Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS)

It's that time of year when members of ALA convene to do committee work, network with colleagues, and learn about new resources on the exhibit floor! For those of you heading down to McCormick Place in Chicago for ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, you might be interested in the following meetings and sessions.  If you attend any of the programs listed, please post your thoughts in our comments section! Friday, January 30 ASCLA Networking and Social Event 7:00-8:00pm | Renaissance Blackstone, Bar Lower Lounge Network with members of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies about accessibility. You don't have to be a member to attend! Saturday, January 31 Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights 1:00-2:30pm | McCormick Pace West W183b Learn about the success and shortcomings of the ADA just in time to plan your summer or fall ADA 25th Anniversary celebration. Ser...

This guest post was written by Jo Kaeding, Children’s Programs Co-ordinator at Adelaide Hills Library Service , and PhD Student at  University of South Australia . Jo attended one of our SNAILS meetings while she was touring North America and conducting research for her dissertation on library services for children with special needs. Thank you for the follow-up, Jo! I would like to start my post by thanking all of the SNAILS members for the opportunity to attend the November meeting. It was both informative and inspirational. It is absolutely wonderful to see so many libraries and librarians passionate about access for children with special needs. I loved my time in Chicago, and I am keen to establish a similar kind of network as SNAILS in South Australia. Please keep an eye on my blog , and I would love to hear from you, particularly if you are interested in taking part in a survey as part of my research into this area. The following is a description of the program that we ru...

This guest post was written by Michèle Freese, Senior Librarian at  Oak Lawn Public Library in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Thank you for sharing your experience with us,  Michèle! When I was in high school in the 1960's, I helped out a classmate, who was deaf, by repeating what the teacher said for her and sharing my notes. My classmate attended Argo Community High School through  A.E.R.O.  -- a special education cooperative in Burbank, Illinois composed of twelve member school districts. The acronym, A.E.R.O., stands for the four high schools in the cooperative – Argo, Evergreen Park, Reavis, and Oak Lawn. Little did I know then that I would also work with A.E.R.O. students as an adult. In the late seventies and early eighties, I supervised A.E.R.O. student workers at the Bridgeview Public Library where I was the Youth Services Librarian. Now, at the Oak Lawn Public Library , I have an even closer relationship with A.E.R.O. staff and students. At least twice a y...

Our November 12, 2014 meeting took place at the beautiful Batavia Public Library thanks to our incredible host, Joleen Batek. We covered A LOT of information at this meeting, so what follows are merely highlights. Please check back later for videos of the featured presentations. Targeting Autism Our very own Renee Grassi is serving as a board member on the Illinois State Library's new Targeting Autism project! If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of people on the Autism spectrum, be sure to follow the Targeting Autism blog and consider applying to be a participant in two stakeholder forums where experts and advocates will help develop strategies to support library patrons and family members impacted by ASD. The forums will be held in Springfield, IL in March and September, 2015. SNAILS Celebrations Congratulations to our member libraries who tried something new this quarter! Geneva Public Library offered their first successful Sensory Storytime. A...