Submitted by Lisa Priebe, Assistant Director, Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC), lpriebe@clicweb.org

 

The Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC) was awarded a 2012-2013 LSTA grant to help pay migration costs for several small rural libraries to AspenCat, a union catalog of 35 small public, school, academic, and special libraries. AspenCat runs on an open source Koha system that collectively shares over 600,000 items, plus an eBook collection on the 3M Cloud platform. The new libraries will be migrated from December 2012-September 2013. They include Northern Saguache Library District, Conejos County Library District, Berthoud Community Library, La Veta Public Library, Lyons Depot Library, and Norwood Public Library. We anticipate another one to three libraries will also take advantage of this unique opportunity. The Lyons Depot Library conversion will be done manually using library school students, library, and CLiC staff. For more information contact Lisa Priebe, lpriebe@clicweb.org.

Submitted by Diantha Dow Schull, DDSchull Associates, www.ddschull.com

 

It is my pleasure to announce publication of 50+ Library Services: Innovation in Action, published by ALA Editions. This book examines the key issues driving change in how libraries work with older adults, and explores the implications of these changes for the library profession. The research involved documentation of hundreds of projects and programs and I thank all of you who contributed ideas and examples.  

If you would like to order a copy of the book see:  http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=3311 . The coupon code SLSA13 will reduce the cost by $5 and can be used on the online store, or via phone or fax orders. I would greatly appreciate your assistance in circulating information on the new book, and the discount, to members of your library community.  

For information on other new trends in libraries and museums – and the grantmakers that support their work — please visit my new website: www.ddschull.com.   You will find posts on the California Reads program, on expansion of the Family Place Libraries model for early learning and parent support, and on how libraries across the country are adopting creative aging programs. You will also find information on the upcoming preconference on Creative Aging (http://www.ala.org/offices/ppo-ac2013) at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in June.

It is an exciting time to be working with institutions that promote knowledge, imagination and access to information, and I am looking forward to reporting my observations on the visions, challenges and accomplishments of these institutions in the coming years.  As one example, I plan to use the website to highlight new examples of innovative 50+ services, which are being continuously developed as libraries respond to demographic change. 

For those of you with whom I have worked in the past, this message serves as an opportunity for re-connection.  For the last four years I have been much occupied with writing, consulting, teaching and two wondrous little granddaughters.  Although I am not on Facebook, nor do I Twitter, I hope to stay in closer touch with you.  I look forward to your comments on the book and the website and to learning your thoughts on new developments on the library landscape.

Submitted by Jason LeDuc, Director of Sales, Counting Opinions, jleduc@countingopinions.com

 

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records is a multi-faceted organization with six divisions. The Library Development Division provides consulting and best practices services, continuing education, and summer reading and early literacy programs, as well as administering LSTA grant funding and collecting public library statistics.

The organization faced the challenge of collecting and managing a variety of data. According to Laura Stone, Grants Administrator, the library wanted more control over how data collection for the annual Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) survey was set up and more flexibility in accessing the data for reporting. They also wanted to collect data in areas beyond what was required. “We were using a tool to help collect data but we didn’t feel it offered the flexibility we needed. We wanted to add questions and collect data other that what IMLS requires and the tool we were using didn’t give us the control over how our data was set up in order to get what we wanted.”

Stone says Library Development was attracted to LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service because of the versatility in managing the collection of statistics as well as the creation of reports and data products that they could share with their libraries. Although initially interested in LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service because of the data collection they could do for IMLS, they wanted to explore how the product could also be used to gather and manage other types of data from their libraries. “Library Development has so many programs for which data needs to be collected,” says Chris Guerra, Project Specialist. “We saw in LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service the functionality and flexibility to incorporate multiple sets of data that otherwise don’t have any relation to each other.”

Fiscal year 2010-2011 was the State Library’s first full year of data collection using LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service. For fiscal year 2011-2012, the library added two large question sets. The first focused on the programs in the State Library’s five-year LSTA plan. “We have 20-plus different programs outlined in our plan,” says Stone. “We wanted to gather data from the libraries on how involved they are in each of those programs so that we can prioritize our resources. We were able to add these questions in-house and that was really important to us. We will use the data to drive our decisions on which programs to pursue actively. When we evaluate our plan we’ll have this comparison data to draw upon.”

The second question set focused on ebooks. Stone says this is such a big initiative for the State Library that it is important to get a better picture of what libraries are doing to make ebooks available to their patrons. They were able to drill down and ask very specific questions and to produce reports looking at ebook data that was used with the statewide planning committee. She expects that the questions about ebooks will continue to evolve so the ability to add and change questions to collect the type of data that is important for the State Library to be tracking is a tremendous time-saver.

“Being able to ask these two question sets within our traditional statistical gathering was really important to us,” Stone says. “This was the kind of flexibility we were looking for when we selected LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service. Having this tool gives us the data to support good decisions going forward.”

Stone says the library also was able to use the tool outside the scope of standard data collection. The State Library received two BTOP (Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program) grants from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The first – BTOP 1 – was to put computers in 84 libraries across the state. It was not difficult to track the statistics from this first grant, says Stone. But BTOP 2 was a more complex project with two components: Job Help Hub and Virtual Workforce Workstations. The goal of BTOP 2 was to position libraries to help job seekers by providing both computers and trainers. The State Library needed a way to collect information from the approximately 200 participating public libraries on a monthly basis.

The solution was to provide participating libraries with separate IDs and passwords in LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service to log in to record their BTOP statistics. “This was completely separate from our IMLS data collection,” Stone says. “We needed this data on a monthly basis, not annually as with IMLS. It needed to be easy for the libraries to enter their own data on programming, attendance, topics, computer usage, and more. Getting this project up and running and managing it has been a fast and furious undertaking. This solution made it possible for us to meet our BTOP reporting requirements while also addressing the libraries’ needs.”

Stone stressed how the ability to use LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service to streamline data gathering for BTOP has made a huge difference for Library Development staff as well as for participating libraries. “It is a big deal for us that people have a consistent place to enter and retrieve data for reports. Something like SurveyMonkey would require a survey to be developed and implemented every month with a new URL for collecting responses and we wouldn’t have a good way to tie those statistics together from month to month. LibPASLibrary Performance Assessment Service cumulates the data and makes it accessible all in one place.”

Submitted by Jessica Stewart, Master’s Degree Candidate, Library and Information Science-School Media

 

Librarians who are well trained in providing high level services to their patrons with disabilities results in patrons who will have access to information resources and technologies for learning equal to their non-disabled peers. The ultimate consequence to these patrons is the enhanced aid in becoming well-informed, well-educated, literate citizens. An online survey was posted by the Center for Digital Literacy to three school library listservs (LM_NET, AASL forum, schmedia@syr.edu) from November 6-14, 2011. A total of 331 school librarians nationwide responded. Results indicated that respondents rated their knowledge from minimal to nonexistent in the following areas:

(1) types of disabilities (25.7%; 85),

(2) disability law (55.3%; 183)

(3) assistive technology (59.8%; 198)

(4) IEPs/IEP process (30.8%; 102)

(5) accessibility (42.3%; 140)

(6) Universal Design/UD for Learning (69.2%; 229),

and from barely effective to totally ineffective (60.1%; 199) in policies for modifying programs/resources. These results further indicate the need for training available nationwide to those working with students with disabilities.

Project ENABLE (Expanding Nondiscriminatory Access By Librarians Everywhere), funded by grants from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), provides high quality, comprehensive, and free train-the-trainer professional development to New York State school librarians. This training helps these professionals develop and deliver effective library and information services to students with disabilities. In the summer of 2011, we provided face-to-face professional development for 35 teams of educators (school librarians, special educators and classroom teachers) from New York State. In November 2012, we launched a comprehensive, multimedia, freely accessible training website.

An IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Continuation Grant is allowing the expansion of face-to-face workshops nationally this summer. Recruiting has begun for three-person teams (librarian, general educator, special educator), as well as fifteen school library faculty from graduate school library programs, to attend a four-and-a-half-day workshop on the Syracuse University campus –  either June 22-26 or August 5-9 in 2013. Applications and detailed information for these workshop opportunities are available on the Project ENABLE site (http://projectenable.syr.edu/WORKSHOPS/Applications). The workshop curriculum will expand on the same curriculum areas addressed during the 2011 summer workshops, integrate content from the training website, and incorporate collaboration and hands-on learning experiences (e.g., assessing accessibility of a library design, using legal standards, assessing lesson plans using UDL standards, etc.).

The Project ENABLE training Web site (Register for free at http://projectenable.syr.edu) targets educators, but this training is believed to be beneficial to public librarians, academic librarians, parents, administrators, instructors supporting diverse learners, and pre-service librarians and teachers.

To participate in the Project ENABLE training, register for free at http://projectenable.syr.edu to engage in five interactive, self-paced learning modules. These modules are jam-packed with useful information in a variety of formats (text, video, photos, graphics, audio over PowerPoint and more). You can even use our in-text editor to record your ideas and save these to Your Profile to review or edit later. Need to redesign your space to meet accessibility standards under laws you will learn about in our training? We offer an interactive room design activity to redesign your space.

Are you looking to embed this training in your institution’s professional development plan, or host your own course, training, or workshop to further educate librarians in working with individuals, specifically students, with disabilities? The website offers the ability to create group accounts, which allow instructors, administrators, and supervisors the opportunity to host a class and track the progress of colleagues and staff. Anyone completing all five learning modules and scoring at least 3 out of 5 on each module quiz will automatically receive a certificate of completion. For example, at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, the School Media Specialization program offers a course entitled “Library Services to Students with Disabilities,” basing its content and discussions upon the Project ENABLE training site. The instructor of the course uses the Project ENABLE website extensively to support and enrich in-class instruction and discussions. Students take what they have learned from the Project ENABLE training site and engage in thought-provoking, candid, and invaluable discussions and reflections on how pre-service educators can accommodate students, preK-12, with disabilities both in and out of the library.

This organic site is constantly adding more information and ideas for librarians. We are currently working on adding information for practitioners, administrators, and supervisors who may be interested in providing face-to-face workshops and sessions to their colleagues and employees. This will include workshop outlines, face-to-face exercises and activities, handouts, and other materials that facilitate this type of teaching and learning.

Visit http://projectenable.syr.edu to register for the Project ENABLE training to make a difference in your school or community, as well as develop your personal growth as a future or practicing librarian. Just click on the pink Login/Register button in the top right corner of the home page. Registration is required, but everything on the site is free for you to use as much as, and when you need it. After registering, you will have access to your personal information, any notes you take, and any test scores or certificates you receive just by viewing Your Profile.

We welcome your feedback and questions at any time. Just contact us at cdl@syr.edu.

 

Dr. Ruth V. Small, Ph.D., Laura J. & L. Douglas Meredith Professor and Founding Director, Center for Digital Literacy

Co-Author Jessica Stewart, Master’s Degree Candidate, Library and Information Science-School Media

Project ENABLE, projectenable.syr.edu

Center for Digital Literacy, digital-literacy.syr.edu

School of Information Studies

Syracuse University

cdl@syr.edu

Submitted by Christina C. Wray, Librarian, Center for Disability Information and Referral, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University, Bloomington, ccwray@indiana.edu

 

With the advent of the iPhone in July of 2007, the idea of what mobile computing is and could be was forever changed. Since that time, not only have the choices of smart phone technology expanded, but lightweight tablet computers which can access the internet using Wi-Fi or cellular networks have burst onto the market. Mobile devices are well on the way to becoming ubiquitous in our society. The Pew Institute reported that 83% of U.S. adults have cell phones, and 42% of those adults own smartphones. Libraries are also increasingly adding mobile devices to their circulating collections. Creating a core collection of apps for those devices with all patrons in mind can be a daunting task. One group of patrons who may find the ability to borrow mobile devices especially fulfilling are people with disabilities. Mobile applications are being developed that give people with disabilities the tools to live independently and connect to the world around them, but how do you choose which apps will be most useful for your patrons? In July of 2012, 793 apps a day were added to the iTunes App store. This can be very overwhelming for librarians who are tasked with choosing which apps to purchase for their circulating mobile devices. Finding and choosing apps to include so that people with disabilities can fully engage with devices adds another layer of complexity to the selection processes.

While apps are generally inexpensive compared to traditional software or assistive technology devices, there are rarely demos available for users to test full versions of the app before buying. This can make for a frustrating mobile experience as well as costly experimentation. Librarians are in a position to help guide user experiences and provide an opportunity for patrons to experiment with apps as well as the device to see if it will meet their needs. Developing a core collection of apps that can be used to help people with disabilities can be a valuable addition to libraries’ iPad programming. Word of mouth is one way for users to get more information about how specific apps work for people with disabilities; however it is often hard for people with disabilities to connect with others who have the same needs as they do. Luckily, social media has made it significantly easier for interested parties to connect with each other. For this study, a selection of 287 applications were identified as apps for people with disabilities by compiling a list of apps recommended through blogs and Facebook by parents, educators and service providers who work with people with disabilities. The apps were examined in an effort to ascertain what types of apps were being marketed for people with disabilities, how the apps were classified, and to identify areas in which further development would be appreciated.

For this study, applications were gathered from 5 different sources in August of 2011:

ITunes Special Education Subcategory:  In October of 2010, Apple added a sub-category to the Education apps for apps developed for people with disabilities.  This does not appear to be an active subcategory.

Apps for Children with Disabilities top 100 Apps: This list was developed by a very active Facebook community of the Apps for Children with Special Needs website. It is a compilation of the “the most popular among special needs parents and professionals”.

Autism Epicenter: The Autism Epicenter is a website maintained by parent, Shane Nurnberg, who also works in the disability field. The apps are reviewed on a five star scale and are not specific to autism.

Mobile Learning for Special Needs Wiki:  This wiki was developed and is maintained by Luis Perez, a doctoral student in special education at the University of South Florida. 

Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence Apps Guide: This list of resources was developed by Heather Bridgman and Nick Weiland at the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence.

These five sources were chosen for the diversity of backgrounds of the list developers. With this selection, the final list is influenced by app developers, professionals in the field, educators, parents and people with disabilities. By ensuring that interested parties from a variety of perspectives had a role in compiling the source lists used to create the list of apps that were evaluated, it was hoped to limit the biases that each group inherently contributed to their recommendations. Each application was assigned one of 10 categories based on their primary function. The categories are:

Communication: Apps assigned to the communication category are designed to help people communicate with others either as an alternative communication device or in a therapeutic role including ASL acquisition.

Daily Living Skills: Apps assigned to the daily living skills category help users develop skills and routines for day to day activities.

Literacy:  Literacy applications help users improve reading and writing skills including braille.

Motor skills: These apps help users improve their fine motor skills.

Organization & Study:  The apps categorized as organization & study apps support users with scheduling, note taking, visual thinking and other day to day tasks.

Reinforcement/Data:  These apps help users and caregivers model, reward and reinforce behaviors as well as track and record behavior patterns.

Sensory: Sensory applications help users enhance and understand their senses.  This category also includes apps that are targeted for users with sensory processing disorders.

Social Competence:  The social competence apps are apps that are specifically designed to help users develop social skills.

Specific Learning: These apps are designed to enhance users learning in a specific skill set.  Each app assigned to the specific learning category was assigned one of nine subcategories to identify the focus of the app. The subcategories are: Art, Fundamentals, Geography, Math, Music, Pattern Recognition, Storytelling, Transition and Trivia.

Other: The apps in the other category are a collection of apps that did not clearly fall into one of the other categories.  These apps were also assigned a subcategory.  The subcategories were: Assessment, IEPs, Games, Reference and Classroom Management.

A list of core apps determined by comparing the number of source lists on which a specific app appeared was also developed.  This list is comprised of those apps which appeared on three or more of the source lists.  This ensures that the app is popular with a diverse group of people who have different roles in the lives of people with disabilities.

Of the 286 apps analyzed, 49, or 17% of the apps were only available on iPad, the rest of the applications would work on any up to date apple platform. Communication (23%), Specific Learning (18%) and Literacy (18%) were the most popular categories. 

 Within the specific learning category, apps that focused on math skills (31%) and fundamentals (25%) such as learning colors, shapes, the alphabet, etc. were the most frequent subcategories.

Only one app, Proloquo2Go, appeared on all five source lists. Five apps appeared on four of the lists, 19 apps appeared on three of the five lists, 43 apps appeared on two of the five lists and 218 apps appeared on only one of the lists. Of the 25 apps which appeared on three or more lists, 10 were marketed to the autism community. The majority of the apps listed on three or more lists were Communication apps (17), followed by Organization & Study Skills apps (5).

It is not surprising that apps that help users communicate and interact with the world around them are the most popular apps with the professionals, parents and caregivers who contributed to the development of the lists of apps utilized for this project. iPads as well as the even smaller and more portable iPhones/iPod Touches are more affordable and more mobile than traditional communication devices. The additional functionality of the devices may make them more appealing than some of the traditional devices which only serve one function. However, like any multitasking devices, it may not be a good fit for some users with disabilities because they are not designed specifically to be used by people with disabilities. The majority of the apps included in this study do not seem to be targeting users with severe cognitive or motor disabilities. Only two of the apps, Tap to Speak and RadSounds were specifically designed with switch users in mind. 

The most frequently listed apps in this study, identified as those listed on three or more lists, tend to serve a supportive role rather than a skills acquisition role. In fact, none of the specific learning apps appeared on three or more lists. One reason for this could be that there are many more choices of apps that serve the same basic functions in the skills acquisition categories, versus the more specialized apps in the other categories. Communication supports are the most popular apps by far, followed by apps that help users stay organized and act as memory aids. 

Mobile devices and applications are being utilized in innovative ways to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and create avenues for greater inclusion in school, work and community life. This project provides a glimpse into which apps people with disabilities, their caregivers and service providers are finding to be most helpful in achieving this goal.  Apps are being utilized to help people with disabilities communicate as well as to help them access the information they need to live more independently. 

When selecting apps for circulating mobile devices for people with disabilities, libraries should focus primarily on apps which will help patrons: communicate, remember things and organize tasks. Including apps that will act as assistive technology tools on circulating mobile devices will not only make it easier for patrons with disabilities to fully enjoy these devices, it will also allow for patrons with limited resources to try popular assistive technology apps before investing in technology that may not fit their needs. The nature of apps markets means that the specifics of this study are merely a snapshot in time of the app market; however, identifying the key characteristics of popular apps can help librarians evaluate new apps to gauge how well they will meet the needs of users with disabilities.

Here is the complete list of apps that were included on three or more source lists:

Proloquo2Go    

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?mt=8#

TapSpeak Sequence for iPad     

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tapspeak-sequence-for-ipad/id379541810?mt=8#

Grace – Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal People              

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grace-picture-exchange-for/id360574688?mt=8#

ArtikPix – Full     

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/artikpix-full/id356720379?mt=8#

First Then Visual Schedule          

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/first-then-visual-schedule/id355527801?mt=8#

Model Me Going Places

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modelmegoingplaces2/id375669988?mt=8#

Scene Speak     

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scene-speak/id420492342?mt=8#

TapSpeak Button Plus for iPad  

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tapspeak-button-for-ipad/id364806507?mt=8#

Typ-O HD – writing is for everybody        

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/typohdwritingisforeverybody/id372971659?mt=8#

Articulate it!      

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulate-it/id391296844?mt=8#

Assistive Chat   

http://itunes.apple.com/app/assistive-chat/id379891874?mt=8#

Dragon Dictation             

http://www.nuancemobilelife.com/apple/dictation.html

FirstWords: Deluxe        

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firstwordsdeluxe/id337462979?mt=8#

Look2Learn – AAC           

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/look2learnaac/id319600029?mt=8#

OneVoice           

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onevoice/id412448074?mt=8

Pictello

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pictello/id397858008?mt=8

Speak it! Text to Speech

http://itunes.apple.com/app/speakittexttospeech/id308629295?mt=8#

TapToTalk™       

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/taptotalk/id367083194?mt=8#

iDress for Weather         

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/idressforweather/id385227220?mt=8#

Sentence Builder            

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sentencebuilder/id344378741?mt=8#

iPrompts             

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iprompts-xl/id410386084?mt=8#

Picture Scheduler                           

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picturescheduler/id315050461?mt=8#

Visules 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/visules/id322543961?mt=8#

Time Timer        

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-timer/id332520417

IEP Checklist      

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iepchecklist/id348702423?mt=8#

Contributed by ASCLA Member and BRAVE Conference Program Planner Ray James

Far be it for me to discourage anyone determined to take their stress level up a few notches but read my testimony carefully before you decide to plan and execute two events at one annual conference. I have to grant that the thrill of pulling it off is some compensation but plan a couple weeks of post-conference “R and R” to recover, more if you present as well!

Program planners share a conviction that the program they want to guide from idea seed to conference flowering plant is meaningful and will benefit ALA, ASCLA, and those we serve. That was so for me.

The seeds of the two presentations I helped nurture into life at Anaheim 2012 (Writing a Way Out: Writing Programs in Correctional Settings, a program, and The Nuts and Bolts of Building a Public Library/Jail/Prison Partnership, a pre-conference) were harvested much earlier. “Writing” resulted from a conversation around the Prisoners’ Forum table at Annual in Washington, DC in 2010 and “Nuts and Bolts” from a similar gathering at Midwinter in San Diego in 2011.  A third seed planted in San Diego “Bibliotherapy in Correctional Settings” has yet to germinate.

Without a gardener (program planner, but let’s keep the metaphor going), these seeds would have not produced. But I believed in all three and when the opportunity came to plant the seeds I took it. Then ASCLA President Diana Reese held a virtual meeting in March 2011 on pre-conferences and programs. The three seeds went onto what I hope was fertile soil. While such virtual program planning meetings may not happen every year those carrying precious program ideas can always contact the program committee (see the ASCLA website for a current list) or contact folks at the ASCLA office in Chicago who can guide a potential program planner to the right contact.

Generally the ASCLA board will make a decision on programs for the following Midwinter and Annual Conference during board meetings at each Annual Conference. In 2011, I had to wait for a firm decision but the Annual Conference in New Orleans provided a fine time to query potential presenters. Although a program planner may look for certainty before gathering presenters and starting the planning process, early work, without knowing for sure the program gets approval, will make for a better crop!

Once the board approved my programs (thank goodness it was not all three!) the serious work started. Working on ALA Connect all program planners follow deadlines set by ALA. To guide them through they get a new best friend, Liz Markel, Marketing and Programs Manager for ASCLA. While thinking about an event that will take place 11 months down the road is not easy, the more early thought the better the program will be.

Liz started an ALA Connect page for program planners in August 2011 and if I had cottoned onto it sooner it would have been easier to complete the programs. My vision of the pre-conference and program were too elaborate but with Liz’s help I pared back my grandiose designs. The big multi-media show with sights and sounds to astound the eyes and ears morphed into a couple of microphones, a projector, and plans to bring my own computer to link it all together. The costs of hotel or conference center room rental and equipment are astounding, so less expense means more income for ASCLA in the case of pre-conferences. Programs that are simpler and more personal seem to work well.

Looking back after the conference, I could see that planning the audio-visual should have been a higher priority but, hey, 11 months is a long time right? That seemed like plenty of time to plan and re-plan. It was not.

In September, program titles had to be completed and program descriptions for the preliminary ALA Annual Conference program book were finalized and submitted. What I did not do at this point was get commitments from presenters and get their input on program descriptions. That means that the presenters must match a program description they did not write. Also in September, pre-conference chairs had to complete a budget information request form online. A budget does not mean one has unlimited money to spend, what it really means is “how little money can you get by on spending.”

Wait, did you forget I was doing a program and a pre-conference? Planning and deadlines for each ongoing at the same time. Catering. Yes! Uh, no. In late September Liz posted the proposed budgets. By mid-October the pre-conference budgets, titles, and description were done. All that remained for me was to get commitments from presenters and move the program and pre-conference from draft to final version. In an ideal world that process would be finished by January. We do not live in an ideal world. The last element of the pre-conference (assembly of notebooks) happened an hour before the start of the pre-conference. The final PowerPoint slide for the program was wrapped up 15 minutes before the program started!

In mid-October pre-conference budgets, titles and descriptions were finalized. I knew what I had to work with.

At the end January program and pre-conference speakers were supposed to be locked in with confirmation letters sent and links to an online waiver form (no form, no speak) also sent (will these deadlines and demands never cease?) and the A/V equipment, catering, and other special requests submitted. Wait, wasn’t that done in September last year?

Waiver forms had to be completed for all Annual programs and pre-conferences by mid-February as well as sponsor commitments confirmed for all Annual conference events. I offer now some advice to potential program planners. If you think a person has even the tiniest chance to speak at your program, get them to submit a waiver. A waiver is not a commitment but it is a license to speak. Line up as many commitments as soon as you can.

Then I was informed that February 15 was the final deadline for updating my program descriptions for the final conference program book. Is it too late to change the program altogether? Yes.

In April the room assignments came out so I could tell the speakers where we going to present. I was overjoyed to discover the pre-conference was in the Anaheim Hilton and I was staying in the Anaheim Hilton! It turned out I did not have to schlep a computer, notebooks, papers, and what all from hotel to conference, only down one floor in the elevator. Such mercies mount up to joy.

Since I was handing all the handout printing, I ignored the May 1 deadline to post such to Connect as well as the mid-May deadline to get large items to ALA in Chicago to ship in their trunks to the conference.

In June Liz (I told you she was to be your best friend) posted an “At Conference” checklist that proved invaluable to help me remember all the details I needed to consider to make it through the conference.

The “Nuts and Bolts” pre-conference drew sixteen paid attendees. I hoped for thirty. The student assisting with the program stayed for the entire presentation when she could have departed earlier. Most of the feedback forms reflected positive feelings and the less positive offered useful criticism that will make subsequent use of the material (a Webinar?) stronger and more useful.

We started the “Writing” program with twenty-two in the audience and ended with forty-two. Post program conversations lingered until the next program’s leaders demanded we clear the room. I heard “… best program I’ve attended …” and librarians from all over asking presenters for contact information so they could explore creating writing programs through their libraries or in their correctional institutions. Now that’s validation!

Someone who had attended both the pre-conference and the program asked what I was planning for future presentations. With a laugh I said I was done with program planning. Now I am thinking that “Bibliotherapy in Correctional Settings” might work well as a program for Las Vegas 2014.

Contributed by Carol Desch

The English Conversation Group Program at Brooklyn Public Library has continued to grow over the past year allowing more participants to take part in this free program.  When the program received a grant from the New York State Library’s Adult Literacy Library Services Grant Program in 2010, there were twelve groups.  Since then, the program has received an additional grant for 2011-2012 and the number of groups has now increased to 34.  This has been especially helpful for areas in Brooklyn that have a large ESL community but may not have access to free ESL classes. 

The English Conversation Groups meet once a week for a period of two hours and are led by a trained volunteer.  They are open to adults of all speaking and listening levels and do not require registration so this allows participants to attend that may not be able to commit to an attendance based class.  Currently they are located at 23 Brooklyn Public Library branches. Because of the success at some of these locations, additional groups have been added in order to keep the size of the groups at an average of 5-6 participants per group.  This is extremely helpful in order to allow group members ample amount of time to practice their speaking skills. 

While attending a group, participants may discuss a variety of topics some of which include navigating the public transportation system, the banking and post office system, finding a job, current events, holidays, and adjusting to a new country.  The topics and materials not only provide an opportunity to have people speak but it helps them overcome other obstacles that many ESL learners are faced with including lack of self-confidence.  The groups provide a comfortable place for people to relate with one another who are in a similar position and they can share their experiences with each other.   Even though there is not an attendance policy, many of the group members come back each week and become familiar with one another.  The groups become a place where people not only increase their language skills but their confidence as well, allowing them to feel more comfortable using their newly acquired skills out in the world beyond their group session.

For more information about Brooklyn Public Library’s English Conversation Groups please contact Volunteer Resources at 718-230-2406 or go to www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award 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 $1,000 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 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012. 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 is available at www.ala.org/asclain.  

More information on each of these award-winning programs can be found in full articles in this issue of Interface.

This year’s ASCLA Awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the ALA Annual Conference.

This year’s winners are:

ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award: Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program and the “Digital Access Project”.

Francis Joseph Campbell Award: Includes a citation and a medal, and is presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people. ASCLA, Keystone Automated Systems (KLAS) and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped co-sponsor this award. This year’s winner is Carole Rose, who recently retired as a librarian at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library.

Cathleen Bourdon Service Award: The award, which is named for former ASCLA Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon, is a citation presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or government agencies. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, associate state librarian, New Jersey State Library, is this year’s winner.

ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award: An annual award presented to an ASCLA member who exemplifies leadership and achievement in consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide service and programs and/or state library development. The 2012 winner is Laura Sherbo, branch library services program manager at the Washington State Library.

ASCLA Exceptional Service Award: A citation presented to recognize exceptional service to patients, to the homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research of experimental projects. This year’s award is presented to Kathleen Hegarty, who passed away in January 2012. “Kathleen’s pioneering efforts at the Boston Public Library and her dedication to improving services for older adults and persons with disabilities has insured continued leadership, professional growth and sustainability within the profession,” said Norma Blake, ASCLA president. “She also worked tirelessly to enhance the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, and we are so grateful for her investment in our organization.”

Submitted by Kim Charlson, Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library

(Ed. Note: The Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (PBTBL) is one of the winners of the 2012 ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award. The award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability, and Keystone Systems, and is given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes projects focused on the improvement of library services to people with disabilities, and demonstrated innovation in service delivery and utilization of emerging technology.)

The Digital Access Project is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library (BPL). The other player in this project is the Internet Archive of San Francisco, California.

Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who have print disabilities can get quick access to print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is provided through the digital scanning of the print text and the conversion of the file into a protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file.

To understand the monumental impact of this project, a description of the process a print book requested by a patron of the Perkins BTBL takes is useful. Here is a description of the first book that went through the project – Threads: My Life Behind the Seams in the High-Stakes World of Fashion by Joseph Abboud.

Paul S. requested Threads, and the request was submitted via email to the Boston Public Library, Director of Digital Projects Tom Blake, for scanning. The BPL copy of the title was retrieved from the shelf and delivered to the scanning lab for processing within two hours of receipt of the request.

The Boston Public Library houses a six-person scanning lab affiliated with the Internet Archive in their main facility. The state-of-the-art scanning lab contains very sophisticated scanning equipment that is semi-automated to speed up the process. Six staff operate the scanners; they use a hand button to engage the cameras, as pages are turned using a foot pedal to lift the sheet of glass holding the pages down. The print book gets scanned page by page and the process is complete within one hour.

The scanned file then gets sent off to the Internet Archive to be copyright protected into a protected DAISY file that can only be accessed by eligible print disabled users of the NLS (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key. This key is used with authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, The BookSense and the Bookport Plus to play the book utilizing the player’s built-in speech synthesizer.

Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a web link to the BPL, and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of Threads can be downloaded. The book is downloaded by Perkins staff and the file is forwarded onto the patron having adaptive technology to place it onto their player. Generally, access is gained to the book within 24 hours!

Perkins has continued to test this process, and the latest exciting step has been that several books that were not in the BPL collection have been requested for professional work, education, and medical information purposes. The BPL has determined that the titles should be added to their collection. When the new titles arrive, they are sent off to the scanning lab for immediate processing. The quality of the scans is superior to many other e-text programs available in the U.S., and all testers have raved about the ease of use and the accuracy of the scans.

As the project rolls out to all patrons, more training will continue to be provided for each person getting a book scanned to meet their requests. Access to information is a huge barrier for people with disabilities which prevent them from reading conventional print. The Digital Access Project allows people to be fully integrated with their peers by having the same books their colleagues are reading available at the same time. The following statement submitted by the program’s first user, Paul Saner tells how it allowed Paul to be reading the same book at the same time as his peers.

“Most everyone on the Museum board I chair was talking about our new neighbor, Joseph Abboud. It sounded as though some of them knew him personally. Then I heard reference to a book, Threads, an autobiography of Mr. Abboud. I just had to read that book. I checked several sources of talking books to order Threads, but it had not been recorded. Then I recalled hearing about the Digital Access Project, a new service of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library in collaboration with the Boston Public Library. I asked the Perkins Library if this book might be scanned. Within 24 hours, a link to this book was sent to me in an email. It wasn’t long before I too felt that I knew Mr. Abboud. We share a passion for the Red Sox as did our deceased fathers who we both bonded with over baseball. This made me feel like I enjoyed the same access to information as my sighted board peers, and in actuality due to this innovative new project, I now do have amazing equivalent access.”

The most amazing part of this project is that it utilized existing resources to expand and make printed materials accessible without costing thousands of dollars. The investment in this program has been staff time of Charlson and Blake.

The Internet Archive scanning lab’s goal is to scan books for the Internet Archive website openlibrary.org, so they scan any titles that the BPL requests. As we grow the project, we have the systems in place to scan one book a day.

As we continue to work with Library patrons to make them more aware of the program, we will work up to greater capacity with this project.

Technology is truly the key for people with print disabilities unlocking the barrier of print access and making more and more exploration possible. This project is a true example of effective collaboration and strategic use of the push to digitize collections by the country’s libraries.

The Digital Access Project brings accessibility into the mix, and further reduces the massive delays that were previously expected to get a book in an accessible format. Now, through this project, patrons can have a very readable, and easy to navigate book in 24 hours – something that was not even thought possible previously. This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where access to information is the key to the 21st century.

Submitted by Nancy Curtin

(Ed. Note: The Port Washington Public Library “Books for Dessert” program is one of the winners of the 2012 ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award. The award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability, and Keystone Systems, and is given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes projects focused on the improvement of library services to people with disabilities, and demonstrated innovation in service delivery and utilization of emerging technology.)

The opportunity to learn to read begins at an early age for most children, even those with intellectual delays.  But what happens to those children who, as adults, age out of school and social programs that emphasize literacy in some form?  The skills they have acquired begin to atrophy.  To address this, the Port Washington Public Library (Port Washington, New York) piloted a program, now in its 9th year, called Books for Dessert.

This unique program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Initially funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Education, Books for Dessert was established to provide a format to maintain existing literacy skills, engage socially with a group and share insights with others.  Participants gather weekly to read aloud, learn vocabulary, practice comprehensive skills, and enjoy refreshments and good conversation.  Using a book discussion style, participants spend their weekly sessions reading, discussing and sharing insights along with cookies and coffee.  After each book is completed, participants keep their copy.  If a movie version is available, they view it, then compare and contrast with the book. 

Though adapted – meaning high interest, low reading level – versions of classics were the original selections for each group, all the groups will now read standard versions.  Sample adapted titles include Hamlet; Treasure Island; White Fang and The Scarlet Letter.  Sample standard versions include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; The Red Pony; The Miracle Worker (play) and Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Books for Dessert began in 2003 as a pilot project with eight participants.  Since its inception, Books for Dessert has grown from one group to three groups, two evening and one morning, with a range of 40 – 55 participants per season. The program leadership has championed the idea that literacy in this population is an important and achievable goal which needs to be fostered to further the goals of empowering greater independence, confidence and enjoyment of life, particularly a reading life.

Submitted by Camden Tadhg, Acquisitions & Youth Institutions Consultant, Institutional Library Development, Colorado State Library

Do you serve youth in detention and correctional facilities? Are you interested in working with this highly-disenfranchised and incredibly rewarding population? Then check out the newly launched website of Library Services for Youth in Custody at www.youthlibraries.org !

All across America, youth are incarcerated or detained with little or no access to high-interest, culturally relevant library materials or engaging programming. Research has shown that free and independent reading is the number one tool to improve literacy, a vital component to reducing recidivism. Because youth come from and will return to all communities, library services for these youth are vital to everyone. This site is designed to share best practices and facilitate networking between people providing library services to incarcerated and detained youth and to encourage everyone to promote and support high quality library services to incarcerated youth in their communities.

 

The New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC)/RMC Research Corporation, in consultation with the New York State Education Department, the New York State Library and the New York Library Association has produced a new publication entitled, Informational Brief: Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement. This comprehensive brief provides a current and rigorous research analyses which demonstrates the positive impact that school libraries and school librarians have in advancing student learning.  

The Executive Summary notes that “Based on the conclusions from the research cited in the brief, it is clear that school libraries play an important role in student achievement, curriculum development, and instruction. Through political and fiscal state support, effective school library programs can serve as consistent drivers for student achievement in times of constant change and churning educational reform.” The full NYCC publication and the executive summary may be found at: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/index.html or at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/nyla/nycc_school_library_brief.pdf 

By referencing numerous studies conducted throughout the United States, the brief illustrates the importance of school libraries in the lives of all students, particularly when it comes to literacy, college and career readiness, assessment and graduation rates. The brief is framed around the New York State Board of Regents Reform Agenda. The Executive Summary will be published in the Spring edition of “In Transition,” the journal of the New York State Middle School Association.

The New York Comprehensive Center is one of 16 regional comprehensive centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. NYCC works with the New York State Education Department to support education leaders and encourage student achievement. For more information about NYCC, visit: http://www.nycomprehensivecenter.org/

The New York State Library has served New Yorkers, state government and researchers from throughout the United States for more than 185 years.  One of the nation’s leading library development agencies and research libraries, the New York State Library is a program of the New York State Education Department and is located in Albany, New York.  For more information about the New York State Library, visit: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov.  For more information about the New York State Education Department, visit:  http://nysed.gov .

Submitted by Gina Persichini, Networking Consultant, Idaho Commission for Libraries

According to a 2011 report by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an estimated 232,000 Idahoans—primarily in the state’s vast rural areas—do not have high-speed Internet access. But the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) has taken the lead to help close that gap with an initiative to increase broadband Internet connectivity in public libraries throughout the state. Thanks to grants from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in 55 of Idaho’s least connected public libraries Internet connectivity has been increased to an average of 11 Mbps, up from an average of 1.5 Mbps, and 530 new computers have been installed.

Expanding public access technology

Nearly 70% of Idaho’s 141 public library locations are their community’s only free Internet access point. Now, access to high-speed Internet sources is within the reach of many Idahoans at their public libraries. Last year, for example, the public library in Preston, ID received 11 Mbps of broadband Internet connectivity and 12 new computers. The library in Sandpoint, ID received 45 Mbps and 22 new computers through Idaho’s “online @ your library” BTOP project. Libraries report that they are now able to do online training that wasn’t possible before the expanded broadband, and their users are thrilled with the faster capabilities. Some users with Internet access at home come to the library because it’s faster.

In addition to increased broadband access and additional computers provided through the grants, most of the libraries eligible for the connectivity upgrades received Wi-Fi equipment to enable people who bring their own computers to the library to access the Internet.

Expanding resources

In addition to expanding broadband and public access technology in the state’s least connected libraries, ICfL is partnering with other state agencies to bring a whole new world of online resources to residents throughout the state. Building on the statewide electronic reference tools at Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) program, Idahoans can now access e-government, employment, education, and job-skills resources through libraries’ public computing centers and through the Commission’s portal at lili.org.

New BTOP-funded online resources introduced to Idahoans through “online @ your library” include:

• Scout Video Collections with short videos/animations for every school subject and full-length Idaho Public Television programs about Idaho.
• Maximize Your Job Search, an online workshop and workbook developed by the Idaho Department of Labor with tips for networking, the hidden job market, using social media, and more—in English and Spanish.
• LearningExpress Library (LEL), an online learning center with study guides and practice tests for GED, SAT, ACT, GRE, CLEP and more; job-skill tutorials; career certification preparation; and computer skills training.

Partnerships

“online @ your library” BTOP partners include the Idaho Department of Labor, Idaho Public Television, Idaho Professional-Technical Education/Adult Basic Education, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, and Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON). Our BTOP partners have provided resources, collaborative opportunities, promotion, and other support. Throughout the project we have connected project partners and libraries at the local level, beginning with a statewide project launch in November 2010 and continuing with spring 2011 statewide “Connecting Resources & Partners Workshops” to provide hands-on access to the new online resources for libraries and their community partners.

We are currently in the middle of 25 statewide “Credible Connections” workshops that provide opportunities for libraries and community leaders to network and explore resources that can be leveraged to address local economic development as well as college and career readiness for Idaho students. Along with library staff, representatives from USDA Rural Development, Department of Labor, Adult Basic Education, local economic development groups, city officials, school officials, and Small Business Development Centers have participated. Conversations have been enlightening, connections meaningful, and next steps enthusiastically planned.

As another result of the partnership with Labor, many BTOP-connectivity libraries were able in summer 2011 to offer additional help to their computer users in the form of digital literacy tutors hired through Labor’s Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-funded Idaho Youth Corps. This program will be expanded in summer 2012 to include all interested public libraries.

Down the road

ICfL continues to build on partnerships with other agencies and organizations and provide opportunities and encouragement for public libraries to do the same with their local partners. We continue to promote statewide the expanded public access technology and online resources available through Idaho public libraries.

Not every home needs broadband Internet for everyone to connect to Web resources,” says State Librarian Ann Joslin. “Free public access computing at the library has the potential to efficiently provide the connection. Online resources that focus on job skills, education, and health help economic development. It’s exciting to see how a rural community might be revitalized as people come to their local public library to get online.”

See more about the “online @ your library” project at http://libraries.idaho.gov/online .

Submitted by Martha Church, Reference Services, West Hartford Public Library

Several days each week, a young woman visits the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford, Connecticut, and spends the morning using equipment in the Library’s assistive technology area. Joanne has very limited vision but, using resources available at the library, she is able to perform a variety of tasks that most of us take for granted: reading a menu, checking the expiration date on a coupon, or following the daily news on a variety of Internet sites.

In early 2010, Joanne was asked to participate in a focus group to help determine how the West Hartford Public Library could better serve the needs of community members with sensory and motor disabilities. The focus group sessions were the crucial preliminary step in preparing an LSTA grant to improve library service to this segment of our population.

In 2006-7, the West Hartford Library’s main facility, the Noah Webster Library, was completely renovated and physical access to the building was improved.   However, what became clear after the renovation was that our patrons with disabilities still had difficulty using our collections and information resources.  In talking to these users, we soon recognized that we had to find a way to move beyond basic building accessibility to make what was in the building more available to all our patrons.

We began our project by contacting a variety of local and state groups and organizations, meeting with them to gather names of individuals who would be willing to take part in a series of focus groups.  These organizations included our town’s human services department and commission on persons with disabilities, the Connecticut State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the State Board of Education for the Blind, the New England Assistive Technology Center and the American School for the Deaf. With their input, we scheduled a series of three focus group sessions, one each for individuals with visual, motor and hearing challenges.

Feedback from the focus groups formed the blueprint for our grant proposal.  Participants offered many concrete suggestions for specialized equipment such as an adjustable height workstation and screen magnification software or for simple changes such as improved signage, better task lighting and a more informative and accessible webpage detailing our collections, resources and programs. 

Perhaps the most helpful comments, however, were those made by participants in every single focus group; that library staff needed to develop “accessible attitudes.” One participant, who regularly visits the library accompanied by a guide dog, shared her experience asking a staff member the location of the audiobooks. The staff member pointed to them and replied, “They’re over there.” Clearly, this was not a helpful or sensitive response to someone who is blind. When we heard this story, we knew it was imperative that we find a way to help our staff become more sensitive to and comfortable with the needs of our patrons with disabilities. A plan to address this was included in the grant proposal.

The FAIR @ Your Library project was awarded LSTA funding in July of 2010. The library acquired a variety of assistive technology products and software all suggested by focus group participants. In addition, we promoted the use of these specialized products through focused publicity and collaboration with community agencies, again following the suggestions made by members of the focus groups.

Finally, to help library staff develop the “accessible attitudes” our focus group participants had mentioned, we closed the library to the public for an entire day so that all staff members could participate in a sensitivity training workshop.  Lead by trainers from the New England Assistive Technology Center in Hartford, Connecticut, everyone took turns moving around the library in a wheelchair or trying to locate materials wearing goggles that create the effect of a visual disability. These activities really brought home the enormity of the challenges faced each day by our patrons with disabilities. As one staff member commented,  “When I realize how hard it must be for some of them simply to get dressed and come to the library,  I know I have to do whatever I can to make their visits here positive and productive.”

Was our grant a success? Did we meet our goal to enable people with disabling conditions to more fully, easily and independently access the library’s resources to pursue their educational, social, professional, and recreational needs? To find out, just ask Joanne. She’s here at the library most every day.

West Hartford Library’s Accessibility video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9B93gTDMfc

Submitted by Stephanie Shipman, Youth Librarian, Austin Public Library and Karen Brown, Parent Infant Program Teacher – Texas School for the Deaf

Austin, Texas is known for many things – the state capital, home of the University of Texas, Live Music Capital of the World. It is also home of the Texas School for the Deaf, a residential and day school program serving Deaf and hard of hearing students, birth through 22 years.  In order to serve families of young children within the large deaf community in Austin, the Twin Oaks Branch of Austin Public Library has instituted a program called StorySign. 

StorySign is a sign language storytime for deaf and hearing families. A deaf storyteller signs the stories while an interpreter voices for the hearing. The program is a collaboration between Austin Public Library (APL) and the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD). Austin Public Library provides the location, materials, and staff.  TSD provides the storyteller and interpreter. 

How StorySign came about.                                                                                                                                 

Karen Brown, a teacher at TSD, approached the library with the idea of having some sort of program specifically for Austin’s deaf population. The goals of this program would be to encourage deaf parents to participate in activities with their children, introduce them to the library, and foster a feeling of community among deaf and hearing people alike. She also explained to library staff that children do better in school when parents and caregivers are involved in activities with their children. We know all children love stories, so a sign language storytime seemed the perfect fit to accomplish these goals.

The Twin Oaks Branch is located near TSD and library staff members were excited about implementing this program. Ms. Brown offered parents and caregivers the opportunity to take on the responsibility of getting their children and themselves to the library by scheduling the school day to encourage attendance at the library event. Austin Public Library provided flyers with the monthly dates listed and advertised the storytime on the Library website. A .pdf file of the flyer was also made available to TSD. 

Each storytime begins with a welcome and an opening song which is both voiced and signed. The program typically includes two stories, an interactive song or flannel activity, and a closing song. The youth librarian selects the books and songs each month and leads the storytime alongside the American Sign Language storyteller. An interpreter voices the story and signs for the librarian and families as needed. Everyone then participates in a small craft activity. Everyone works together, sharing materials, and communicating as they can. 

Attendees include hearing children with deaf parents (CODAs), hearing parents with deaf children, deaf parents with deaf children, and hearing parents with hearing children. At times students who are learning sign language in school come to observe and practice their skills. As the children’s librarian in the project , it’s been amazing to watch all the interaction. Parents observe their children having fun as they develop language, confidence, and social skills in a safe, fun environment. 

StorySign has been and continues to be a successful program that promotes interaction among deaf and hearing members of our community. Deaf parents have the opportunity to be involved with the Library in a way they have not had before while hearing participants have the opportunity to learn a few more signs each time. StorySign encourages a life-long relationship with the Library and sends a signal to the entire community that the Austin Public Library is a place for everyone.

Submitted by Brigid Cahalan, Outreach Coordinator, New York Public Library

Please see the links below for a couple of items that may be of interest to ASCLA members.

Age-Friendly Tips–This is a list of ways to make your library more age-friendly. The list was prepared at the request of the Age-Friendly NYC team. The team asked a variety of professionals for lists of “10 s” to make their organizations more helpful and welcoming to all, but especially to older adults.

From The New York Public Library’s web page and Age-FriendlyNYC: “10 Ways to Make Your Library Age Friendly”

http://www.nyam.org/agefriendlynyc/docs/10-Ways-to-Make-Your-Library-Age-Friendly-02-22-11.pdf

Hearing Loop Technology–This is a link to a New York Times article about the hearing loop, a technology that has been used throughout the country and the world in many libraries and other buildings–and even outside areas like Yankee Stadium–to provide increased access for many with hearing loss. Although it is not the only answer, it can be very effective if combined with devices such as FM systems, and real-time captioning, when possible.

New York Times article – 10.23.2011 – “A Hearing Aid that Cuts Out All the Clatter”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/science/24loops.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=a hearing aid that cuts out all the clatter&st=cse

Under the leadership of ILEX chair, Nancy Bolt, the Independent Librarians Exchange had a stellar year!  During Annual Conference, the ILEX Executive Committee began consideration of an “ILEX Consultants Code of Ethics,” which will be posted on ALA Connect along with other tools of interest to library consultants.  ILEX leaders invite new and experienced library consultants to visit ASCLA/ILEX space on ALA Connect where you will find (and can share with colleagues) resources and tools to help you in your work.

A highly successful day-long ASCLA preconference, “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” was led by ILEX members Nancy Bolt and Sara Laughlin and had 41 participants.  ILEX is now exploring offering this training online instead of or in addition to a pre-conference.   In addition to the pre-conference, ILEX also sponsored two successful programs and a lively discussion forum during the Annual Conference.  Plans are also in the works for a Facilitation Skills program during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.

So what else did you miss in New Orleans?

“Consulting from Both Sides of the Fence:  Why Libraries Hire Consultants and How Consultants Get Jobs” focused on teams of a consultant and a client.  Three well-known consultants with their clients shared valuable insights.  Consultant Bill Wilson was joined by Tennessee State Librarian Chuck Sherrill.   Consultant June Garcia was joined by Lynn Wheeler, Director of the Carroll County Maryland Public Library.     Consultant Kimberly Bolan Cullin was joined by Mary Hougland, Director of the Jennings County Indiana Public Library, and Edra Waterman, Director of the Plainfield Indiana Public Library.  Clients discussed why they chose the consultant, focusing on proven experience, a clear description of the proposed methodology, and a clear and reasonable budget.  Consultants indicated how they decided whether to respond to a Request for Proposal.  Some of their reasons included whether the amount budgeted for the project was in the RFP; whether the scope of the project was doable; and whether they felt they could offer relevant services. 

About half of the 50 people in the audience were consultants and half were librarians looking for consultants.    The audience participated in a lively discussion about the consulting process. Nancy Bolt moderated this informative program.  

Some 25 ALA attendees benefited from an hour of free consultation during “Consultant’s Giving Back, An Opportunity for Free Consultant Advice” on Sunday, June 26.  Consultants appreciate the work they receive from libraries and this unique program offered the library community up to an hour of free consultation with a consultant of their choice.  Some consultants were also available at other times. At least 30 people signed up for free consulting advice.  An unknown number made appointments directly with a consultant.  For a list of the seventeen participating consultants, visit:  http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaourassoc/asclasections/ilex/2011consultantsgive.pdf . This program, organized by consultants Nancy Bolt and Paula Singer was cosponsored with PLA. Plans are to offer this opportunity for free consulting advice at PLA and at the ALA 2012 Annual Conference. 

And finally, marketing and promotion were among the topics at the ILEX Consultants Discussion Forum on Saturday, June 25. New and experienced consultants brought questions and experiences to this informal sharing session moderated by ILEX Executive Committee member Jeannette Smithee.  Many ALA members who attended the ASCLA/ILEX “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” preconferences look to the Consultants Discussion Forum for continued networking. Plan to attend the ILEX Consultants Discussion Forum at the 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. What are the challenges you face as a consultant? Visit the ILEX space ALA Connect and suggest some topics for future discussions!

How Queens Library Uses Interactive Programs to Enrich Lives of Homebound Customers

Submitted by Madlyn Schneider, Mail A Book Program Manager and Joanne King, Associate Director of Communications, Queens Library.                                                                                                                         

Public libraries in the 21st century provide a lot more than simply lending books, videos and other materials. They are community gathering places. They provide stimulating and entertaining programs, such as performances, panel discussions and book talks. They bring socialization along with lifelong learning and intellectual growth. In December 2008, Queens Library received a grant from the Weinberg Foundation to carry out a long wished-for expansion of its services to homebound and disabled library customers.

The goal was to provide library customers who were to not able to come to the library with more of the benefits of regular library usage than what was currently being offered. In interactions with customers via telephone and letter, staff perceived a lack of community and peer relationships among the program’s users.

For decades, Queens Library has had an active Mail A Book program that delivers free books, videos, audio books and other materials by mail to homebound library customers on request. Customers do not reveal the cause of their homebound status; however the staff know from the kinds of materials that are requested and casual telephone conversations that they range from mobility challenges, hearing and/or vision challenges to psychiatric disorders. For some, it is a temporary situation. A few are children with chronic illness. Mail A Book actively serves approximately 850 individuals.  Mail A Book sends regular print books, large print books, movies and music based on preferences that the customers indicate. Additionally, rotating collections are delivered to 35 nursing homes.

Upon receipt of a grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation in December 2008, the Mail A Book program sent out a survey to more than 600 Mail A Book customers. They also did sampling by phone. Again, the cause of the homebound condition is not known; it is inferred that there are a variety of causes. The survey asked questions about the kinds of library materials customers preferred, the quality of service received/desired and what customer would like to see going forward.

The program manager, Madlyn Schneider, and the senior librarian, Willie Simmons, often spend extra minutes chatting with customers on the phone when they call to request library materials. It is a small kindness. They know homebound people often feel isolated, bored and starved for peer relationships. Many have only the part-time company of home health aides with varying degrees of shared language skills and almost no shared experiences. (Of course, not all customers can communicate by phone, but it’s a start).

Using creativity and imagination, the Mail-A-Book staff decided to build on already-strong in-library programming to enrich homebound patrons’ lives and relieve their social isolation very cost-effectively. They combine library know-how with technology.

Part of the grant from the Weinberg Foundation was used to install a teleconferencing console and an 800 phone number that customers would use to call in. Since the library already had a full schedule of live programs, many of which are enjoyable if only the audio portion is available, it was a simple matter of making them available on the phone console. Other programs are conducted solely for the benefit of the homebound customers. One particularly valuable program is a twice-weekly chat.

The Mail-a-Book staff canvassed homebound subscribers and set up regular times for them to phone in to their toll-free number. Chats sometimes follow a pre-set agenda, such as discussion of a book or TV program that all have agreed to watch, or it may be freewheeling conversation. There are about 20 regular weekly chatters, and several others who participate occasionally. Staff facilitate the conversation and have ice-breaker topics at the ready. The participants often takeoff on their own topics: which food stores deliver, the problems of being homebound, even intimacy among adults with limited mobility. In a short time, the chatters have formed strong bonds. It is a chance to enjoy friendships for which they are very hungry.

For the first time, participants were invited to join special phone-in sessions on New Year’s Eve 2010 and on New Year’s Day 2011. During previous conversations, it became apparent that the homebound feel particularly isolated during the New Year, when most people traditionally celebrate in groups, and when caregivers find it a burden (and quite possibly source of resentment) to spend time with them. 

Homebound library customers participate in “special events,” such as a concert that is being held in the library. Often, the program presenter will spend a few minutes after the program to chat with those who are phoning in. To play monthly bingo, game cards are mailed to the players in advance. Everybody wins a small prize, which is later sent by mail. The Mail-A-Book staff  conduct monthly book groups over the phone and invite guest speakers to lecture and discuss their area of specialty.   The Metropolitan Museum of Art does a multi-part lecture series; print reproductions of artworks to be discussed are sent out to registered participants in advance. There are sing-alongs and trivia games. Twice each month a Doctor from “Doctors on Call” and a Nurse from “Calvary Hospice” along with student nurses from York College and Pace University call in to discuss relevant health topics with the homebound. An amateur local drama group performs live comedy routines. The homebound participants are always ready to try something new. Ms. Schneider moderates the Facebook Group “Mail a Book @ Queens Library”, where members submit book reviews and interact with staff and each other.  Weekly Skype chats are new to the program. Very few of the users are computer-literate enough to take advantage, but that may change as time goes on.

The weekly chatters occasionally get together for a luncheon at a local restaurant. Although it takes several weeks to organize, and they have to travel by disability transport, in wheelchairs and with walkers, several of the regulars have been able to attend, escorted by family members and home health aides. The homebound folks have often never met in person before, but hug and converse as if they were the best of buddies — and they are. The Mail-A-Book staff has a gift bag ready for each to take home. The event has the quality of a near-miracle.

The interactive Mail-A-Book programming piggy-backs on many of the library programs that are already in place. It is cost-effective and easily replicated by other public libraries. Challenges are reaching out to potential users and interesting them in participating. Many homebound are self-conscious about speech or hearing impediments.

The program’s main assets are the caring and creativity of its staff. With all their hearts, they want to enrich homebound customers’ lives and give them the same opportunities other users have to benefit from the community and lifelong learning available at their library. They are conducting an average of ten live programs a month, in addition to the delivery of library materials. There is also a related newsletter. During a recent advocacy campaign for funding, the homebound customers were asked to write to their elected officials in support of the library. Many did. It gave them equity in their library as well as emphasized that their homebound status does not disenfranchise them.  

Interactive programming is a relatively cost-effective adjunct to the regular Mail-A-Book program.  In Calendar 2009, a one-year grant from the Weinberg Foundation was obtained through the efforts of the Queens Library Foundation. It purchased the audio conferencing equipment and needed telecommunications line (one-time charge of $3,000) plus additional funding for library materials in English and multiple languages, additional large-print and multi-media collections. It also allocated $5,000 for marketing the Mail A Book program, and funds to pay for program presenters.  Additionally, library staff volunteer their time to facilitate programs. An example is a library staff member with a personal interest in classic film who conducts discussions on 1940s and 1950s movie stars. (Valued at $1,000 annually in program fees).

Homebound customers receive a tiny percentage of the 23 million library items Queens Library circulates every year. In terms of the impact on their lives, it means the whole world.

For further information on Queens Library’s interactive programs for the homebound, feel free to contact Madlyn.S.Schneider@queenslibrary.org.

Contributed by Gwen Rosen, Family Resource Librarian, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Hospitalization can be a very stressful event, both for patients and families.  At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland, a Family Resource Library helps patients and families cope, as well as learn more about medical conditions.    (more…)

Submitted by Chuck Steinbower, Teacher/Librarian, Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility

In the past four years Chuck Steinbower, librarian, and Mike Rodgers, art teacher, have partnered with a variety of outside agencies to showcase fine art and work with their students in bringing a broader experience to their youth at the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility in Delaware, Ohio. Dionne Custer, Education Outreach Specialist at the Ohio State Wexner Center for the Arts, has brought programming to Scioto which has showcased video and art offerings of the Wexner Center. Through generous support from benefactors, the Wexner Center works with area schools to bring students into the museum to work with Ms. Custer and area artists by either showcasing video experiences or art openings. Because Scioto youth are housed in a correctional facility, the Wexner Center agreed to come to the correctional facility to give the youth an outstanding experience. (more…)