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Diversity

Diversity encompasses differences in age, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, racial, ethnics and cultural backgrounds.  The United States has a diverse population. Libraries in all sectors are implementing diversity initiatives in education, training, and policy to meet the needs of a constantly changing community.   Diversity is a key component to supporting lifelong learning.

 

The following assignments will show my competency for the necessity of diversity in libraries.

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Libraries serve a diverse group of patrons, such as People with Disabilities, Poor and Homeless People, and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People.  Each of these groups have special needs that must be addressed.

 

People with disabilities face judgement when it comes to employment and education.  This group requires assistance with access to the facility and the materials provided.  Libraries need to provide access to the workstations, and assistance in retrieving library materials.  Special consideration to print material and the use of adaptive technology.  Print materials can be magnified or scanned into print readers.

 

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people can face discrimination and harassment even in libraries.  Libraries are striving to be more inclusive.  The GLBT can find their access to the libraries limited when collections, programs, and services do not address or promote the GLBT population.  Another barrier they face is the library environment.  Staff and patrons can create an unwelcoming atmosphere for the group.  

 

Poor and homeless people face obstacles to education, employment, and housing.  It is essential that all people, especially those experiencing extreme poverty have access to the libraries resources and services. Some of the difficulties poor and homeless people face when accessing the library is obtaining a library card because they lack a permanent address, and lack of transportation.  Staff can also be a stumbling block to this group, due to their personal discomfort and prejudices.

 

Libraries should find what their homeless population needs, by asking them.  Libraries with a large population of poor and homeless patrons should look for ways to partner with service providers that can help provide resources to this group.   Some libraries are implementing such partnerships.

 

According to an article in AmericanLibrariesMagazine.org, A Home to the Homeless, the Helen Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, Illinois, hosts a shelter night.  The library has partnered with the nearby shelter, and volunteers from the community to host a movie night every Tuesday before the shelter opens and provides popcorn and cocoa.

 

The San Francisco Public Library was the first to hire a full-time psychiatric social worker, and health and safety advocates.  The advocates were once homeless themselves.  Once a month the host Project Homeless Connect. Were agencies come and offer services like vaccines, haircuts, shoes, and eyeglasses.   They also provide resources such as employment and shelter.

 

I am touched that there are libraries that will reach out to the homeless community by providing so many needed resources.

 

 

References:

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2014/11/24/a-home-to-the-homeless/

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Services and Programs for Special Populations

Children and families with special needs are often an under-served population. How can public libraries go beyond legal compliance to reach these children and families? What can a library do to ensure that all children, regardless of their abilities, feel welcome and included in the library and its services?

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Children with special needs are just children who learn and interact a little different.  Our reading on WebJunction offers some useful advice to help libraries learn how and what to provide for their special needs patrons.  I think the first step should be to “reach out to special education professionals” and support groups in the community.  By partnering with professionals and groups it will make available opportunities to provide training to staff and workshops for children and their caregivers.

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Library Service to Special Population Children and their Caregivers by Association for Library Services to Children, the chapter Children on the Autism Spectrum  has a link to Libraries and Autism (http://www.librariesandautism.org/).  The page Strategies that Work, showcase library programs and services offered by libraries across the nation.  The Lancaster Public Library has an Autism Resource Center.  They have boardmaker software, which generates picture symbols for communicating with patron who are visual learners. The center also carries materials for tactile manipulation.

The Scotch Plains library has an interesting book club program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.  The program gives the patron an opportunity to “read and learn to read, talk about books, and make friends in a fun, community setting.”

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At my college library, we rarely see children.  When we do, they are with a parent that needs to use the computer lab to print something.  For my notebook assignment, I made a sensory friendly plan for children.  The book I used was filled with so many great tips and activity plans.  If I ever work in a children’s department at a public library, it will be a resource I will go to for research.

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Sensory Friendly Storytime for Young Children

Age Group Served 

 

3 – 5 years, but age restrictions are not suggested due to developmental differences in children.

 

Objective 

 

To provide a storytime for children with autism and other disabilities that provide activities that mirror therapies, special education, and activities modeled by parents at home.  It gives children with special needs freedom within a structured space.

 

 

Supplies Needed:

  • Books

  • Smocks

  • Flannel board and felt cutouts

  • Floor cushions

  • Pictures and clipart laminated – Apples and bananas

  • CD player

  • CD’s – The Kiboomers (Song: “Let’s Get Dressed”), the accompanying CD for I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

  • Puppets - Frog

  • Visual schedule of every activity in order

  • Air-dry clay

  • Colored pasta

  • Pipe cleaners

 

Books

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Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London (Viking, 1992) story will be supplemented with flannel board activity.

Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Glen Rounds, with CD

 

Brief description of Program:  The duration of the program will be one hour.  Thirty minutes of storytime and thirty minutes of sensory art.

 

Pipe cleaners are used for fidgets.  Fidgets will help the children manage anxiety and help improve their ability to focus.

 

Sensory storytime incorporates freedom of movement, more action, visual schedules and storyboards.  Loud noises and large groups are minimized. 

 

 

Outline of Program

 

Floor cushions are set out for the children, and chairs around the perimeter for the parents and caregivers.   A basket of pipe cleaners will be available for children to use as fidgets.  Point to each step on the visual chart before proceeding to the next activity.

 

Steps:

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  • Greeting

  • Explanation of the visual schedule – transitions will be made by pointing to the next image as each activity ends.

  • Point to the opening song on the visual schedule and use the frog puppet while singing welcome song:

 

Hello everyone. 

How are you today?

I’m glad that you’ve come to listen, dance, and play.

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  • Story time: Read Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London, use the flannel board to act out story.

  • Music time: Play and sing the song “Let’s Get Dressed” by The Kiboomers (softly). Use the flannel board to act out song.

  • Story time: The story Very Hungry Caterpillar

  • Fingerplay:

Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar

Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar (Make fist except for index finger)

Crawling all around. (Fingers makes crawling motion)

Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar

Curls up on the ground. (Curls finger into fist)

 

Spins himself a blanket (Spinning motion with hands)

And cover up his head. (Hands cover head)

Falls fast asleep (Head on palms of hands)

In his silken bed.

 

Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar

Wakes up by and by (Pretend to wake up)

Now he has lovely wings (Flaps hands)

For he’s a butterfly!

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  • Story and song:  Use the book, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Glen Rounds

  • Let the children know we will be singing the last song before moving to our activity. Song: “Apples and Bananas” - Children will be given laminated cutouts of apple and bananas so they can wave during the song.

 

Apples and Bananas

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

 

Now let’s make a long “a” sound… ay-ples and ba-nay-nays.

I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays.

I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays.

 

Let’s try a long “e” sound… ee-ples and ba-nee-nees.

I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and ba-nee-nees.

I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and ba-nee-nees.

 

How about a long “i” sound… i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs.

I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs.

I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs.

 

Great, let’s sing it with a long “o” sound… oh-ples and ba-no-nos.

I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and ba-no-nos.

I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and ba-no-nos.

 

I know, let’s make an “oo” sound… oo-ples and ba-noo-noos.

I like to oot, oot, oot, oo-pples and ba-noo-noos.

I like to oot, oot, oot, oo-pples and ba-noo-noos.

 

Apples and bananas, one more time!

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

 

 

Craft/Activity 

 

Mosaics made of clay and pasta.

 

Families will be given a ball of air-dry clay.  Bowls of colored dry pasta will be placed on the table.  Caregivers can bond with the children while helping them shape the clay and encourage the children to create designs in the clay with the pasta shapes.

 

Note:  Some children will work on the project for the full allotment of time while others will be finished in five minutes or less.  Invite caregivers and children to stay and socialize.

 

 

 

 

Sources:

 

Klipper, B. (2014). Programming for children and teens with autism spectrum disorder. Chicago: ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.

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