Library Access Roundtable 

We seek to promote library communities that have a strong focus on

inclusion and where barriers to access are eliminated.

To achieve our aims, the Roundtable will work to:

1. foster the development of the skills needed to connect with our communities so we clearly hear, and can authentically reflect an understanding of their needs, and then respond with effective resources and/or service,
2. develop a professional network that allows us to respond with services that facilitate full engagement with all that our libraries offer,
3. highlight library efforts that are making access real for members of library communities, and
4. invite perspectives from the community members experiencing barriers to access.

In addition to intentional outreach to those who are not currently represented among our patrons, we understand that every person at some time needs an alternative method of access to fully use library services - from translation services or digital literacy classes, to large print materials and a separate space with accessible technology, to simple promotion of the idea that we are willing to make accommodations.

This roundtable was formerly known as RLSP (Roundtable for Library Service to Special Populations. The purpose and name were changed by member vote in Decemeber 2015.  

2018 NYLA Conference Program:
LISTEN – ENGAGE – SHARE
(though not always in that order!)

Join us for a Special Presentation of

Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope

TIME: Friday, November 9, 2018 from 8 AM to 9:45 AM (come early to get your breakfast and take a seat for the film that will start at 8:05 am)

LOCATION: Rochester Riverside Convention Center in the Grand Lilac Ballroom, North
 

What librarians need to know about ACEs and Resilience:

Stress, specifically the toll of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), is now understood to actively rewire our physiology.  The changes to our immune and endocrine systems, even our genes, have a profound adverse impact on the health of children and adults.  Unaddressed, ACEs significantly increase the likelihood of the major, chronic illnesses and reduce life expectancy. 

ACEs impact us as individuals and as community members.  (Consider the opioid epidemic as just one example.)  We have an opportunity to foster awareness among library staff of the influence of ACEs and to explore how our services can support individual and community resilience.  

Join the Library Access Roundtable for a screening and discussion of the one-hour documentary RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope.  Learn how ACEs are assessed, how resilience can be built and modeled, and how groups across multiple sectors have responded to this topic.

Learn more now about this topic at conversations.westchesterlibraries.org

And Don't Miss These Programs

Sponsored by the Library Access Roundtable and Your Membership

Libraries are for Everyone – 11/9, Friday 3:45 PM

As institutions and community hubs, libraries should always be striving to be more inclusive and welcoming to ALL members of their community by providing a welcoming environment, resources, information, and programming. This also includes providing learning opportunities and conversations so that community members can learn about each other and the world at large.

Speaker:

Andrea Snyder, Pioneer Library System

Embedding Library Lessons in a Bilingual Course – 11/10, Saturday 11 AM

This presentation will discuss how to embed bilingual (Spanish/English) scaffolded library lessons in a threecredit Spanish-language-assisted undergraduate course during learners’ first college semester. These bilingual embedded lessons help native Spanish speakers acquire language skills in English as they learn academic content and develop information literacy and research skills.

Speaker:

Bernadette Lopez-Fitzsimmons, Manhattan College

Breaking Out of the Rut – 11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

Escape rooms are gaining in popularity across the world, and for good reason. These collaborative puzzles combine the teamwork and excitement of sports with the intellectual challenge of puzzles, and they are fun for all ages. This program will showcase ways to create inexpensive escape room experiences for school and public libraries without breaking the bank.

Speaker:

Mary Zdrojewski, Scio Central School

Book Repair on a Shoestring

11/8, Thursday 1 PM

Storytime for the Early Literacy Newcomer

11/8, Thursday 1 PM

Engaging Your Community

11/8, Thursday 4 PM

Serving Refugees: Working Together as a Community 

11/9, Friday 8:30 AM

Promoting Compassion Through Radically Inclusive Story Times

11/9, Friday 8:30 AM

Prisoner Express at Durland Alternative Library

11/9, Friday 11 AM

Advocacy for Rural and Small Libraries

11/9, Friday 11 AM

Collaborative Literary Projects: Telling Community’s Stories

11/9, Friday 11 AM

Conversation with a Bunch of Millennials

11/9, Friday 2:15 PM

Building Bridges Behind Bars

11/9, Friday 3:45 PM

Expanding Library Services with Social Workers

11/9, Friday 3:45 PM

Literacy Success for the Entire Family

11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

Libraries and the LGBT+ Experience

11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

Libraries Respond to the Opioid Overdose Epidemic

11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

Reeling in Readers

11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

Engage Your Community by Communicating Your Impact

11/10, Saturday 9:30 AM

20 Ways to Make a Difference

11/10, Saturday 11 AM