Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS)

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 has become my mantra. Connecting positively with patrons brings libraries into their hearts, and when we touch hearts, we succeed. This is especially true for families with children who are not typical. No other group has shown as much gratitude to me for connecting with them as sensory storytime patrons.   Connecting with Barbara Klipper, Veronica (Schwartz) Defazio, Renee Grassi, Holly Jin and a host of others online has also been the answer for me in acquiring the models and courage I needed to offer a sensory storytime program at the Plainfield Public Library.  Perhaps some of the following sensory storytime practices that I use will suit your program. SIGN whenever it’s easy and clear – for example, hello and friends – because visuals help children comprehend, and it’s beautiful, like a dance. ( Italics = a word that I sign)   SING! It holds children’s attention better than simple speech. Here’s my Hello song to the tune, “Goodnight Ladies:” ...