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ASCLA offering eCourse on Captioning Instructional Videos

Beginning Monday, August 1, 2016, the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will offer a four-week course on creating and synchronizing captions for library instructional videos for patrons who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Watch the promo video here:

 

Retired librarian and longtime universal access advocate, Kate Todd, will introduce participants to some free tools to use for composing useful and meaningful captions, script preparation and video creation. Participants will be able to discuss usefulness and importance of providing this type of access to instructional videos to patrons who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Librarians and library staff in public, school, academic and/or special libraries will benefit from this course, which supports ASCLA’s mission for libraries serving special populations, including users with disabilities. More information on this course can be found here.

Registration costs are $130 for ASCLA members; $175 for ALA members; $210 for non-ALA members; $100 for student members and retired members. You can register here.

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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.

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ASCLA Interest Groups: New groups for tribal librarians and the future of libraries

Two new ASCLA interest groups are now welcoming members: the Future of Libraries Interest Group and the Tribal Librarians Interest Group!

Descriptions for these new groups, as well as all of ASCLA’s existing interest groups, are below! Click on the group name to be taken to their group page in ALA Connect. You can join the group by logging into ALA Connect, accessing the group page, then clicking “join” on the right side of the page. You do not need to be a member of ASCLA for the first year of your interest group membership, however we encourage you to join this amazing community of members at your earliest convenience!

Learn more about how to start a new interest group here.

New Interest Groups:

ASCLA Future of Libraries Interest Group

This group is open to anyone with an interest in the future of libraries.  Changes in the world around us, different service models, new technologies, determining what our customers value and what our non-customers are finding elsewhere will be examined.  This group will submit an annual recommendation to the ASCLA President for two areas that we think libraries should focus on to increase their value and insure their viability in the future.

ASCLA Tribal Librarians Interest Group

The purpose of this new interest group is to increase knowledge and networking among library leaders with tribal libraries. The goal is to foster new relations and begin lifelong partnerships with community library leaders and Tribal Librarians. This interest group is not just for “Tribal.” Tribal librarians and employees of tribal libraries as well as librarians and library leaders interested in knowing more about tribal libraries are welcome.

Other ASCLA Interest Groups:

ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group The ASCLA Library Consultant Interest Group supports professional development by providing programs, information exchange and networking opportunities of interest to independent librarians, library consultants, state library and regional library consultants, and anyone who wants to push the boundaries of librarianship.

ASCLA LSSP Universal Access Interest Group Interest group purpose is to promote inclusive library services – sharing information and resources.

ASCLA ICAN Consortium Management Discussion Interest Group This interest group is focused on consortial funding, advocacy, services, etc., plus discussion group on topics of interest to library cooperatives statewide, multi-state, national cooperatives, and multitype library systems.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Collaborative Digitization Interest Group Interest group for library cooperatives which are combinations, mergers, or contractual associations of one or more types of libraries (academic, public, special, or school) crossing jurisdictional, institutional, or political boundaries, working together to achieve maximum effective use of funds to provide library and information services to all citizens above and beyond those which can be provided through one institution. Such cooperative organizations or agencies may be designated to serve a community, a metropolitan area, a region within a region, or may serve a statewide or multi-state area.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Interlibrary Cooperation Interest Group Provides a forum for discussion of interests in interlibrary cooperation and the statewide development of library service, emphasizing the interdependence of all types of libraries.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Physical Delivery Interest Group The focus of this interest group covers the physical delivery of library materials for resource sharing and related issues.

ASCLA Library Services for Youth in Custody (LSSP) The purpose of this Interest Group is to advocate, promote, and improve library services for youth who have been detained in correctional facilities of various kinds.

ASCLA LSSP Bridging Deaf Cultures @ your library Interest Group Primary focus is building support for the nation’s libraries to work with organizations serving the deaf (OSD) in forming a Deaf Cultural Digital Library.

ASCLA LSSP (Libraries Serving Special Populations) LSSP Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent Them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group This interest group focuses on assistive technology and accessibility services for people with visual or physical disabilities.

ASCLA LSSP Library Services to the Incarcerated and Detained Supports ALA members who serve patrons of any age who are held in jail, prison, detention or immigration facility.

ASCLA SLA State Library Agencies – Library Development Interest Group An interest group for State Library Agencies staff to network and discussion matters relating to library development services, activities, and needs.

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies)/LSTA Coordinators Interest Group For staff responsible for procuring and administering LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funds and programs. LSTA is a federally funded state based program generally administered by the state library of each state.

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies) Youth Services Consultants Interest Group The group’s purpose is to allow each state’s Youth Services Consultant or staff member responsible for working with youth services to keep abreast of topics of interest to the group and the constituents they serve in their states through listservs, and in-person networking meetings at ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences.

 

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Registration for ASCLA’s online course “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities” closes Thursday, April 19

Registration is open through close-of-business on Thursday, April 19, for “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities”, an online course offered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) that prepares your library and library staff to provide effective services to all users of the 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.

This course is truly designed for all library staff, including support staff, general professional staff, age-level or subject specialists, managers and administrators. The course will begin Monday, April 23 and finish on Friday, May 18. Two live online sessions using the FlashChat feature of Moodle, the online course management system, will take place on Thursday, May 3 and Thursday, May 17, from 3-4 pm CENTRAL/Chicago Time. Students complete the remainder of the weekly coursework at their own pace.

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.

“Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities” is taught by Kate Todd, who 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.

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ASCLA award for innovative universal access project shared by ‘Books for Dessert’ program and ‘Digital Access Project’

Read the official ALA press release.

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award, an annual honor presented by the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), will be presented to two organizations that produced noteworthy services and programming for library users with disabilities: the Port Washington (N.Y.) Public Library for its “Books for Dessert” Program, and the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library Digital Access Project.

The award is supported by ASCLA, home to accessibility issues and advocacy within ALA, Keystone Library Automation Systems (KLAS) and the National Organization for Disabilities (NOD), with the $1000 prize donated by KLAS. The award recognizes an institution for an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities and has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Faced with an overwhelming number of outstanding award applications for 2012, the committee chose two recipients for this year’s honor. Each winner will receive a citation and split the award money, receiving $500 each.

The Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Launched as a pilot program in 2003 with initial funding support from New York State, “Books for Dessert” has expanded from one group with eight participants to three groups, two evening and one morning, with about 50 participants. Program participants range in age from their early-20s to mid-60s. The club gathers once a week between September and June to read aloud from books like “The Pearl” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” learn vocabulary and enjoy refreshments and good conversation. At the completion of the book, a video of the same title may be shown. The group compares the book and the video, stimulating discussion and reinforcing comprehension of the material. In addition to these educational benefits, library usage has increased among registered Book Club members, as well as their friends, housemates and the agency staff driving club members to the meetings.

The “Books for Dessert” program receives support from community partners, including Community Mainstreaming Associates, Inc. and the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC), an advisory board of parents, library staff, experts in the field and certified special education teachers to bring a reading and discussion experience to adults with ID/DD. High school students also support the teachers during each session by answering questions and helping participants follow along in the book while someone else is reading. The Advisory Board has created a manual that will allow other libraries to replicate this program—more information is available by accessing “Books for Dessert” at www.pwpl.org.

“The Port Washington Public Library’s ‘Books for Dessert’ program has championed the idea that literacy for individuals over the age of 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities is important and achievable,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “’Books for Dessert’ is an outstanding example of local public library innovation and ingenuity, and the library is to be commended not only for developing this highly successful program, but also for developing a program guide to help other public libraries across the nation to replicate the program in their local communities.”

The “Digital Access Project” is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library, with additional involvement from the Internet Archive of San Francisco. Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who are unable to read traditional printed text can quickly access print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is made possible by the digital scanning of the print text in the scanning lab of the Internet Archive at the Boston Public Library, where a six-person staff uses semi-automated equipment to scan the requested book, page by page.

The file is subsequently converted into a copyright-protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file that can only be accessed by eligible users of the NLSBPH (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key and authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, the BookSense and the Bookport Plus. Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a Web link to Boston Public Library and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of the book can be downloaded. Perkins staff download the book files from the provided link, and the Library then forwards the .zip file to the patron. The patron can then listen to it on their adaptive technology utilizing text-to-speech synthetic voice technology. In most cases, this process of converting a print book to an accessible DAISY file moves so efficiently that patrons receive access to the requested book within 24 hours.

“Using existing resources, the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library, along with the Internet Archive, are successfully demonstrating both the power of collaboration and the power of technology in making print library collections accessible to people with disabilities,” said Tom Blake, digital projects manager at the Boston Public Library.

“The technology used in this innovative project not only removes barriers to print access for patrons with disabilities, it delivers the final accessible product with great speed! This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where ready access to information is vital for success in a 21st century world,” states Kim Charlson, director of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.

This year’s awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/asclain late spring.

 

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ASCLA Webinar: “Serving Blind & Visually Impaired” registration ends TONIGHT!

There are just a few hours left to reserve your seat at tomorrow’s webinar “Serving Blind and Visually Impaired in Your Library”, brought to you by the accessibility experts at the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and presented by internationally acclaimed Leadership Strategist and ADA consultant Buna Dahal.

This awesome webinar will be valuable for:

  • public and academic librarians;
  • library staff who want to learn how to effectively communicate and provide outstanding customer service to this community;
  • reference librarians who identify and delivery materials in the most appropriate format for this community;
  • web developers who want to gain a practical understanding of Section 508.

The webinar will cover the Service Frontiers in BVIP Initiative for blind and visually impaired patrons; the legal and functional definition of blindness; the do’s & don’ts of blindness while serving blind and visually impaired patrons; how to identify 3 key resources—and potential partners—who serve the blind in your communities; and how to match your current library materials and services to the needs of the blind and visually impaired.

 

Webinar details: Thursday, April 5, 2012, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Central Time

Individuals can register online now.

Individual rates start at $40 for ASCLA members.

We also offer group rates: $38/person for multiple logins, and $99 for a single login.

State Library Agencies who are members of ASCLA save even more on these group rates!

>>>>>More group rate information and registration forms available at the ASCLA Online Learning page.

Registration will remain open through midnight tonight (Wednesday)!


Questions about registration? Contact registration@ala.org or 800-545-2433, option 5.

And if this topic is of interest to you, why not join ASCLA’s Universal Access Interest Group? ASCLA membership isn’t required in order to participate in this or any of our other interest groups, but we’d love to have you as a member if you aren’t already. Add ASCLA to your membership at www.ala.org/membership.