
• Stick! by Andy Pritchett
• I Went Walking by Sue Williams

Colors

• Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
• Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood
• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
• Cleo’s Color Book by Caroline Mockford
• What Makes a Rainbow by Betty Schwartz
• Knock! Knock! By Anna-Clara Tidholm
• The Deep Blue Sea: A Book of Colors by Audrey Wood

Rhymes & Songs

• Itsy Bitsy Spider by Richard Egielski
• One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines
• Five Little Ducks by Annie Kubler
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• Down by the Station by Jennifer Vetter
• If You’re Happy and You Know It by James Warhola
• The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky

Renee’s Favorites

• Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
• A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy
• If You Give A Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
• Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
• Wave Goodbye by Rob Reid
• Press Here by Herve Tullet
• Banana! by Ed Vere

What are some of your favorites?  Share them below!

Maybe it’s just at my library, but many of our kids head straight for the new shelves.  They just can’t help themselves.  They like the shining covers.  The crisp pages.  They are drawn to the snappy cover art.  Plus, they want to check out the latest and greatest new book–you know, the one all their friends are reading.  Even now, Wonder by R.J. Palacio is one of those books for us.  While it was published in February of 2012, popularity of it still hasn’t let up–and rightly so.

Okay. But what if all your copies are checked out? What do you give them?  Sometimes be hard for us as librarians to bring attention to older–albeit sometimes dusty–titles that may not have yet been read by kids these days.  It sure doesn’t hurt to try.  If you are looking for some suggestions of good books with characters that are special in their own way, try these.

A Cool Moonlight by Angela Johnson

Nine-year-old Lila, born with xeroderma pigmentosum, a skin disease that make her sensitive to sunlight, makes secret plans to feel the sun’s rays on her tenth birthday.

Quit It by Marcia Byalick

Diagnosed with a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics, such as coughing and head jerking, sixth-grader Carrie must cope with the embarrassment and strain of various reactions from family, friends, and strangers.

The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowely

In the small town of Jumbo, Texas, thirteen-year-old Merilee, who has Asperger’s syndrome, tries to live a “Very Ordered Existence,” but disruptions begin when a boy and his father arrive in town and the youngster makes himself a part of the family.

Nobody’s Perfect by Marlee Matlin

Megan, a popular and outgoing fourth-grader, is sure that the “perfect” new girl dislikes her because she is deaf, but persistence and a joint science fair project help Megan see that the two girls have something in common after all.

Singing Hands by Delia Ray

In the late 1940s, twelve-year-old Gussie, a minister’s daughter, learns the definition of integrity while helping with a celebration at the Alabama School for the Deaf–her punishment for misdeeds against her deaf parents and their boarders.

95 Pounds of Hope by Anna Galvada

From his first day, school had been torture for Gregory because of his ADD.  Things got progressively worse, until he was expelled in eighth grade, but through all his difficulties, Gregory could count on support from his grandfather, until his grandfather became ill and needed support from Gregory.

The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry

Katy Thatcher was the bright and curious daughter of the town doctor. Perhaps it was her insatiable curiosity that fueled their friendship with Jacob.  Although Jacob never spoke to her or even looked at her directly, Katy grew to understand him from the moments they spent together quietly singing to the horses.  But when events took an unexpected and tragic turn, it was Katy alone who could unravel the mystery of what had occurred, and why.

The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood

When thirteen-year-old Delrita’s parents are killed in an car accident, she begins to hide from the world.  Things change for her when she starts to develop a friendship with her Uncle Punky, an adult with Down’s syndrome.

This year the ALSC committee, Library Services to Special Populations and Their Caregivers, received several applications for the ALSC/Candlewick “Light the Way: Outreach to the Underserved” Grant for programs aimed at serving teen parents. The committee wanted to bring attention to this patron population and find out more about how libraries can meet their dual (teen and parent) needs.

I recently interviewed Sarah Nordhausen, co-author of Serving Teen Parents: From Literacy to Life Skills (ISBN 1598846930), about her experiences working with teen parents. In part two, I speak with Sarah’s co-author, Ellin Klor.

How did you start working with teen parents?

Sarah: Prior to working in libraries, I worked with a family literacy program with youth in the foster care system. When I worked at San Mateo County Library, the library received a grant for youth literacy and decided to focus on teen parents. For the grant we partnered with two organizations in the highest need areas of the community and my work with teen parents developed from there.

Did your library offer services or programs to the teen parents that are different from services offered to teens who aren’t parents?

Sarah: Absolutely, but the needs of parent and non-parent teens are similar and different. They may be interested in regular teen programming but can’t participate due to child care or other issues like transportation. The best way is to go to them in their facility and talk to them about integrating literacy with everyday activities with their child. For example, I talked with them about the importance of play, things like making Play-doh with your child, and all that comes from spending time with child. Since they’re also teens I did job search and resume building workshops, as well as fun stuff like self-care and make-your-own-facial workshops, spa days, and relaxation and stress reduction techniques. The needs of the teen are to be independent but the needs of the parents are to care for the child; it’s harder for them to do self-exploration and develop who they are when they have a child. I tried to do programming that met both needs.

How do you balance serving the literacy needs of the parent and those of the child?

Sarah: Some moms were reading below their grade level and I was lucky to have an adult literacy program in the county to recommend to moms. It’s hard to meet the literacy needs of your children when you can’t read, so we explored other literacy opportunities like storytelling and other techniques that they can still participate in with their child. Some moms became better readers because they wanted to read to their child.

What would you say is a growing need for teen parents?

Sarah: The library is in a unique position. Libraries can offer services that meet their needs as parents and as teens: regular teen workshops related to life skills such as resume building, job search, and fun stuff like connecting with other teens; and helping them to be the best teacher to their child by providing services on the importance of reading to their children. On a bigger scope, having library staff understand teen parents’ needs and their circumstances and being more flexible. For example, with story time staff needs to understand that the parent is still young and their child management skills are still growing, give them an alternative to participating. Teen parents may have had negatives experiences with libraries and the library staff needs training on the developmental needs of this group.

Tell us about any partnerships or collaborations you have with other organizations? What advice do you have for setting up these partnerships?

Sarah: Partnerships are the way to go because it’s a tough population to identify; they are not always library users. Find an agency that already serves the population. I previously worked with a mental health clinic in Half Moon Bay that already had teen parent group and I approached them to work with their teen parents. Once a month I attended their regular programs doing literacy-based work with parents and children together. Story time with a craft was an opportunity for moms to spend quality time with their children and a good opportunity to model activities to do at home. Another partnership came together after attending a collaborative meeting with various organizations. Afterwards I was invited to help a faith-based organization that also had a transitional housing facility for young mothers. This group had child care so I worked with mothers only. This allowed for more in-depth conversations with mothers around their needs. Someone from library also came in to do early literacy with the children while in child care. My advice is to partner with agencies, schools, community groups, and find them by attending community meetings.

In what ways can libraries and staff support teen parents?

Sarah: Let teens know about other community resources. Teen parents’ needs are diverse and the library can’t meet them all; serving as community connection is a simple way to make impact with moms.

Have you heard from other libraries since publishing your book? What has been the response?

Sarah: We’ve received lots of feedback. We continue to promote services to teen parents through different programming ideas at conferences. I’ve had calls from librarians around the country asking further questions.

What do you like most about working with teen parents?

Sarah: I am amazed by their resiliency and their strength and all that they do. I enjoy seeing them grow. If they show up (at library programs) they want to be there. They want to learn and be the best parents they can be.

Thanks, Sarah, for sharing your experiences of working with teen parents at the library. Sarah Nordhausen recently moved to Seattle, WA and looks forward to making new connections. You can reach Sarah at [email protected]. Stay tuned for my interview with Ellin Klor.

If your library is working with teen parents, please tell us about your work in the comments.

Interviewed by Africa Hands, Library Services to Special Populations and Their Caregivers Committee Member

One of our most dedicated and reliable volunteers we have at our library is young man who is going into 10th Grade.  He comes to the library every Saturday precisely at 9 am.  He has impeccable attention to detail and is able to manage a variety of responsibilities.  He is quick to shelve and is eager to take on new tasks.  As the new Head of Children’s Services at my library, I was so happy to see that we had a resident of the community–someone who had used the library all throughout his life–now volunteering and making a difference at his local library.  I was even more pleased when I found out that this young man is a person with special needs.

If you already have a teen volunteer program at your library to help out in the Children’s Department, consider opening it up to teens with special needs.  It may not be anything you’ve considered before, but I assure you the payoff is well worth it.  Here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.

One of the first things I do after hearing about a volunteer’s interest in the library is to schedule an orientation meeting.  This is a great opportunity for me to get to know the person who will be helping out at the library and learn about strengths and interests.  You also want to make sure to keep track of the volunteer’s contact information, in case you should need to get in touch with him.  The key here is to be sure to involve family members in this process–there isn’t anyone who knows this volunteer better, after all!  During the meeting, though, I do my best to make sure I’m not having the parent speak for your volunteer.  If your volunteer can interact with me in a dialogue, I prepare myself with clear and concise questions, so as to avoid any misunderstanding.  Depending on the special need, it may work more smoothly to direct comments and questions to the caregiver.  But I’ve noticed if I take the time to speak slowly and clearly and wait for responses, I usually have a positive interaction.

It’s also important to match the task with your volunteer’s ability.  Some volunteers may enjoy for sorting things or organizing materials in numerical or alphabetical order.  Others may prefer to be more active around the library and do things like cleaning, dusting shelves, or watering plants.  Maybe your volunteer is interested in assisting with preparing craft materials.  It’s handy to keep an on-going list of various tasks of things you need done around the department.  Then, as you learn about your volunteer’s strengths and interests, you can assign duties that you think will be a good fit.  This is key.  As you assign a task, you are also setting up an expectation.  So, be aware of the expectations you are creating and if they are within the realm of your volunteer’s abilities.

Most importantly, be friendly and flexible.  Whether it is you or another staff member who is charged with coordinating volunteers, remember that simple things like saying “Hello” and “How are you?” go a long way.  Even if your volunteer does not always respond to you, this shows you acknowledge and value their presence.  If you’ve noticed that your volunteer needs help with sticking to a task, consider offering him a timer to use while he is working.  If you see signs that your volunteer is frustrated or having a bad day, offer him the chance to take a break or assign him a different task.  This is another time when having a communicative relationship with your volunteer’s parent or caregiver is crucial.  That person could provide information about your volunteer’s situation to help you to see the big picture of your volunteer’s needs.  Bumps in the road will inevitably arise, but being understanding and reassuring, especially when working with patrons with special needs, is an absolute must.

Teens with special needs have unique challenges as they grow into adulthood, and ma

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw.

If you’ve already read the latest issue of Children & Libraries, then you are probably just as motivated and inspired as I am by all the ideas about PLAY.  If you haven’t, you should.*** The second edition of Every Child Ready to Read has brought the focus on this all-too-important topic, separating “Play” out as its own distinct pre-literacy activity.  That means for those of us coordinate children’s programs, we have now assumed the role of “facilitator of play.”  But let’s be honest, many of us have probably already taken this on before.  Many of our programs may already have playtime built into our storytime programs.  The new edition of ECRR makes it official.  I, for one, am excited to have another reason to continue playing and encouraging families to play, too.

At my previous library, I coordinated Sensory Storytime program, a one hour long program for children with special needs, and it was developed to give playtime its own special focus.  Children ages four to eight came to the library on a Saturday afternoon for 30 minutes of storytime activities, and 30 minutes of structured play activities.  After our storytime activities were completed, children and caregivers would receive a small picture card that matched one of the three stations in the room.  This program has evolved several times incorporating different play activities offered, including play-doh, puzzles, rice table, and a craft table.  Once at their station, families would then have about seven to ten minutes to experience the activities in that station.  I would give a two and one minute warning before it was time to change to the next activity, and then families would receive a new card that matched one of the other stations.

I had the opportunity to observe several special education classrooms before planning this program, which helped inform my planning process for Sensory Storytime.  What I saw in those classrooms was very similar.  Children were grouped together at small tables around the room, and each table would involve a particular activity or lesson.  Then, when the child completed the lesson, he or she checked his individual picture schedule, received a new card, and moved on to their next activity. What I took away from this learning experience was that it was crucial to make sure appropriate structure was given to playtime.  Visual cues like picture cards and large group schedules, coupled with verbal and visual warnings when transition was going to occur helped support children in their play experience.  For a child with special needs, play–and all the social expectations that come with it–may not be something that comes as naturally.  Children with special need need structure, direction, and support with transitioning to different activities in a library program.  So, setting out a pile of toys  in the middle of a large room and ‘expecting’ children to ‘go and play’ may not be the right strategy with children with special needs.

One other thing I learned: not all toys are made equal.  Having a program like Sensory Storytime invited children with various kinds of special needs into the library.  I quickly learned that I needed to adapt activities to make them accessible to everyone, and I had to offer toys and manipulatives that could be used by children with various abilities.  Some children had ability to grasp; others didn’t.  Some children could manipulate a glue stick; others couldn’t.  I always had to be cognizant of the expectation I was setting up for children whenever I put out toys or an activity, and realized that offering variety was alway

While establishing sensory storytime programming for children with special needs and their families from 2008-2010 in my previous position at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we became aware of a service gap for developmentally older children.  Purposefully, we did not set an age limit for the storytime and as a result, we served children aged 18 months through 22 within a program that was structured for preschool through early elementary-aged participants.  It was our hope that the storytime offered something for everyone who attended through social, physical and literacy activities—yet occasionally during the social time following the program a parent would express interest in an experience of a higher or more challenging level.  We compiled a list of contact information for families who would be interested in this programming when time allowed for it to be planned, yet time primarily allowed for the focus on the storytime programs being established through other locations in the system.

Fast forward to Fall 2011 when pilot sensory programming at Cuyahoga County Public Library was being considered.  Based upon my past experience, it was a priority to pilot both sensory storytime and sensory school-age programs simultaneously.

Our first sensory school-age program scheduled at Maple Heights Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library in January 2012 centered on a “Exploration Station Plus” kit with the topic of Construction.  I adapted the kit for use with special needs audiences by inclusion of a visual schedule.  Exploration Stations are programs in a box intended for library programming staff use in leading both children and their adult caregiver in hands-on activities examining science, mathematics, language arts and other aspects of a selected subject.  The kits include materials and ideas for “stations” that are set up around the room in the style of children’s museum hands-on displays.

Sensory School-age Program Setting

The schedule for the first program displayed Boardmaker picture cards posted vertically on the board at the front of the class as typical of the sensory storytime class.  When an activity was completed, I removed the corresponding card and placed it in an envelope on the flannel board with the word “DONE” written on it.

The visual schedule for the first sensory school-age program in order:

1.      “Sit on floor”

After welcoming participants to the program, they are invited to sit on the storytime rug to await the start of the event.

2.      “Activity”

A bean bag song is included to encourage movement, communication and social interaction.

3.      “Stories”

The books selected for the construction-themed program were Those Building Men by Angela Johnson and The Three Little Pigs: an Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia.

4.      “Experiment Stations”

I pieced together stations based upon materials on hand at the branch, combined with other items included in the preschool-appropriate kit,  as the “plus” materials to adapt the kit bookable from our Youth Services Department.  The first station was called “Building Bridges”.  It was simple to replicate because it consisted of 2 stacks of books (branch provided), 50 sheets o

Many of us working in public libraries don’t have a background in special education.  So, it can be challenging for us to know how best to approach and communicate with a child who has autism.  That’s where a partnership with your local school district can be extremely valuable.  Special education teachers in our district have been a huge resource for me in this area.  They have shared reading materials with me. They’ve given me tips.  They even had me into their schools to observe where I could see children with special needs and their teachers interact together in a classroom setting.  Adapted from a handout created by The Joint Library and just in time for Autism Awareness Month beginning April 1st, here are some customer service tips I’ve picked up along the way for interacting with a child with autism.

Speaking to a child with autism

• Address the child first, rather than considering the caregiver an intermediary
• Make eye contact, but know that the child may not make eye contact back with you
• Speak directly, slowly, and at a normal tone of voice
• Avoid broad open-ended questions, worrdy instructions, or figurative language
• Give choices when asking a question; ex. “Would you like to read a book, play on the computer, or find a CD?”
• Be patient and give time for language and information to be processed
• Provide a non-verbal way to communicate (pen and paper, picture communication board, or sign language interpreter)

Addressing behaviors

• Rocking, quiet humming, fidgeting, pacing, wiggling are behaviors that are not intrusive to other patrons and usually can be ignored
• Destructive activities, violent tantrums, loud or inappropriate interactions with other patrons are behaviors that should not be ignored
• Redirect attention away from the situation; ex. a quiet study room can help a child calm down if he is having a hard time
• Offer reassurance to other patrons who may be near the situation; ex. “Johnny is upset and is having a difficult day today.  All of us have hard days sometimes.”

Relationship building tips

• Be empathetic and offer assistance to the caregiver
• Avoid standing too close or touching the individual — they may have sensitivity to sensory input, like touch
• Give positive reinforcement; ex. ”I like how you are putting away the books, Johnny.  Good job!”
• Find out what the child likes and see if there is a way to use this to help him enjoy his visits to the library; ex. finding books on a particular subject or helping pass out materials during a program
• Remember that a person with autism is just another person in your library — help them find what they’re looking for as you would anybody else

Did you know that autism now affects on average 1 in every 88 children?  April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.  Celebrate this global initiative and Light It Up Blue to help bring awareness to autism.  Ch

Just wanted to send a big thank you for the sensory storytime this morning! It was terrific! … My four-year old LOVED it and I think I’m even more excited than he is as the event stirred up a lot of great ideas for activities I can do with my kids at home! Thank you thank you!!!

This wonderful feedback was given to me by a grateful mom after I did my first Sensory Storytime for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.  She and her son have attended every sensory storytime since.  I know from asking that her family had visited the library, but had never attended a storytime before this one.

Children with autism and other developmental disabilities live in your community, no matter its size.  As welcoming, friendly, and inclusive as you are, families may still refrain from bringing their children to “regular” storytimes for fear of disrupting the group and getting “the look” from other parents.  Offering a special program for these families is a powerful way to let them know they are welcome in your library.

I do a Sensory Storytime once a month on Saturday mornings for 2-5 year olds with autism and other developmental disabilities and their typically developing peers.  In many ways, it is like a “regular” storytime; we sing songs, read books, and do fingerplays.

In other ways, it is unique.  Children on the spectrum like to know what’s coming up, which is why it is imperative to use a visual schedule.  A visual schedule is a simple pictorial representation of what will take place in storytime.
As we go through the program, I remove the symbols when each activity is complete.

I provide carpet tiles for the children to sit on.  This helps them understand where they are expected to sit, and also encourages children to give each other space.

In order to truly make it a “sensory” storytime, I do activities that involve the senses, beyond just sight and sound.  I use bubbles, which are a great way for children to work on oral motor skills.  I also use stretchy Therabands (purchased online and cut into strips) and soft colorful scarves to provide sensory input.

I only do 2 books in each session, and every book is somehow interactive.  It has flaps or can be somehow manipulated by the children (Press Here was a BIG hit), or I do a felt board to go along with the story.  I never expect the children to just sit and listen; I always have some way for them to take turns and be involved in the story experience.

Repetition is very important with these kids.  It gives them a chance to become familiar and therefore more successful at interacting with the songs and fingerplays.  For this reason, I change the books each month, but keep the songs and fingerplay the same.

Here’s my Sensory Storytime schedule:

1)      Welcome song (sing hello to each child)
2)      Shirt song (I got this great idea from Barbara Klipper’s presentation at ALA)
3)      Fingerplay
4)      Book
5)      Scarf play to music (on CD player or sung by the group)
6)      Therabands (sticky bubblegum song – therabands “stick” to parts of their bodies)
7)      Book
8)      Goodbye song (sing goodbye to group)
9)      Bubbles 0 Comments on Sensory Storytime: A (brief) How-To Guide as of 3/13/2012 11:10:00 PM