Mar. 3 - 28, 2014
Every library can serve as a places for people to find encouragement, comfort and books that serve as good company. Unfortunately, patrons with special needs often don't feel welcome in these spaces and can have trouble relating to libraries where their needs are not met. This course will discuss methods for reaching patrons with special needs in your community and how to help staff and your community create an inclusive environment. This course will also provide tools for defining your success when doing outreach to patrons of all abilities. Students will leave this course with a set of tools that can be used to establish outreach in their communities, create their own unique outreach programs and assist staff in working with patrons with special needs.
Learning Outcomes
Introductions and discussions about assessing which population your library wants to create inclusive and accessible programming.
By using the knowledge you already have about your community, students will explore the various organizations or groups that they would like to work with to create effective outreach programming for patrons with special needs. They will select one and discuss how to create a partnership.
Understanding the types of outreach and how to determine which is best for you, your library and your targeted population.
Students will present their outreach plans via the discussion boards and discuss each other’s plan. We will conclude this course with structured and well-articulated takeaways that can be practically applied to help define your program’s success.
Fee *Includes CEU cost (1.1 CEU)
$150 for RUSA members
$195 for ALA members
$230 for non-ALA members
$120 for student members and retired members
http://www.ala.org/rusa/development/reaching-every-patron
