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4 COGNOTES

2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS • ORLANDO

Dyson Delivers Electrifying Opening on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

By Sara Zettervall, Hennepin County Library

I am who I am because you made me who I am.” These were the final words that led to a standing ovation for Michael Eric Dyson, keynote speaker at this year’s Opening General Session on June 25. Over the course of his speech, he presented a vision of libraries that break the bounds of traditional education to liberate our society from hatred.

Dyson, a professor of sociology at Georgetown University, was named one of the 50 most inspiring African Americans in the U.S. by Essence Magazine and is the author of 17 books, including the 2007 American Book Award Winner, Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster. He is known for interweaving references to traditional literature and modern pop culture, and covered ground from Alfred, Lord Tennyson to Snoop Dogg and from George Clinton to The Bible. But he always came back to his central theme: “Literacy is critical to sustaining an intelligent citizenry.”

Growing up in a Detroit ghetto, Dyson had the classic experience of accessing new worlds through library books. He spoke of his enduring love of physical texts and also joked that he probably still owes some fines to the Detroit Public Library. He also shared more difficult memories, like travelling through the Deep South with his mother in 1958, where he heard “n----r” for the first time and had to pee in a mason jar in the car because they couldn’t use public bathrooms. His resulting struggle to understand the overall behavior of society led him to study philosophy, religion, and sociology. Continuing to hold popular African American music and culture in high regard, he found “a deep and intense wisdom mediated through text.”

Speaking more broadly, Dyson called out a “tyranny of unintelligence” among some politicians. He acknowledged that “a lot of smart people are evil, too,” but drew a distinction between education within the accepted social matrix and the genuine literacy that comes from a “lifelong desire to be enlightened. Nobody can pass a bill that will deny you access to insight.” He proclaimed that we need diversity to live, and we depend on it for the success of society.

Dyson closed with references to the arm bands that were passed out to attendees as they entered the theater, reading “Equity,” “Diversity,” and “Inclusion.” He held up libraries as places that can foster all three and cheered for librarians who go beyond books to be counselors and therapists to patrons.

ASCLA President’s Program Shows How to Do the Right Thing

In one example, Goddard explained that both service animals and comfort animals are allowed in libraries. Service animals are limited by law to being dogs or small horses, but comfort animals can be just about anything. Examples from SFPL include boa constrictors, ferrets, parrots, and iguanas, just to name a few.

By Sara Zettervall, Hennepin County Library

Many librarians don’t know that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires their libraries to perform self-evaluations and take steps on their own to come into compliance. ASCLA leaders discovered this when they hosted a preconference last year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ADA. As a result, they decided to reach out this year with tips for all libraries at the ASCLA President’s Program, “Don’t Get Sued! What Librarians Are Doing to Address the Physical, Programmatic, and Web-based Accessibility Barriers for People with Disabilities.” A panel of five librarians from public, academic, and special libraries shared practical examples from personal experience.

In her overview of ADA requirements, Marti Goddard from San Francisco Public Library said libraries should comply because “it’s the law, and it’s the right thing to do.” That emphasis on doing the right thing resonated throughout the presentations, which turned what could be an intimidating topic into a positive brainstorm on serving all patrons. In one example, Goddard explained that both service animals and comfort animals are allowed in libraries. Service animals are limited by law to being dogs or small horses (with a surprising photo of a service horse riding on a subway train), but comfort animals can be just about anything. Examples from SFPL include boa constrictors, ferrets, parrots, and iguanas, just to name a few. Staff are only allowed to ask if the animal is a service animal and what service it provides, but if the animal becomes disruptive, the owner can be asked to take it outside the building. Goddard emphasized that posting both the ADA guidelines and library procedures for grievance can be helpful.

There are many reasonable modifications that can be made in library programming, and Sandy Cohen from Nashville Public Library shared a few for vision- or hearing-impaired patrons. One example that hearkens back to this year’s Opening General Session is CART, or Communication Access Realtime Translation; conference attendees may remember the CART text scrolling next to the podium. CART also gives the audience an opportunity to catch up if they miss something, making it a good illustration of how ADA improvements can give everyone a better experience, and not just people with disabilities.

One item of note about the ADA is that it covers both public institutions and private institutions that are open to the public. The ASCLA panel covered both of these realms by including academic librarians from public and private colleges. Deborah Tenofsky represented the University of Cincinnati, a large public school that recently underwent a routine review by the Department of Education for ADA compliance. As a result, the University has renewed efforts to be inclusive in person and online. Tenofsky recommends seeking buy-in at the highest levels and encouraging administrative leaders to weave compliance into institutional goals. Building on Tenofsky’s encouragement to be proactive, Lily Sacharow from Berkeley College in New York presented examples of how she has encouraged staff buy-in. She has provided her own captioning for commonly viewed videos, provided accessibility checklists for colleagues, and sought the questions and concerns of faculty members in order to address them. She pointed out that most libraries already have resources on hand, like Lynda.com that can provide staff training on accessibility.

The session wrapped up with a brief presentation from Chris Corrigan of the Library of Congress on web accessibility. He admitted he could only share “the tip of the iceberg” in such a short amount of time but included an extensive list of resources at the conclusion of his presentation, which can be accessed by all conference participants through the conference scheduler. The previous presentations also included much more information and links that would be valuable to anyone who is interested in learning more about this topic. While the language of the law is extensive, the steps that library staff can take are doable and understandable.