Assignment 2 - Ideal Vision

8/3/2019 Assignment 2 - Ideal Vision

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Dawn Bish LIS 650 Ideals Vision Paper

Ideals Vision Paper

Dawn Bish

LIS 650

Fall 2010

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Hogwarts’s Library, an Ideal Vision of a Library

Serving People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Introduction

I have worked with people with developmental disabilities for most of my adult life. I

believe that it is very important that the library system of any institution, be it public,

academic or school library system, embrace and serve all those in its community

including those with developmental disabilities. I especially would like to address those

people with Autism Spectrum Disorders for two reasons. The first reason being that therehas been an increase in the numbers of children being diagnosed with ASD and the

second reason is that despite the ever growing population of those diagnosed with ASD,

the disability is often overlooked or ignored.

Autism is a devastating disability that affects each person differently. There is a saying in

the world of Autism that ‘when you met one person with Autism, you have met one

person with Autism’. In other words, just saying that a person has Autism does not

provide enough information to accurately access the needs and capabilities of the person.

However, it does provide one with a general guideline to what to expect.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Hogwarts’s Library is to work collaboratively with providers,

caregivers and those with ASD in order to provide free and equal access to all

information, knowledge sharing and the fostering of lifelong learning in order to meet the

current and future needs of those with ASD. The HL will provide guidance, assistance

and a safe and nurturing environment to all library users regardless of disability or

functioning level. It is the policy of HL that all those with ASD will feel comfortable

using the services of the HL and that the HL serves as a community resource not only forthose with ASD but those providing care to those with ASD.

What is Autism?

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects a

person’s communication, social skills, behavior and sensory system. Children and adults

with ASD may exhibit a wide range of symptoms from mild to severe. There is no

definitive diagnostic tool for ASD, such as blood test or genetic testing. The diagnosis is

made by observing the individual and questioning the caregivers. According to the Center

for Disease Control, the prevalence of ASD is one in 110 children (Autism SpectrumDisorders).

Communication deficits may include but are not limited to lack of functional speech,

inability to convey simple ideas, inability to express wants or needs or inability to

understand jokes or sarcasm. Social skills deficits may include inability to pretend play

or parallel play, inability to participate in group activities, turn taking and role playing

games and lack of eye contact. Behavior deficits may include self-injurious behaviors,

flapping of hands, self-stimulatory behavior and aggression towards others. These deficits

all contribute to the difficulty a person with ASD will have while in the community.

Why is serving people with Autism important?

The library has always been the bastion of community togetherness. It is important for

the library to serve all people that make up a community. As stated above, the CDC

estimates the prevalence of ASD is one in 110 people. If one thinks about this statistic, if

the library serves 110 people per day, the librarian will come into contact with at least

one person with ASD. That is a significant number of patrons with ASD. As a library and

as a librarian, one is charged with serving all people in the community. People with ASD

make up a significant portion of those patrons in the library.

The Hogwarts’s Library will provide a variety of services and programs aimed at those

with ASD.

The ‘Perfect’ Library for those with ASD

Due to the nature of the disability those with ASD tend to have a difficult time navigating

the community due to communication, social and sensory issues. To address these areas,

the HL will provide the following supports and guidelines:

Training

Staff training needs to be the primary focus of the HL. It is important that all staff that

will be interacting with the ASD patron have the knowledge and understanding of what

ASD is and the materials needed in order to interact effectively with the ASD patron.

This training will include but not be limited to: what is ASD, the best way to

communicate with the person with ASD, how to increase social skills and decrease

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behaviors and what to expect when working with those with ASD. Training will take

place prior to working in HL as well as ongoing throughout the tenure of the employee.

This training will also include weekly sessions to address staff needs and questions. It is

important that staff feel that they have a venue to express needs, concerns and contribute

ideas.

Communication

To assist the patron with ASD, the HL will have in place a variety of supports and

services to address the communication needs of the person with ASD. Each area of the

library will be labeled with a picture symbol to inform the patron as to what area they are

in. There will also be made available, picture ‘how to’ cards to assist the patron in

learning how to complete a variety of library skills including checking out a book to

asking for a computer. The website Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected is an

excellent resource for pictures and even a customizable booklet on developing an

introductory book to your library. The website for this excellent site is:http://www.thejointlibrary.org/autism/index.htm .

main desk circulation computer stationreturn

Social Skills and Sensory Issues

The layout of the library is important for those with ASD. Due to theproblems with social skills and sensory issues, it is important to set upthe library for success. The best practice for setting up the library areais to divide the larger area into smaller areas with natural divisions(chairs, cubbies or bookshelves). Ideally, the library should be dividedinto the following areas: group work, quiet area, sensory area, readingarea, computer area and work area. Each section should be neat and

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Examples of Symbols taken from Libraries and Autism website

http://www.thejointlibrary.org/autism/index.htm






clean with a minimal amount of stimulating signage and colors. Colorsand lighting can be distracting to the person with ASD.

The group area will consist of a large table with individual chairs andan area where a group could sit on the floor if they want. The quietarea should be placed away from the group area and the sensory area

and have places that a person can be alone. This can be accomplishedby setting up tents with pillows inside or confined areas with pillows. The area should be free of noise and distraction so that the person withASD can use the area as a calming down center or a way to escapefrom too much distraction or stimulation.

The sensory area should have activities that a person with ASD wouldfind calming such as a trampoline, bean bags and activities that willstimulate the person’s sensory perception. This is a great way toenable the person with ASD to feel calm when in the community andparticipate effectively. A section with individual desks that areseparated from each other would be perfect for the person with ASD toread, work on new skills and use the computer.

Engagement

Ideally, the library would be engaging to the individual with ASD. Thiswill encompass more than the traditional library would have. The HLwill have a variety of computer programs focused on skills acquisitionand attainment. These computers will come equipped with touchscreens for ease of use. The HL will also be equipped with NookColor e-readers which will provide the ASD patron with a portable system tointeract with and for reading. An area with puzzles, writing materialand art supplies will complete the area. And of course, there will belots and lots of books.

Raving Fans

The premise of Raving Fans includes the edicts: decide what you want, discover what

your customers want and deliver the vision plus 1 percent. The following is an outline of

how Hogwarts’s Library will meet those criteria.

Decide What You Want

Outlined above is my idea for the ideal library for persons with ASD. This library will be

a part of a bigger library system in a public, school or academic library system. It is

important that the library be part of a bigger library system to ensure that the person with

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ASD is part of the community at large and not segregated. This is probably the most

important idea for my library.

Discover What Your Customers Want

The customer includes the internal customers which will be the library staff and theexternal customer consisting of people with ASD and the caregiver or provider. It is

important for the library to assess the customer’s needs on a regular basis. This will be

done through surveys and approaching the individual or provider and asking what might

be needed. It is important to poll the individual as what may be a need for one person

may not be for another. It is also important for employees to feel invested in the program.

The staff will meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and concerns and to talk about

what is working and what isn’t.

Deliver Plus One Percent

This is possibly one of the most important criteria of Raving Fans and probably the most

difficult to achieve with the type of library I am proposing. I believe that in order to be

successful, a library of this type must start off slowly and build upon each system in order

to be successful. It may be impossible to implement all the above in my perfect library

but by starting small and increasing services and supports on a regular basis, the library

will see success and deliver plus 1.

First Break All the Rules

As the administrator of the library, I would ensure that all twelve questions outlined inFBAR would be answered positively. The following is an outline of how this will be

completed.

Do I know what is expected of me?

Each employee will be hired with the understanding that there primary emphasis will be

in dealing with the developmentally disabled population. This will include vigorous

training initial and continued training regularly.

Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

[BASE CAMP – what do I get?]

Including training, each employee will be given the opportunity to express their needs,

questions and suggestions on a regular basis. This includes asking for (and receiving) all

needed materials to complete their job.

At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?

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There will be plenty of opportunity for employees to do what they do best every day.

This is difficult to define as each employee will have unique strengths and talents. This

will be met on an individual basis taking into account those strengths and talents.

In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doinggood work?

I believe that recognition and praise does not necessarily need to come from your

supervisor but can come from your co-workers and the patrons you serve. I will institute

a ‘Caught Being Good’ program where co-workers and patrons will have the opportunity

to acknowledge and praise each other for doing a good job and going above and beyond

what is necessary. This program will also include an incentive program where when the

employee receives 10 ‘Caught Being Good’ cards, they will receive a gift certificate to a

store of their choice.

Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as aperson?

As the administrator of the program, I would be accessible to allemployees as needed and have an open door policy. I would also makeit a priority that I work all shifts in the library and work with all staff. Itis important that as a supervisor, one be accessible and available whenneeded to get to know the employee. This way, the employee will beable to say, yes, to this question.

Is there someone at work who encourages my development? [Camp 1 -What do I give?”

As stated above, it is important for the administrator knows each employee and

recognizes their strengths and talents. With this knowledge, one will be able to encourage

the development of the employees.

At work, do my opinions seem to count?

Due to having weekly staff meetings wherein the employees will be able to provide input

and express ideas, this should address this question.

Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job isimportant?

I would hope that I would be able to express how integral an employee to this type of

library endeavor. This cannot come to pass without dedicated employees.

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Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

Since the program will be run as a group project, it is important that all involved are

committed to doing quality work (including me). It will be essential that as an

administrator, I select for the talent to function well in a group.

Do I have a best friend at work? [CAMP 2 - Do I belong here?)

I do understand the idea that if you have a best friend at work that it promotes the feeling

that you belong there, but I still do not understand how as an administrator I would

ensure that this can be answered yes.

In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about myprogress?

I will meet with each staff on an individual basis at least once every six months or more

frequently where needed. At this meeting, we will discuss progress and review

opportunities that the employee might have to develop as a member and to grow. I would

ensure that all opportunities for growth would be met with a positive attitude and that the

employees feel encouraged to grow.

This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?[CAMP 3 – How can we all grow?]

See above

Budget example for the first year

The following is an outline of the initial budget for the library. The supplies budget will

decrease in subsequent years as supplies will not need to be purchased.

Staffing Salary Benefits Total

Full TimeLibrarian

$60,000.00 30% $78,000.00

Full TimeLibrarian

$60,000.00 30% $78,000.00

Part TimeLibrarian

$30,000.00 $30,000.00

Part TimeLibrarian

$30,000.00 $30,000.00

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TotalStaffing

$216,000.00

Supplies

Amou

nt Cost TotalComputers 10 $800.00 $8,000.00

Nooks 15 $300.00 $4,500.00

Furniture $3,000.00 $3,000.00

Trampoline 1 $300.00 $300.00

Tents 2 $50.00 $100.00

Puzzles $200.00 $200.00Writingmaterials $300.00 $300.00

Other materials $1,000.00 $1,000.00

Software $2,500.00 $25,000.00

Maintenance of Tech $1,000.00 $1,000.00

TotalSupplies

$43,400.00

TotalStaffing

$216,000.00

BudgetTotal

$259,400.00

Needs Assessment and Evaluation

Evaluations of programs and services will be done initially on a monthly basis. This will

ensure that we are meeting the deliver plus one. This is an important step in ensuring that

the program in begun correctly and maintains the essence of the mission statement in the

long run. After the first six months, biannual needs assessments will be completed. These

needs assessment will collect data from employees and patrons to ensure quality of

programs.

Four Keys to Outstanding Managers

Selecting the right person for the job is essential. This does not necessarily mean that the

perfect librarian or assistant will have experience working with people with ASD but that

they have the talent to understand the needs of this unique patron and to successfully

implement trainings and activities developed for the person with ASD. As the leader of

the library, it will be my job to ensure that each employee demonstrates those strengths

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needed to thrive in this environment. I will make sure that all employees know what the

outcome of the program is (see mission statement) and are given the opportunity to use

their talents to achieve those outcomes.

Leader but not Necessarily Manager

If I learned anything in this class it is that a leader motivates and encourages those around

him to be the best they can be and to meet the mission and outcomes of the project. This

does not mean that the leader is necessarily the manager but that anyone can lead and be

a leader. It is important that one is a team player who motivates those around them and to

nurture talent and strengths of others.

Conclusion

It is important that as an administrator as well as a leader that one must always be open to

new ideas and be flexible. Being flexible can be difficult for most people (me included)

but one needs to work on this in order to be a leader and part of a team. I enjoyed the

opportunity to develop my ideal library as I do believe in the concept of a library

belonging to all in the community. I look forward to the opportunity to carry out this

type of program in a library where I work.

Autism Spectrum Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from Center for Disease

Ccontrol: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

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Assignment 2 - Ideal Vision

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