A young patron at Joeten-Kiyu Public Library in Susupe, Northern Mariana Islands plays in the library's new Sensory Corner

Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later

November 1, 2024

During the first round of funding, 240 small and rural libraries, located within towns with populations of under 25,000 people, received awards of $10,000 or $20,000 to improve the accessibility of their facilities, services, and programs. American Libraries spoke with five libraries that participated in the program’s inaugural year about their projects’ impact on those … Continue reading Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later


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10 Tips toward Accessibility

November 1, 2024

The guidelines include three principles that instructors must provide via multiple means: engagement (the “why” of learning), representation (the “what” of learning), and action and expression (the “how” of learning). The guidelines are an excellent reference for planning library instruction sessions that can reach learners regardless of disability, learning styles, and preferences. However, to create … Continue reading 10 Tips toward Accessibility


Headshot of Librarian's Library columnist Rachel Rosenberg

Improving Inclusivity

November 1, 2024

The Inclusive Organization: Real Solutions, Impactful Change, and Meaningful Diversity By Netta Jenkins Jenkins, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) executive, has worked with organizations of all sizes. Here she draws on her lived experiences and years of accumulated knowledge to suggest actionable ways that employees can improve their workplaces. The book shows readers how … Continue reading Improving Inclusivity


Headshot of column author Amy Holland

Beyond ADA Compliance

March 1, 2024

In 2020, staff members at Irondequoit Public Library (IPL) in Rochester, New York, began rethinking our approach to accessibility and inclusion. With reduced hours and services during the COVID- 19 pandemic, we had an opportunity to reenvision how we wanted to welcome patrons back. ADA guidelines provide for a minimum standard of service, but we … Continue reading Beyond ADA Compliance


Care and Consideration

September 1, 2023

Physical space. All library staffers should have an ergonomic work station. If you have access to an external ergonomics evaluation, arrange for your library to have one. Be prepared to purchase the equipment and furnishings necessary to meet the resulting recommendations. Ideally, this would come from the library budget, but you may need to consider … Continue reading Care and Consideration



A picture of Jackie Kruzie smiling.

Listen and Learn

June 1, 2023

An estimated 4 million Americans cannot communicate using speech and rely on other forms of communication like AAC. These modalities may include gestures, sounds, written communication, pictures, photographs, body language, sign language, communication boards, and speech-generating technology devices. For my daughter, we chose to purchase a small tablet and designate it as her talker, a … Continue reading Listen and Learn


Episode 75: Rethinking Your Space

Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space

September 12, 2022

As any library staffer who has gone through a building renovation knows, significant behind-the-scenes work goes into updating or overhauling a facility. From working with architects to communicating with committees to soliciting community feedback, rethinking a library doesn’t happen overnight. On Episode 75, the podcast team focuses on library design and architecture. First, American Libraries … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space


Show and Tell

September 1, 2022

Interior signage includes identification signs for service points, office room numbers, elevators, stairways, restrooms, entrances, and exits; directional signs; signs for orientation (call number ranges, floor directory); and regulatory signs (fire exits, fire alarm pulls). Exterior signage usually includes signs for site identification, entrances, exits, parking (and accessible parking), and directional signs. At its most … Continue reading Show and Tell


KayCee Choi (standing at left) and Alicia Deal (standing at right), librarians at Dallas Public Library, present at "Deaf Culture: A Strategy for Inclusive Deaf Community Engagement,” a June 26 session at ALA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Photo by Rebecca Lomax for American Libraries.

Deaf Is a Culture

June 26, 2022

“After joining ALA, I saw a lot of changes,” said Hagemeyer, who now leads Bridging Deaf Cultures, an interest group of ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. While services and outreach to Deaf people have improved over the last 50 years, libraries could be doing more in this area. That was the takeaway … Continue reading Deaf Is a Culture


A toddler at Arlington Heights (Ill.) Memorial Library (AHML) enjoys tummy time while playing with Peek-a-Boo Mirror, a sensory toy in AHML’s collection.

A Sense of Support

May 2, 2022

That experience more than 13 years ago inspired her to start BTPL’s Youth Accessibility Support Collection, a set of items designed to meet the needs of children with various types of disabilities and learning needs. Since 2009, families have been borrowing from the collection, which includes adaptive toys, sensory storytime boxes, speech therapy cards, and skills … Continue reading A Sense of Support


Meeting Every Maker

May 2, 2022

Acknowledging that gap, our research team set out to explore the accessibility of public library makerspaces. We did this through focus groups with disability advocates and stakeholders, with grant support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Every makerspace is different, we learned, but there were some common themes in our discussions with participants. … Continue reading Meeting Every Maker