Introduction
Libraries “tend to do a good job promoting their diverse and inclusive collections and programs, including programs designed specifically to appeal to and serve the needs of children patrons who are neurodivergent” (McDaniel, 2022, para. 3). However, child patrons grow up and existing literature suggests that libraries are “less welcoming toward neurodivergent adults in the library workforce” (McDaniel, 2022, para. 3). This bibliography seeks to highlight autistic adults’ experiences applying for jobs in, as well as working in, libraries, and will draw from scholarly articles, books, and industry publications, as well as a view-on-demand webinar. It has direct bearing on this reviewer’s own future as an autistic librarian. What challenges will I face when navigating the library workforce, and how might these challenges be mitigated for me and for other autistic workers in a library?
Bias and limitations
This reviewer supports the “social” model of disability, “which highlights that “every individual has impairments, but it is predominantly societal norms and structures which limit individuals’ functioning” (Chapman, cited by Burton, Carss, & Twumasi, 2022, p. 56). The items in this bibliography are viewed through the lens of critical autism studies, which challenges “deficit-focused” constructions of autism (Milton & Ryan, 2022, p. 3) and centers the work of autistic people themselves, “academics, activists, and professionals” (Milton & Ryan, 2022, p. 3). This reviewer also viewed the items through a lens of lived experience as an autistic person. The use of first-hand references like “I” and “we” is uncommon in academic writing (Frick, et. al., 2024, p. 2), but I hold a view similar to that expressed by Frick, et. al. concerning their “identification as part of the LGBTQIA+ community” (2024, p. 2). My perspectives as a student-researcher in matters related to autism are directly informed by my own lived experiences as an autistic person.
Person-first versus Identity-first Language
The American Psychological Association advises researchers to use language respectfully by using the language that people use “to describe themselves” (APA, p. 133). Person-first language emphasizes the person instead of the condition, while identity-first language puts focus on the disability, “which allows the individual to claim the disability and choose their identity” (APA, p. 136). Both approaches are permitted by the APA, and this reviewer accepts both usages when applied to me – but I am aware that many autistic advocates prefer identity-first language. Linguistic approaches vary among the items in this bibliography.
Functioning labels
Many autistic advocates – this reviewer included – view the use of terms like “high-” or “low-functioning” to be problematic (ASAN, 2021; Gardiner, 2018). As Price aptly notes, “When neurotypical people equate ‘functioning’ with being less disabled, they fail to recognize the immense, hidden labor that goes into appearing normal” (2022, p. 82). This reviewer prefers to shift the discussion in terms of higher versus lower “support needs.” But Price acknowledges that “every Autistic person has their own unique relationship to these labels, and their own thoughts. Our disagreements show that the Autistic community is diverse, filled with people who form their own options and speak their minds” (2022, p. 50). This bibliography will identify instances when authors use functioning labels.
Bibliography
Anderson, A.M. (2021a). Exploring the workforce experiences of autistic librarians through accessible and participatory approaches. Library & Information Science Research, 43(2), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101088
Discussions of autism employment in libraries typically focus upon those employees who have higher support needs, and their ability to perform repetitive tasks (Lund, Strub, & Stewart, cited by Anderson, 2021a, p. 2). Autistic librarians who hold graduate degrees or who work in more professional capacities “are often left out of the conversation” (Anderson, 2021a, p. 2). There is also a “pattern of exclusion” in “autism research and policy,” with autistic people again “left out of the conversation” but, within the last 10 years, autistic researchers have become more visible through their self-disclosure (Anderson, 2021a, p. 2). These autistic researchers provide “authentic, firsthand experiences” to the body of literature but their communication styles do not always conform to traditional standards in academia (Anderson, 2021a, p. 2).
To address a shortage of findings around workers in professional roles, Anderson conducted interviews with 10 autistic librarians about their job seeking and workforce experiences (2021a and 2021b). Among common themes that emerged from the interviews was that many librarians chose to “hide, or mask, their autism characteristics while on the job hunt or at work” (Anderson, 2021a, p. 4). Other themes included barriers to applicants when seeking jobs and participating in the workforce (Anderson, 2021a, p. 4), and a “disconnect” during job interviews: of having to navigate social expectations rather than “demonstrating librarian skills” (Anderson, 2021a, p. 4).
Among positives, Anderson noted that many autistic librarians discovered their career in libraries based on being library users, and that they found a community of “truly like-minded people they truly fit in with” in the field (2021a, p. 4). This reviewer could especially relate to these latter points: having similarly pursued work in libraries after first being a library patron and having an idealized view of libraries: that they could at least potentially offer me a community of “like-minded people.” With the hope of “making friends,” I have offered heartfelt and diffident support: both to my colleagues at the school where I work and the district that employs us, and to librarians at the local public library.
Anderson, A.M. (2021b). Job seeking and daily workforce experiences of autistic librarians. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion, 5(3), pp. 38-63. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi
The author described this essay as a “companion piece” to the preceding essay (A.M. Anderson, personal communication, Oct. 16, 2024). Both essays address autistic librarians’ job-seeking and workforce experiences. The author noted that in discussions of employment for autistic people in libraries, shelving is posited as “the most appropriate library role” for autistic workers (Lund, Strub, & Stewart, cited by Anderson, 2021b, p. 40). “[T]his point of view fails to take into account those who are autistic and have also successfully completed a graduate degree, which prepares them to be able to work in more higher-level roles” (Anderson, 2021b, p. 40). To address the shortage of findings around workers in professional roles, Anderson conducted interviews with 10 autistic librarians about their job seeking and workforce experiences (2021a and 2021b). Many of the points discussed above can apply to this article as well.
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Burton, L.; Carss, V.; & Twumasi, R. (2022). Listening to neurodiverse voices in the workplace. Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture, 3(2), p. 56-79. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought/vol3/iss2/11
Almost all neurodivergent individuals face disadvantages in the job selection process, “irrespective of condition” (Burton, Carss, & Twumasi, 2022, p. 57). Themes that emerged among interviews conducted for this study included negative perceptions of neurodiversity affecting the participants’ worklife: which “tended to present as a barrier for disclosing one’s neurodiversity in the workplace” (Burton, Carss, & Twumasi, 2022, pp. 61 & 62). Another theme was disbelief among people that the participants disclosed to. “People don’t mean badly but they have said things like ‘oh, but that’s just a busy, you’ve just got busy mind’” (Burton, Carss, & Twumasi, 2022, p. 62). This reviewer could relate to being the recipient of sentiments such as this, having been told on occasion, “I would never have known you were autistic,” or some variant thereof. The authors don’t specifically address libraries as a work environment, but they cite a study examining ambiguous language in job postings for library reference positions (see Dow, Lund, & Douthit elsewhere in this bibliography).
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Dow, M., Lund, B. D., & Douthit, W. K. (2020). Investigating the link between unemployment and disability: Lexically ambiguous words and fixed formulaic sequences in job ads for academic reference librarians. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 4(1), 42-58. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi/article/view/32369/25593
“[A]lthough educated as professional librarians, when qualified individuals who experience communication challenges, such as those with ASD, read job advertisements that use ambiguous words and include phrases with multiple meanings without a context, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend what is expected, or preferred, by an employer. This can lead to uncertainty and confusion resulting in preparation of unsatisfactory application materials and/or inadequate interview experiences, or lead to a potential applicant’s decision to avoid the application process altogether given high risk of failure” (Dow, Lund, & Douthit, 2020, p. 45).
The authors analyzed the contents of 43 advertisements for library reference positions “published by libraries in the 12 member states of a Midwestern U.S. regional library association” (Dow, Lund, & Douthit, 2020, p. 42). When conducting their study, the authors sought to address ways in which problematic language could be “clearly written and potentially comprehensible to qualified individuals with ASD who are challenged to make meanings of words in academic reference librarian position announcements” (Dow, Lund, & Douthit, 2020, p. 46). Among the authors, one author “personally lives the ASD experience” (Dow, Lund, & Douthit, 2020, p. 43). This article relies on functioning labels.
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Garcia, E. (2021). We’re not broken: Changing the autism conversation. Harvest.
While not specifically addressing libraries as a potential workplace, Garcia’s book is relevant because it addresses prevailing general trends. When talking about autistic people in the workplace, Garcia mentions a “commonly cited statistic” that “75 to 85 percent of college-educated autistic people are unemployed or underemployed” (Garcia, 2021, p. 60). He highlights two prevalent “myths” about autistic people in the workplace: that autistic people are either “unable to work or only able to work jobs that pay subminimum wage” or, that, conversely, they are “hypercompetent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as if we should all be coders in Silicon Valley” (Garcia, 2021, p. 55). Moving beyond recruiting initiatives that bring autistic people into the workforce, Garcia offers insights into what can help keep them there: including accommodations in the workplace and support systems for everyone.
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Honeybourne, V. (2019). The neurodiverse workplace: An employer’s guide to managing and working with neurodivergent employees, clients and customers. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Using a metaphor that different types of flowers need different conditions to “thrive and flourish” (Honeybourne, 2019, p. 7), the author argues that even though people’s brains work in different ways, “our social systems, education systems and workplaces have generally been designed for just one type of person – ‘the neurotypical’ – automatically placing any others at a disadvantage” (2019, p. 8). As an alternative, the author proposes a variety of strategies to make workplaces more accommodating to neurodivergent workers, as well as to customers and clients. One strategy concerns allowing job applicants to demonstrate their abilities instead of having to talk about them. The author feels this approach “might be particularly advantageous for neurodivergent applicants who might be skilled at the job in question but have difficulty talking about their abilities or whose social communication skills means they do not present themselves in typical ways” (p. 184). The book is not specifically geared toward libraries, however, the author notes when talking about creating more inclusive physical environments, “Physical environments can include anywhere you might welcome customers” (p. 435). The subsequent list includes libraries.
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Kaupins, G. (2023). Autism in the workplace. Choice, 60(7), pp.645-653. https://www.choice360.org/choice-pick/autism-in-the-workplace-march-2023/
This essay cites several books, “mostly research studies and practitioner-oriented works, with a specific focus on what to do for autistic individuals in the workplace” (Kaupins, 2023, p. 645). The books are grouped under headings as follows: “Academic Resources for Researchers,” “Self-Help for Individuals on the Spectrum,” “Strategies to Help Individuals on the Spectrum,” and “Lives of Individuals on the Spectrum,” The essay also compiles a list of “Online Job-Related Autism Organizations” (pg. 651).
The essay’s stated aim is to cover “how individuals on the autism spectrum obtain jobs, adapt to jobs, and fit in” (Kaupins, 2023, p. 645). The essay “also addresses how companies can support those on the spectrum through reasonable accommodations, such as training them to complete required tasks and communicate with colleagues, placing them in quiet offices, and teaching staff how to support diversity, including employees on the spectrum” (Kaupin, 2023, p. 645). This bibliographic essay relies on functioning labels.
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Lawrence, E. (2013). Loud hands in the library. Progressive Librarian, #41, p. 98-109. http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL/PL41/098.pdf
The author argues that the idea of neurological variation as part of “normal human differences” represents a “knowledge gap in the field of library and information science” (Lawrence, 2013, p. 99). The author criticizes presumptions of a neurotypical librarian facilitating information access, as well as journal articles being written for readers who are “presumably” neurotypical. “This is a problematic depiction, both because it is inaccurate and because it perpetuates the exclusion of Autistic people from the workforce generally and librarianship specifically” (Lawrence, 2013, p. 103).
The essay was written in 2013 and, while one hopes that the “knowledge gap” has filled in during subsequent years, it contains reference to thoughts and practices that continue to be upheld today within the autistic community: including a preference for “identity-first language” among autistic advocates (Lawrence, 2013, p. 102) and the “social model” of disability, which “depicts disability as a socially constructed phenomenon, the product of systematic discrimination” (Lawrence, 2013, p. 100).
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Lublin, J. (2023). Uncovering challenges faced by autistic librarians. Public Libraries, 62(4), pp. 48-54).
Addresses several trends and challenges faced by autistic workers in libraries: including “sensory difficulties, social cues, office politics, unwritten rules of the workplace, misunderstandings, [and] discrimination” (Lublin, 2023, p. 49). Many of these challenges are due to differences between autistic and allistic neurotypes, to ableism in the workplace, and a rejection of self-diagnosis. In spite of these barriers, it is vitally important for autistic library patrons to see autistic representation in a library’s workforce. “There’s a value in seeing yourself in the workforce. In seeing yourself in adults and literature and media. This is especially true for highly stigmatized groups such as autistics” (Lublin, 2023, p. 52). This reviewer especially appreciates this sentiment, because it forms a powerful argument for hiring autistic librarians: the same way that a library would want its staff to mirror other marginalized identities in the community it serves.
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Lund, B.D. (2018). Redefining opportunity for the library employee with autism: A model of positive behavioral support for library management. Journal of Library Administration, 58(5), p.434-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2018.1468192
Anderson identified Lund’s article as one that focuses upon autistic employees’ abilities to perform repetitive tasks (2021a), and one that “points to shelving as the most appropriate library role” for an autistic person (2021b, p. 40). Lund describes the work performance of a library shelver named Jacob, noting that he’d worked at his job for “about one year now” and that his duties, as might those of other shelvers, “may change frequently to meet the needs of the library at the time” (2018, p. 434). Lund noted that “when asked to help with other tasks, Jacob becomes frustrated or even angry. He abhors working the circulation desk, and the patrons at the desk find him unresponsive, rude, and loud. At least twice per month, Jacob has an ‘episode’ where he yells and attempts to destroy library property” (Lund, 2018, p. 435). “Problem behavior,” such as that exhibited by Jacob, is “one of the most pervasive barriers to the employment of individuals with autism” (Nesbitt, cited by Lund, 2018, p. 435).
The article proposes “positive behavioral support,” or PBS, as a solution to problem behaviors. Under PBS, “a team of stakeholders – the individual, his family, his teacher or employer, speech and occupational therapists, psychologist, advocacy organizations, and so on – observe a ‘problem behavior,’ identify the antecedents of this behavior, form a plan to diminish the problem behavior and replace it with a healthier behavior, and put this plan into action” (Lund, 2018, p. 437).
Lund’s article uses functioning labels, citing a “90% unemployment rate for job-seeking individuals with high-functioning autism” (2018, p. 434). One positive aspect of Lund’s article and the behavioral support it describes, is that the person with autism was included as an active stakeholder whose input helped to formulate and implement the plan to address a “problem behavior.” If an employer were willing to make this effort on behalf of an autistic employee, it does suggest a workplace that might value an autistic librarian’s insights. But one question that occurred to this reviewer was whether or not it was truly necessary for Jacob to work at patron-facing tasks: especially when considering accommodations discussed in other articles (placing autistic workers “in quiet offices” for example, as mentioned by Kaupin in 2023).
To paraphrase a question posed by Rosqvist, Milton, and O’Dell (2023), “On whose terms” is the autistic worker being offered support? Whether they are neurodivergent or otherwise, people are not interchangeable and – while this reviewer has worked for several years as a library generalist (with daily routines that include circulation as well as behind-the-scenes work), while this reviewer supports cross-training and being able to fill in as-needed – I recognize that not every type of work in a library will be suitable for every worker. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect an employer to thoughtfully assign its workers to tasks that will play to their strengths.
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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/
Argues that while libraries “tend to do a good job promoting their diverse and inclusive collections and programs, including programs designed specifically to appeal to and serve the needs of children patrons who are neurodivergent” (2022, para. 3), they are less welcoming toward neurodivergent adults in the library workforce. As an autistic person myself, I found the statement concerning because it has direct bearing on how welcoming the library field will be to me.
The author cites an estimate by the Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation: that 30 to 40 percent of neurodivergent adults are unemployed, “which is ‘three times the rate for people with disability and eight times the rate for people without disability.’” The author argues that libraries “can and should be part of the solution to the unemployment and underemployment of adults who are neurodivergent,” and suggests ways that institutional barriers and practices can be made more inclusive.
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McDaniel, K. (2023). Library workers who are neurodivergent – Part two. Library Worklife, 20(1). ALA-APA. https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2023/01/09/library-workers-who-are-neurodivergent-part-two/
In Q&A format, the author profiles the experiences of a former library shelver who is neurodivergent. The anonymous worker “was a library shelver for more than a decade” (McDaniel, 2023, para. 24) and, during that time, never disclosed their autism. The former library worker describes themself as “very high-functioning,” adding that “my gut has always told me that it’s better not to risk it” (McDaniel, 2023, para. 10). In spite of completing two bachelor’s degrees, including one in Information and Library Science, the subject of the interview was “passed over for promotion” and was rejected from “half-a-dozen entry-level jobs in other libraries” (McDaniel, 2023, para. 24). The subject was “finally given a chance in a customer service position” (McDaniel, 2023, para. 24) – not at a library but in a retail establishment. The essay doesn’t identify the nature of the retail establishment: a curious omission, given that working in “Libraries and bookstores” were the subject’s top-two choices for employment (McDaniel, 2023, para. 5).
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Moeller, C.M. & Annabi, H. (2024). Transforming librarianship to model neuroinclusion in libraries [on-demand recording]. Library Accessibility Alliance. https://vimeo.com/918005788/description
This webinar makes the concerning statement that among autistic people, 80 percent are unemployed (Moeller & Annabi, 18:02). Offering the viewpoint that “Neuroinclusive work practices [are] helpful for everybody, not just the neurodistinct individuals” (Moeller & Annabi, 20:13), this view-on-demand webinar recommends that libraries identify ways of doing things that are “counter to neuroinclusion” (Moeller & Annabi, 40:48). One of the things this reviewer appreciated about the webinar is that its presenters highlighted unique strengths of autistic employees: including “system thinking, pattern recognition, visualization, analytical thinking” (Moeller & Annabi, 24:19).
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Pionke, J.J. (2019). The impact of disbelief: On being a library employee with a disability. Library Trends, 67(3), pp. 423-435.
Explores the difficult and invasive practice of getting an accommodation at work. “People with physical or visible disabilities generally have an easier accommodation process than people who have hidden disabilities, especially mental health ones” (Pionke, 2019, p. 424). “The lack of outward or visible signs of disability unfortunately all too often lead to a belief that the employee is lying about having a disability or is attention seeking. If the employee has a visible disability, such as using a wheelchair or missing a limb, accommodations are often granted immediately and without contest. However, if the disability is a hidden one, such as in the case of mental-health disorders, many sensory conditions, chronic pain conditions, sleep disorders, neurodiversity, etc., there is typically more pushback and a mistaken belief that the employee is ‘faking it’ to either get out of doing work or to get special privileges” (Santuzzi, cited by Pionke, 2019, p. 426).
The author of this essay is a library employee with post-traumatic stress disorder (Pionke, 2019, p. 423), and this reviewer found the essay’s observations are unfortunately all-too-true. Both of us have “invisible” disabilities and we have a shared experience with institutional barriers. The accessibility services office at this reviewer’s university emphasizes that it partners with students who have documented disabilities, but it waives documentation if the disability is “visible” or its impact is “readily apparent” (UCM, n.d.). This practice holds applicants to differing standards based on their type of disability.
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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
The author, a professor of organizational psychology who is herself autistic, describes incidents of workplace bullying and alienation that she experienced and identifies systemic incidents of discrimination against autistic job candidates. She cites a survey in which 50 percent of managers of businesses in the U.K. admitted “they would not hire neurodivergent candidates” (2021, para. 9). The author identifies aspects of hiring that present barriers to employment, including a job-application process that focuses more on personalities than on a person’s ability to do the job and offers the statements that “in the U.K., the unemployment rate for autistic people is as high as 78%” (Office for National Statistics, cited by Praslova, 2021, para. 9). “In the U.S., that number jumps to 85%” (Pesce, cited by Praslova, 2021, para. 9).
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Price, D. (2022). Unmasking autism: Discovering the new faces of neurodiversity. Harmony.
Living in a neurotypical world can mean alienation and pain, and “Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are” (Price, 2022, front-jacket inside matter). Price’s book offers practical guidance to autistic individuals who want to live more visibly and authentically as their autistic selves. Advice that can translate to the workplace, and to public spaces such as libraries, include common autistic communication needs and accommodations that a worker might request, including “Clear Expectations,” “Explicit Messaging,” and “Reduced Sensory/Social Load” (Price, 2022, pp. 208-209); and ways to build “sensory-friendly” public spaces in the realms of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory senses (Price, 2022, pp. 236-237).
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Walton, K. & McMullin, R. (2021). Welcoming autistic students to academic libraries through innovative space utilization. Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice, 9(2), pp. 83-100. https://palrap.org/ojs/palrap/article/view/259
This article documents efforts by West Chester University Libraries to establish a “dedicated study space” for autistic students (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 84), which evolved from the university launching an “autism support program” in Fall 2016 (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 87). Two main factors affecting autistic students’ use of the library were “sensory processing challenges and the need to perceive and adhere to neurotypical social norms” (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 84). The space would have to be neither “too loud and distracting,” nor one that would provoke anxiety around adapting to “social norms in an environment that is too quiet” (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 85).
An existing room was located on a “quiet study floor,” where there would be little worry around distracting background noises (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 87). Other considerations included lighting, furniture, size of the room, and students’ existing familiarity with the space (Walton & McMullin, 2021). “In the end, the only space that the library had to offer turned out to be an excellent choice. Room 409 offered a reduced amount of potential sensory challenges than most locations in the library, allowed for some control and customization of the study experience, and offered a familiar and consistent environment. Students can go to the room during the posted hours and know they will be able to use the space and what to expect when they arrive” (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 88).
This article seemed relevant for a discussion of autistic people working in libraries, because some of the autistic students at West Chester University “interned within the libraries” (Walton & McMullin, 2021, p. 87). This reviewer would like to know if autistic people were part of the library’s workforce and if the care and consideration that went into designing autism-friendly study spaces was similarly employed toward a work environment for autistic employees.
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Wiggleton-Little, J. & Calendar, C. (2023). Screening out neurodiversity. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 33(1), p. 21-54. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/899458
Many companies rely on pre-employment personality screening tests to eliminate candidates. The authors demonstrate that the use of such tests “prey on several features of autism in an unfair way” (Wiggleton-Little & Calendar, 2023, p. 21) and contribute to a high rate of unemployment among people who are autistic. They cite an instance in which a person with bipolar disorder applied to work for a supermarket chain and later “learned from an insider that he was ‘red-lighted’ by the Unicru personality test” (Wiggleton-Little & Calendar, 2023, p. 29). The applicant “noticed an overlap between questions on the Unicru test and questions used to clinically diagnose his bipolar disorder” (Wiggleton-Little & Calendar, 2023, p. 29).
This reviewer’s direct experience validates the cited incident. From May to November 2013, this reviewer applied several times to work for an Oregon-based retail chain. As part of the application process, I had to complete the Kronos personality test. Several of the questions on the Kronos test were identical to questions on diagnostic instruments for the screening of autism – and, each and every time, I failed to score an interview in spite of having worked in retail while attending junior college.
Conclusion
While libraries are consciously applying more effort to build a diverse workforce, their diversity initiatives often ignore people with disabilities (Parkhill, 2024) – and, as this bibliography shows, people with autism and other “invisible” disabilities can face challenges applying for jobs, finding an inclusive workplace, and obtaining accommodations that would allow them to be fully productive in the workplace.
This reviewer noted with amusement that the occupation of shelving was described as “repetitive,” noting from near-daily experience with shelving throughout my library career that shelving books properly requires an understanding of a library’s organizational principles: knowing what books are located in what sections of the library and in what order they should be arranged on the shelves. This reviewer noted previously that one LIS program’s library expressly prohibits LIS students from reshelving books on their own (Parkhill, 2014), and in my experience, the “repetition” of seeing the same books frequently borrowed, checked in, and thus in need of reshelving, offers “a great way to see first-hand which items are being used. I use that information to help identify new materials that may be worth adding to the library. The familiarity I gain also helps me recommend materials to other readers whose interests seem to match” (Parkhill, 2015).
“[I]t is predominantly societal norms and structures which limit individuals’ functioning” (Chapman, cited by Burton, Carss, & Twumasi, 2022, p. 56). This reviewer hopes that my compilation of materials will empower and support autistic librarians to advocate for more inclusive workspace and will offer renewed vigor for allistic librarians’ allyship.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Anderson, A.M. (2021a). Exploring the workforce experiences of autistic librarians through accessible and participatory approaches. Library & Information Science Research, 43(2), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101088
Anderson, A.M. (2021b). Job seeking and daily workforce experiences of autistic librarians. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion, 5(3), pp. 38-63. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi
Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (2021, Dec. 9). Functioning labels harm autistic people. https://autisticadvocacy.org/2021/12/functioning-labels-harm-autistic-people/
Burton, L.; Carss, V.; & Twumasi, R. (2022). Listening to neurodiverse voices in the workplace. Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture, 3(2), p. 56-79. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought/vol3/iss2/11
Dow, M., Lund, B. D., & Douthit, W. K. (2020). Investigating the link between unemployment and disability: Lexically ambiguous words and fixed formulaic sequences in job ads for academic reference librarians. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 4(1), 42-58. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijidi/article/view/32369/25593
Frick, C., Zeuner, P., Buchert, C., Markus, D., Fötsch, N., Fischer, Y., Wieseler, E.,Ramünke, S., & Baumann, N. (2024). Being queer (in libraries) is political. LIBREAS. Library Ideas, 45. https://doi.org/10.18452/29148
Garcia, E. (2021). We’re not broken: Changing the autism conversation. Harvest.
Gardiner, F. (2018, March 23). The problems with functioning labels. Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. https://thinkingautismguide.com/2018/03/finn-gardiner.html
Honeybourne, V. (2019). The neurodiverse workplace: An employer’s guide to managing and working with neurodivergent employees, clients and customers. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Kaupins, G. (2023). Autism in the workplace. Choice, 60(7), pp.645-653. https://www.choice360.org/choice-pick/autism-in-the-workplace-march-2023/
Lawrence, E. (2013). Loud hands in the library. Progressive Librarian, #41, p. 98-109. http://www.progressivelibrariansguild.org/PL/PL41/098.pdf
Lublin, J. (2023). Uncovering challenges faced by autistic librarians. Public Libraries, 62(4), pp. 48-54).
Lund, B.D. (2018). Redefining opportunity for the library employee with autism: A model of positive behavioral support for library management. Journal of Library Administration, 58(5), p.434-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2018.1468192
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