Throughout my childhood, going to school and working in the private and public sector as an adult, I struggled immensely with work. I learned to mask my symptoms in fear that someone could tell that something ‘was off’ with me. Masking my disability worked for a while, until employers and co-workers started seeing ‘deficiencies.’ I feared stigmatization, and this caused severe work anxiety.  

Then, in 2018, I was led to an evaluation that changed my life. After losing 2 jobs within a year, I knew that something had to be done. I have a daughter to support, and I couldn’t go on knowing that I wouldn’t be able to provide for my family. After some initial research, I was evaluated and discovered that I have an unspecified neuro-cognitive disorder. According to the Neuro-Cognitive Research Institute, a cognitive disorder is a nearly any type of insult (infection, head trauma, etc.) that causes dysfunction in the brain (a neurological disorder) and results in alterations in thinking, emotions, perceptions and/or behavior patterns. 

Knowing this information changed my life. I was able to get a better understanding of how I learn personally, and, in the future, how to best advocate for myself and others. I took this as an opportunity to learn more about myself and others who suffer from this. After researching this topic more, I learned that the brain is the single most complex area to study in modern science as it has more than 100 billion neurons (brain cells) of a thousand or so distinct varieties. I also learned that there are 600+ neurocognitive and neurological disorders, some in the form of dementia or stroke.   

Since a neuro-cognitive disorder is not seen so easily and requires testing, it’s hard to diagnose and give treatment based on appearance alone. It is often misdiagnosed as well. It’s important to get a full psychological evaluation done by a doctor to get close or accurate results.

In addition to learning this information, I experienced actual stigmatization from co-workers, employers, and the public. How disheartening that was and how embarrassed I felt! While we often discuss accessibility for library patrons with disabilities, we sometimes overlook the needs of staff members with disabilities and the accommodations they may require.

I didn’t want to live in fear of this anymore, so I took charge of myself and my health. You can do the same. I have discovered many strategies that have helped me. I offer them here in the hopes that they may help others cope and be successful in their work/personal life:

• Writing most important things down with a pen and paper, especially schedules and important dates.
• Creating a strong daily routine.
• Holding myself in love and trying not to self-stigmatize.  
• Having a therapist who understand disabilities and offers neurofeedback as a way to strengthen neurons.
• Having structure throughout the day.
• Practicing what I want to say before I say it.
• Having minimal/no distractions when working on a project or assignment. 
• Learning in multi-modules techniques such as visual, auditory, and hands-on. 
• Asking myself questions such as ‘how and where’ to get a better understanding of what I am learning and experiencing.
• Marrying concepts, visual pictures, and simple ideas together to remembering and applying information.  
• Having a supportive employer.
• Advocating for myself.
• Reflecting at the end of each day.
• Joining support groups such as groups that supports those with a brain injury.
• Exercising daily.
• Eating well balanced meals.
• Having health insurance. 
• Getting regular check-ups from doctors offices.
• Most importantly, having patience with myself.

Resources: 

https://www.thencri.org/education-resources/neurocognitive-disorder/

The post Strategies for Success as a Neurodiverse Librarian first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Libraries can learn a lot from his successful approach.

People Still Want Paper Books

Books remain the main draw for bookstores and libraries. Amazon maintains a 50% market share of the physical book sales in the United States. The rest are sold in bookstores of various types and sizes. Although libraries certainly circulate a lot of digital materials, customers still want to come in and touch the books. The smell of a room full of books is distinct, and often a reason customers cite for loving the library. Browsing titles online cannot provide the same visceral experience as touching physical books and leafing through the pages. One feature that shopping on Amazon cannot replicate is the experience of browsing and serendipitous finds. The time that creative librarians put into developing and maintaining appealing displays is rewarded by helping customers spot just the right book that they didn’t know they were looking for.

Library Staff Members Know What Patrons Want

When Barnes and Noble tried a “one size fits all” approach nationwide with fees paid to feature books that the publishers wanted to promote, it was a failure. Libraries are most successful when they let the staff respond to community interests. Front line staff members know their customers and their community. They know what people are asking for and how to meet those needs. Libraries sometimes accomplish this through floating collections, where items stay in the branch where they are returned. It is also important to target the buying of materials based on circulation statistics and the number of customer holds –both good ways to gauge demand. Barnes and Noble learned that encouraging bookstore staff in each location to promote what their customers wanted increased sales. Libraries can apply that lesson for books and for programming. Communities respond when they feel that the library is listening and providing what they want.

“Give Em What They Want”

Charlie Robinson, long time director of Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) is well known in library circles for pioneering the concept of “give ‘em what they want.” When Robinson took over as library director of BCPL in 1963, the system was following the traditional philosophy of housing classics and buying what the librarians thought people should be reading instead of what they wanted to be reading. While his philosophy was controversial, it helped BCPL grow into a leading public library system with circulation rivaling Queens Public Library by the early 1990s.

Focus on Priorities

Mission creep happened in Barnes and Noble, and it certainly happens in libraries as well. Some of it is positive – notepads and Nook tables and eReaders in Barnes & Noble make sense. But the space that was used for elaborate toy sections and household items was converted back to space for books and educational materials. Libraries have expanded to include public health initiatives to address community needs but they also have to make careful decisions so that staff and budgetary capacity are respected, and the library is able to focus on established priorities. The lessons learned by B & N’s challenges resonate with public libraries as well and have the potential to support the growth of both in the future.

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Books Unbanned

BPL launched Books Unbanned in April 2022, an anti-censorship initiative which allows anyone ages 13-21 nationwide the ability to request a BPL eCard … and access to the library’s entire digital collection. BPL has issued thousands of library cards to young people in every single U.S. state, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In 2023, four additional libraries launched Books Unbanned programs: Seattle Public Library, LA County Public Library, San Diego Public Library, and Boston Public Library.

As requests have poured in, so too have the testimonials. After reading hundreds of letters from young adults nationwide, BPL’s Books Unbanned team realized that alongside the stories of unreported censorship were those sharing their lived reality of limited access to books, any books, where they lived. For these young people, the opportunity to access what they most wanted to read – and the privacy, trust, and freedom to read – was an unimaginable gift. In these times, the simple act of issuing a library card has felt so significant. We know that we are saving lives.

Access is a priority in libraries, one of our ethical cornerstones. And access to a library’s collections and resources begins with a library card. As BPL has begun revisiting our own rules around library card signup, we have recognized the need for shared guidance across the field, grounded in legal justification and with flexible application, so that libraries can meet the practical realities of those in our communities who have a range of situations and are not any less trustworthy or deserving of access.

Cardholder Research

In May 2023, with funding from the Mellon Foundation, BPL launched an 18-month research project to collect and study cardholder signup policies from public libraries across the nation. The project aims to identify the range of policies and procedures which govern cardholder access as well as the rationale used for establishing (or protecting) those policies. Findings will be shared with the field in a report issued in Spring 2024.

Using the findings, BPL will convene a diverse working group of public library leaders in the Spring/Summer of 2024 to develop a framework of guiding principles and best practices for cardholder registration. The hope is that regardless of size or governance structure, libraries can use this common reference point to shape their signup policies towards the shared priority of access, even while we fight to regain trust in our ability to manage our collections in the name of the public good.

Data Collection

The data collection work has been fruitful, with over 1,400 public library systems to date responding to an online survey developed by BPL and research partner Avenue M Group. Anyone who works or has recently worked in a U.S. public library with some knowledge of their cardholder signup process is eligible to respond. BPL is working with PLA, the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL), the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) to share information about the project and encourage as many public libraries as possible to participate.

In addition to collecting what’s done in practice, BPL’s research aims to collect the justifications for these policies (whether known or unknown), how (and how often) the cardholder signup process is revisited or revised, and the methods used to train staff and communicate with new patrons. BPL has collaborated with ARSL and ULC to host two in-person focus groups this fall; and a third online, asynchronous focus group will be held next week – although all available spots are full!

Early data suggests several key policy areas in which public libraries can create more equitable access for potential new cardholders:

• Eligibility: who is “eligible” to get a card in the library’s service area (full-time residents vs. temporary residents, students, workers, etc.) and how is that eligibility determined during cardholder signup? How does the library welcome those without traditional ID, and/or in a variety of living situations, like those in transitional, rental, mobile, or rural housing?
• Legal name: how does the library accommodate those who use a different name from that issued on legal documentation, such as transgender patrons, those who have a preferred name or nickname, or those who follow cultural naming practices that deviate from how the ILS typically stores first and last name?
• Virtual signup: other than standard efforts at outreach, does the library provide an alternative signup option for those who cannot or don’t want to physically visit the library to receive or renew their library card? Do patrons have access to a reasonably sized digital collection?
• Youth signup: what are the terms for minors under the age of 18 to get a library card? Why has the library set the terms in this way?

Further considerations include those who speak a language other than English, other required information collected during signup (driver’s license number, community references, gender, email address), and how library signup and lending policies are shared with patrons.

Further Research

The raw data collected from this research, the first known dataset of cardholder signup practices nationwide, will be made available by Brooklyn Public Library in 2024. Professional organizations like the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), PLA, ULC, ARSL, and State Library Agencies may wish to do further analysis and reporting on the range and justification of cardholder signup policies.

More research will be needed to understand the social justice implications of overly restrictive library card signup policies and avail risk-adverse decision-makers of their hesitation to open up access even at the real or perceived risk of strained budgets or materials loss. (There are similarities here to the “fine-free” movement, which allowed public libraries to feel more comfortable taking this step once we understood how the collective community benefits outweighed the risks.) The overall goal with this work is to provide the incentive and tools for public library staff, leaders, boards, and community stakeholders to have informed and productive conversations about cardholder access policies that reflect the common good and better align with the library profession’s stated values.

To participate in BPL’s research, public libraries can complete the cardholder access online survey through 11:59 pm PST on December 6, 2023. See survey questions in full here. If you have any questions, you can contact Amy Mikel, Director of Customer Experience and research project lead at Brooklyn Public Library, at amikel@bklynlibrary.org.

Further Reading

Hurwitz, Leigh. “I help thousands of teens impacted by book bans. Here’s what they had to say.” VICE Magazine, 20 Jan. 2023. https://www.vice.com/en/article/88qp3b/i-helped-thousands-of-teens-impacted-by-book-bans-heres-what-they-had-to-say

Blackwell, Michael and Mikel, Amy. “Books Unbanned: expanding access to content via library eBooks.” Information Today, 22 May 2024.

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Florida Libraries are Fundamental to Freedom.

The drafters of the Declaration of Independence believed in the essential rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since 1776, our nation has struggled to apply these principles equally across all its residents in order to create that elusive more perfect union. At its core, the freedoms that Americans seek are the same freedoms supported by our libraries. Of these aspects of liberty, three specific freedoms stand out for me.

Florida libraries support the freedom to participate. In an increasingly fractious society, our buildings remain the one space where everyone is welcome. Through our libraries, residents can find all the tools and resources needed to live their lives. Whether it is using public computers to apply for benefits, meeting neighbors at a children’s story hour, or to register to vote and actually vote, libraries remain central to our communities. Erik Klinenberg in his book, Palaces for the People, states that a founding principle of libraries is, “that all people deserve free, open access to our shared culture and heritage, which they can use to any end they see fit.”

Florida libraries are fundamental to freedom.

Florida libraries support the freedom to discover. We have all experienced the serendipity of walking the library stacks and discovering a book that changes our perspective. For me, it was Getting Things Done, by David Allen, which altered the course of my career. Libraries support the endless discovery happening in our colleges and universities, such as when a professor connects ideas after deep research using a database or students group studying into the late hours to understand a concept. In a knowledge-based economy, the freedom to discover new ideas and the capacity to implement them are essential for a thriving democracy.

Florida libraries are fundamental to freedom.

Most importantly, Florida libraries support the freedom to read. It is no surprise that the Founding Fathers valued a liberal education. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to name just two were intense bibliophiles, amassing collections that started both the first public library in America and the core of the Library of Congress respectively. Throughout history, one of the surest measures of a free society is the ability for its citizens to read or write about any topic they desire, without censorship or interference.

I also attest today, that the freedom to participate, the freedom to discover, and the freedom to read are not only American values but stand as undeniable human rights.

Florida libraries are fundamental to freedom.

We must also acknowledge that these freedoms apply to Florida’s youngest residents. The future of our society is determined in part by our children. Whether it is a baby at his first lap sit story time, a toddler giggling at a funny rhyme, a teen finding a book that gives them insight into who they are, or a college student working on her thesis, the fundamental freedoms provided by libraries are essential to their growth. Therefore, our children deserve access to collections that are broad and diverse. As novelist, Judy Blume put it, “Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.”

Florida libraries are fundamental to freedom.

This year’s theme is designed to be widely utilized across the Florida Library Association. For our committees, this theme may inspire you to incorporate these freedoms into your work. For our member institutions, please use these principals to advocate for the resources needed to fulfill your mission. For each individual member, these ideas can encourage you in tough times to keep striving for the good of both yourself and those you serve in your community. As novelist Maya Angelou once said, “Without librarians, I certainly would not be who I am. That means a lot of other people would not be who they are.”

These last few years have been tough for libraries of all types. It may get tougher still. However, as you go forth to do vital work in your communities, allow this truth to reassure you.

Florida libraries are fundamental to freedom.

———————-

Doug Crane began his career with the Palm Beach County Library System as a children’s librarian in 1998. He was appointed Library Director in 2014 and has spoken at national conferences on topics such as office productivity and leadership. Doug is the author of the articles, “May I Ask You a Question? Lessons Learned from Interviewing Public Library Leaders”; “Efficient Librarianship – A New Path for the Profession” and “Go For It! Advice From Library Directors” all published in Public Libraries magazine.  In 2021, Doug was honored as the Florida Librarian of the Year by the Florida Library Association where he currently serves as President. He shares his musings at www.efficientlibrarian.com. In his spare time, he admires his collection of Doctor Who sonic screwdrivers, and relaxes at home with his wife, daughter, dog and cat.

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The Meridian Library District’s Board of Trustee reported that hundreds of thousands of patrons visit the library every year. Board of trustee chair, Megan Larsen, commented that it is unfortunate that a small group of people are “willing to dissolve the library, shut it down completely, rather than let families make their own choices about what they want to read, as they’ve done for nearly 100 years in Meridian.” There are 45,000 cardholders in the district. A levy in 2019 was passed in Idaho, where the district has planned to open 3 more library branches in response to patron’s feedback.

In the petition, the signed citizens stated that the Library Board of Trustees has failed to discuss ‘any policy change regarding minors’ access to obscene and sexually explicit materials. The petitioners went as far as to suggest the commissioners of Ada County appoint an interim Board of Trustees to reorganize the library entity and to decrease the terms of the members of the Board. They want board member terms reduced to three years from six. The petitioners reiterate the board’s refusal to allow any discourse on their stance of the matter. In August 2022, the board heard two hours of public testimonies. The group would also like the library entity to “segregate explicit materials.” The Library District feels that this is an extension of the banned books saga, where in March 2022, bills against books were passed through legislature but were not turned into laws. The Idaho Press found that the books that were brought to the attention of lawmakers were cataloged in the teen and adult fiction sections of the library. Nick Grove, Meridian Library Director, spoke against the group in November 2022 stating, “You have the right to object to an item. You have the right to recommend a reconsideration of an item that you don’t like,” Grove said, “You do not have the right to ban books or segregate access to books that you do not want.”

A rally was organized against the petition by 19-year old Izzy Burgess. Izzy Burgess used to work for the Meridian Library District. Another BSU student also spoke against those who had a problem with the libraries. Naomi Trueman proclaimed that, “parents should be more concerned with their children’s internet access themselves, something they have control of, than blaming libraries and librarians for the information they have available.”

If this petition is successful the Library District can be dissolved. The petition needed 50 signatures to be presented to the Ada County Commission. The clerk delivered the petition to the commission on livestream. There will be a public hearing on March 20, 2023 to address the petition. This hearing will determine if the library dissolution will be put on the ballot or not.

The post Group Seeks to Dissolve Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Project Outcome is a free online toolkit designed to help libraries understand and share the impact of essential library programs and services by providing simple surveys and an easy-to-use process for measuring and analyzing outcomes. Project Outcome’s standardized surveys allow libraries to aggregate their outcome data and analyze trends by topic and program type. Public libraries can see how the outcomes of their programs and services compare across library branches, state, and nation.

Since its launch in 2015, PLA has continued to support the development and adoption of Project Outcome. New features include the ability to save and share visualizations from the data dashboards and to add custom content to reports. Read recent case studies to learn how libraries have used outcome measurement to evaluate grab-and-go kits, small business programs, and partnerships for family engagement (login required).

Sign up for a free Project Outcome 101 webinar on March 1 to learn more about using the toolkit and applying your results. To start measuring the impact of your library, register for Project Outcome for free today!

Interested in more tailored training for your library, consortium, or state? We will bring Project Outcome training to you, in person or virtually. Learn more about hosting training in this resource and contact us at info@projectoutcome.org.

Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends

Benchmark makes data-driven planning and advocacy easy for public libraries. Peer comparisons, or benchmarking, can help libraries better understand their performance and can support everyday decision making, such as identifying opportunities to improve services and areas to build on existing strengths.

The data dashboards and comparison tools are robust, interactive, and user-friendly. They include data from PLA’s annual surveys, the IMLS Public Libraries Survey, and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. All visualizations can be filtered by key library characteristics and peer groups.

Learn more and subscribe for upgraded access to:

• A robust set of interactive data dashboards with visualizations and filters
• A custom report builder that includes historic metrics
• The ability to create custom peer groups for benchmarking

All libraries have free access to Benchmark to participate in PLA surveys, access a summary page of selected metrics, or manage your library’s contact information. A subscription provides upgraded access to the data dashboards, reports, and custom peer comparisons. Questions? Contact plabenchmark@ala.org.

PLA Survey Results

In 2020 PLA adopted a new model for annual surveys of public libraries, with three rotating topics. Each year the survey is administered in the fall and results are published the following summer. The results provide actionable data for public library staff and stakeholders, including policymakers, funders, and the media. Read the free reports on the PLA website and subscribe to Benchmark for access to the full interactive dataset.

• 2020 Public Library Technology Survey Report
• 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Report
• 2022 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Survey Report – coming summer 2023!

Continuing Education

Step up your learning with two half-day PLA pre-conferences that will be offered at ALA Annual Conference on June 23, 2023. Registration will open February 15, with early rates available through March 31 and advance rates through June 16:

• New Digital Tools for Capturing Learning Outcomes and Impact (morning): Learn about and test a new IMLS-funded digital toolkit, designed to revolutionize the way librarians capture, assess, and report learning outcomes in hands-on programming. This preconference will share the design principle and process of this ongoing project, as well as the initial testing results. Participants will get a chance to try out the toolkit in real time and offer feedback to the design team.
• Project Outcome: Data for Impact and Improvement (afternoon): Are you interested in measuring learning outcomes to drive change, make data-informed decisions, and demonstrate the impact of programs and services at your library? Participate in this preconference to learn how to make the most of the free tools available from Project Outcome for public libraries.

Online learning:

• Check out the full list of International Love Data Week 2023 events, including public/online events that cover everything from data visualizations to mapping and advanced analytics.
• Don’t forget to register for the free upcoming Project Outcome 101 webinar on March 1!
• Using Data to Engage Underserved Communities (on-demand): Learn how the Oak Park Public Library in Illinois used data about their community to create a multi-channel, integrated marketing campaign that was specifically designed to reach different segments of the community that historically have been marginalized.
• PLA’s Census Data Literacy Project included 6 free webinars (now available on demand) and two new resource guides. It aimed to help libraries support their patrons in navigating and understanding Census data and to help libraries also leverage that data to better understand and serve their communities.

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The grant application window is open until January 9, 2023, at 11:59 EST. With only an eight-week window to submit applications, libraries must act quickly. Libraries should allow up to four weeks for the application process. Grant recipients will be selected on or before March 10, 2023. Grant recipients must then spend their award within 24 months.   

While over 14 million households nationwide are currently enrolled in the ACP, millions more U.S. residents are eligible. The ACP Outreach Grant Program will provide funding to develop and implement impactful outreach programs to historically underserved and unserved communities—work that many libraries are already doing. The FCC is expected to make 200-400 awards of no less than $50,000 and no more than $1 million for outreach efforts targeted particularly to people of color, persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural or Tribal areas, and others who are or have been historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Eligible activities for the Outreach Grant Program could include virtual and in-person outreach events, in-person ACP application assistance, outreach materials, personnel costs for those working exclusively on ACP outreach, and supplies such as IT hardware and hotspots. Priority will be given to outreach efforts targeting underserved low-income households and communities with low ACP participation. Applicants that have experience in outreach for government programs and resources, trusted community relationships, and experience with multilingual outreach will also be prioritized.

Applications must be submitted through grants.gov – a process that can take up to a month to complete. To set up the Grants.gov account, the applicant will need:

• A valid Employer Identification Number
• A Login.gov account, for a single sign-on registration, to then establish an organization registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov
• A new or updated registration and organization profile in Grants.gov, where applications will be completed and submitted

More information about the ACP Outreach Grant Program is available on the FCC’s ACP resource page. The FCC hosted the first in a series of informational webinars on November 15, and future webinars will be announced. ALA also will hold library-specific informational events on ACP Outreach Grant Program and other new funding opportunities to be announced in the coming weeks.

Funding was allocated for ACP Outreach Grant Program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed in November 2021. ALA has actively been advocating on behalf of America’s libraries and filed comments with the FCC during the rulemaking process to ensure libraries are eligible for funding and recognized for their role in digital literacy and digital inclusion. Information about other digital equity resources and funding opportunities available for libraries is available on ALA’s website.

The post Libraries Eligible for New Digital Equity Outreach Funding; January 9 Deadline to Apply first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We are stronger together as we share information and strategies, and PLA is committed to strengthening our networks and supports for all public library staff. In addition to notifying local law enforcement, we suggest filing a report with the FBI and reporting incidents to ALA at notify@ala.org. All reports to ALA will be treated confidentially.

Dr. Maria Taesil Hudson McCauley
PLA President 2022/2023
Director of Libraries
Cambridge Public Library
Cambridge, MA

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