Originally presented September 22, 2021
This presentation addresses the issue of library services to those with intellectual disability (ID), the subject of a recently published book by Matt Conner and Leah Plocharczyk.
Library service to those with ID is at once a pressing problem in great need of attention and a great challenge to the library profession which, in a time of heightened awareness of diversity, has implications for our entire professional identity.
After briefly establishing the current plight of those with ID and the history of library services towards them, the presentation provides a detailed case study of the first reading club for those with ID at an academic library. This club, which has now run for five years, is based on the model of the Next Chapter Book Club, a grass-roots movement for those with ID.
The case study explains methodology, data, and assessment with an extensive list of issues and best practices that have been developed. Matt and Leah address how these practices can be applied in public, academic, and school libraries at modest cost and their potential for creating new service models and meeting our professional goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Click the link below to download the presentation slides:
Libraries and Reading Slides
Click the link below to download additional resources from Matt and Leah:
Book Club Titles
Click the link below to download additional resources from Miss Mattie's Scooter Mouse series
Scooter Mouse Books & Resources
