Register Now! ASCLA Online Course “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities”

Registration is now open for the next offering of “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities”, an online course offered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) that aligns with one of the division’s core values: access to library services and information for all.

Register online now for this course.

Schedule: The course will run October 1-28, 2012, with two live online meetings on Thursday, Oct. 11 and Thursday, Oct. 25 from 3:00-4:00p.m. Central time. Additional weekly coursework is self-paced. The course will be held in Moodle, our online course management system.

Who should attend? This course is truly designed for all library staff, including support staff, general professional staff, age-level or subject specialists, managers and administrators.

How will this course benefit my library? Providing library services to people with disabilities is a role filled by all levels of library staff. From the part-time aide checking out library materials to the library director determining policies, staff skills and attitudes are crucial for a satisfactory library experience. During this course, participants will identify library users with disabilities at their library and the resources and assistive technologies available to assist them; examine changes in attitudes, laws and technologies that have impacted people with disabilities; and will be able to recommend changes in personal and organizational behaviors to improve services for people with disabilities at their library.

Registration: Interested participants can register online now, register via fax or mail, or learn more about the course at the ASCLA website. Registration fees start at $130 for ASCLA members. Discounted group registration rates for two or more registrants from the same library, library system or network are available—download the group registration form. Contact ALA’s Membership and Customer Service Team with any questions about registration for this course at registration@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5.

About the Instructor: Kate Todd has worked as a children’s librarian for The New York Public Library and as emerging technologies librarian for Manhattanville College. At Manhattanville College, she taught “Technology for Special Education” in the graduate school of education. She has also taught several online courses for the Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), including “Children with Disabilities in the Library”—this new ASCLA course is the general staff counterpart to that course.