The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with ALA to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Please do not register directly with ALA. Members who register directly with ALA are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Description

Neurodiversity within the librarian professional is often neglected as a subject of scholarly conversation. With higher rates of neurodivergent students approaching traditional college-age, it is more important than ever to embrace neurodivergence within the academic library. This starts with fostering an inclusive environment for library staff, faculty, students, and patrons. Hiring a neurodiverse library staff creates a safe space for neurodivergent students through example. Neurodivergent library staff can also work with library administration to incorporate inclusive mental and physical spaces within the library. The concept of the library as a safe-space for college students is a familiar narrative, and this sentiment should be extended to library staff as well.

This webinar was previously presented in-person as a session at the 2024 Core Forum. We are hosting this webinar, with the session adapted and presented live as a virtual event, to extend its reach.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Recognize and consider neurodivergent staff, faculty, and students in daily library workflow
• Use existing library policies and practices to encourage the acceptance and inclusion of neurodivergent staff, faculty, and students
• Provide positive mentorship for neurodivergent students by neurodivergent faculty and staff.

Who Should Attend

This session targets academic library staff and leaders. However, anyone who works in libraries and insterested in nuerodivergent should attend.

Presenters

Corin Sowers & Olivia Davidson 

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.