‘Neuroinclusion in libraries’

When libraries tout their inclusive hiring, do they extend those assurances regarding disabled and neurodiverse applicants? I recently viewed a fascinating webinar about “Neuroinclusion in libraries.”

Presented by the Library Accessibility Alliance, the webinar was specifically about libraries employing librarians who are autistic or are otherwise neurodiverse.

As an autistic librarian myself, I am grateful that this discussion is happening.

A recent article in Library Worklife cited a statistic by the Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation, estimating that 30 to 40 percent of neurodivergent adults are unemployed (McDaniel, 2022).

This webinar stated a figure that among autistic people, 80 percent are unemployed (Moeller & Annabi, 18:02). Other figures I’ve encountered suggest that 85 percent of autistic people are unemployed (Praslova, 2021).

I am grateful for the Neurodiversity @ Work movement, and its emphasis on ways that employers can make work environments more inclusive, through a recognition that “Neuroinclusive work practices [are] helpful for everybody, not just the neurodistinct individuals” (Moeller & Annabi, 20:13).

And I am grateful for recognition that neurodiverse job applicants can bring unique strengths to a workplace. Unique strengths of autistic employees, according to the webinar, include “system thinking, pattern recognition, visualization, analytical thinking” (Moeller & Annabi, 24:19).

One of the statements that stood out for me during this webinar was a circumstance in some libraries: in which libraries claim to “value inclusion for patrons but do not enact that value in the workplace” (Moeller & Annabi, 34:09).

Even when libraries express a commitment to inclusive hiring, those assurances are often only directed toward specific marginalized groups. Where are the statements of inclusivity toward disabled and neurodivergent candidates?

The webinar recommended that libraries identify ways of doing things that are “counter to neuroinclusion” (Moeller & Annabi, 40:48), so I would like to see greater attention to inclusive practices during hiring.

Some of the questions that a library might ask are:

• How does the library screen job applicants and decide whom to interview? 
•  How might libraries structure job interviews and how applicant responses are evaluated? 
•  What role does “small talk” play in how an interviewer perceives a candidate, and is a library willing to overlook atypical responses?

I know that social awkwardness is an area where I struggle, and when I was hired at the school where I work, I specifically disclosed my autism.

I asked the panelists to overlook any social awkwardness and consider my abilities.

Another question worth asking is that: during an interview with a prospective candidate, is the library willing to place greater importance on an applicant’s actual abilities, and can the interview incorporate a practical demonstration?

I fully believe that my first paid job working in a library was because the interviewers handed me a stack of books to organize. I was able to not only sort the books alphabetically, but I could also determine that various books were from different collections in the library and I was able to group them accordingly.

Once someone is hired, of course, there are barriers and enabling factors that can affect them on the job. The webinar cites several examples in each category, based upon the librarian interviews (Moeller & Annabi, 30:02).

The barriers included:

• Negative stereotypes, stigma, fear of discrimination 
• Isolation 
• Inaccessible work environment 
• Unclear expectations 
• Differences not welcome 
• Unclear accommodations process 
• Burden of educating colleagues 
• Barriers amplified with other intersecting identities

While enabling factors included:

• Flexible schedule 
• Remote or hybrid work 
• Autonomy, ability to be self-directed 
• Supportive supervisor and team 
• Private workspace with control over sensory environment, with a door that can be closed 
• Respect for boundaries 
• Having a neurodivergent supervisor

One common experience among librarians interviewed for the webinar, was having to negotiate their own identity. About 86 percent of the interviewed librarians recognized their neurodivergence as adults. A common experience among them was that obtaining a diagnosis as an adult was “complicated and nearly impossible” (Moeller & Annabi, 31:46).

In response to this, I am so grateful for the attitude of the presenters: that for the purpose of the interviews, participating librarians did not need a formal diagnosis.

“Given all the barriers to diagnosis, [the presenters recognized] that self-identification is valid” (28:35).

The webinar’s full title is Transforming Librarianship to Model Neuroinclusion in Libraries,” and it can be accessed on-demand through the Vimeo platform: https://vimeo.com/918005788/description.

References:
McDaniel, K. (2022). We need to talk about how we treat library workers who are neurodivergent – Part One. Library Worklife, 19 (12). ALA-APA. https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2022/12/15/we-need-to-talk-about-how-we-treat-library-workers-who-are-neurodivergent-part-one/

Moeller, C.M. & Annabi, H. (2024). Transforming librarianship to model neuroinclusion in libraries [on-demand recording]. Library Accessibility Alliance. https://vimeo.com/918005788/description

Praslova, L. (2021, Dec. 13). Autism doesn’t hold people back at work. Discrimination does. Harvard business review. Harvard Business School Publishing. https://hbr.org/2021/12/autism-doesnt-hold-people-back-at-work-discrimination-does