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

Sensory storytimes: most of us know the term, and many public libraries in the United States now offer them. These adaptive storytimes are typically inclusive of all, but particularly welcoming for autistic children, allowing valuable opportunities to play, learn, and build connections in a supportive environment. As librarians, many of us understand “sensory storytimes” to be especially designed for autistic children. But, do parents and caregivers have that same understanding? If it is not clearly outlined, this messaging—along with our target participant group—may be missed. 

Results from a recent study suggest that even with careful consideration of event details, our messaging may miss the mark, leaving out potential participants who would benefit from these storytimes. In this webinar, we’ll briefly discuss best practices in delivering sensory storytimes; then, we’ll focus on messaging, examining common errors to avoid, and providing examples of messaging that ensures autistic children and their families feel invited and included even before they enter the library. 

Topics that we will explore include what language to use to refer to your target audience, how to handle and describe registration, and what details to share about the program itself. Meeting your unique community’s needs is critical, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While we will talk through some ideas that work for others, we will also allow plenty of time for discussion for participants to explore and identify practices that best suit their own library’s needs.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand the need for autism-community input in designing and describing sensory storytimes;
• Evaluate common mistakes in sensory storytime marketing approaches, identifying strategies for improvement; and
• Create a public-facing description of their own library’s sensory storytime program that specifically welcomes autistic children and their families or caregivers.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is intended for children’s and youth librarians, program planning librarians, and librarians who develop marketing materials. However, all public library staff will benefit, as autistic children and their families or caregivers must feel welcome at all stages of program attendance, from reading about the program online, to entering a library's doors, to attending the storytime itself. 

Presenter

Dr. Amelia Anderson is an assistant professor of library science at The University of South Florida’s School of Information. Dr. Anderson is the author of Library Programming for Autistic Children and Teens, 2nd Edition, published by ALA Editions, and she received the 2024 ALISE/Connie Van Fleet Award for Research Excellence in Public Library Services to Adults. She recently served as the managing principal investigator on the IMLS planning grant Accessibility in Making (LG-246292-OLS-20), which identified opportunities in public library makerspaces for patrons with disabilities. She has extensive experience on the topics of neurodiversity, disability, and libraries through her work as a public librarian, library researcher, and educator. She earned her Ph.D. and MLIS from Florida State University, and she previously worked as a librarian for the Orange County Library System and the Hernando County Public Library.

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).