ALA president shares experience as person with ASD

As an autistic librarian, I wish to express my appreciation to ALA President Cindy Hohl for sharing her experience as a person who is living with autism spectrum disorder (Spectrum of Leadership, American Libraries, March/April 2025). Autistic library workers still face barriers to being fully visible, fully accepted in libraries, a fact recently documented through Kelley McDaniel’s articles in ALA/APA’s Library Worklife (December 2022 and January 2023). President Hohl’s willingness to openly describe herself as a person with autism, makes it that much easier for autistic people like me to share our authentic selves.

Submitted as a letter to the editor, American Libraries magazine

Author’s note: When writing this letter, while I described myself using “identity-first language,” I made the choice to refer to President Hohl with what seemed to be her demonstrated preference for using “person-first language.”

Envisioning an ‘Autistic Book Club’

As part of my studies of Action Research in libraries, I want to look into creating an “Autistic Book Club” through my public library. The problem that this would address for me is actually very personal: it’s that as an autistic person, I face challenges when trying to socialize with other people.

Autistic librarians ‘on the job’ in libraries

As part of my studies toward “Culturally Competent Librarianship” (LIS 5350 in Fall 2024), I composed a systematic bibliography concerning autistic librarians and other workers “on the job” in libraries.

Schneider Family Book Award acknowledges past missteps

This week, as an offshoot to my studies in librarianship, I reviewed the manual for a literature award that I am interested in, the Schneider Family Book Award. Presented each year by the American Library Association, this award recognizes books for children, middle-grade readers, and Young Adults “for their distinguished portrayal of people living with a disabling condition” (ALA, 2024, p. 6).

Soul Matters : It takes ‘Vulnerability’ to be autistic and queer librarian

Through my local Unitarian Universalist church, I am part of a “Soul Matters Sharing Circle.” The Soul Matters program facilitates “A journey that the whole church takes together” (n.d.), through messages from the pulpit and during Religious Education as well as through small-group discussion. This month’s theme is “Vulnerability.”

For whom is my library’s collection?

Among our readings this week, Kerby (2019) states that a library needs to know the population that it serves. Whatever its type, this is for whom my library will build its collection.

LIS 5100 : Service awards and learning opportunities

In a discussion this week, I was asked to share my thoughts about a professional award for librarians that I could possibly apply for, as well as reflect on a source of continuing education.

LIS 5100 : Libraries and people with disabilities

In discussing the library as an institution, the Rubins address service to people who have disabilities. “The library community has recognized the needs of people with disabilities for many years” (Rubin, 2020, p. 100), but people with disabilities often face barriers to being able to access services.

Illinois libraries, ‘inclusive workspaces for individuals with autism’

Appreciation to the Skokie Public Library and the Midlothian Public Library in Illinois, which have “positioned themselves as inclusive workspaces for individuals with autism.” The upcoming annual conference of the Illinois Library Association has a “Libraries: All Inclusive” theme (Oct. 9 to 11, 2018), and among presenters, two staff members from the aforementioned libraries “will share their employment experiences.” Speaking as an aspiring librarian who is on the autism spectrum, I find the library environment to be an ideal match for my autistic strengths. Dare I hope this conversation reaches a national platform at an upcoming meeting of the American Library Association? Here’s Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS) with an overview of programs related to accessibility at the ILA conference.

Submitted via social media to the American Library Association

Publishers need input from people with disabilities

A while ago, I wrote that library staffing diversity needs to include autistic perspectives to help identify trouble-areas when evaluating materials for the library. Well, mainstream publishing houses are a frequent channel for disssemination of these resources — but a Diversity Baseline Survey conducted by Lee & Low stated that 92 percent of publishing-industry staff do not have a disability.
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Library ‘diversity’ needs to include autistic perspectives

An autism parenting memoir, To Siri with Love, that was published in August, is now subject to calls for boycott in the autistic community for its representations of autism. A reaction by “Justin Spectrum” to autism-parenting books underscores the value of autistic perspectives when building a library’s collection.

‘Talking Book and Braille Library,’ how it works

Digital player for Talking Book
and Braille Library

Shortly before winter break, I fielded questions from the Bellview community, concerning how students qualify for services through the Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library.

The official definition, from the “Registration” page, is that in order to qualify, a person “cannot read standard-size 12pt print for long periods of time comfortably.” To qualify as eligible, the program accepts the following:

Legal Blindness: Visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses, or the widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.

‘Battle’ books through Talking Books and Braille Library

Digital player for Talking Book
and Braille Library

For Bellview staff, I research Audiobook formats for Oregon Battle of the Books. Here are titles that can be accessed through the Talking Book and Braille Library. Administered through the Oregon State Library for the U.S. Library of Congress, its services are free to qualified individuals with physical limitations or visual or reading disability.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
DBC05680 — Seven students relate how their lives are changed by their new teacher.

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret
BR016974 — A vacation on the Oregon Coast becomes a nightmare when a tsunami threatens 13-year-old Kyle and his younger sibling.

‘Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum,’ course completed

Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum,
certificate of completion earned by Cynthia M. Parkhill

On Aug. 2, 2016, I completed a four-module course and was awarded a certificate in “Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum (Project PALS).”

Support group for library workers on autism spectrum

A private email list and support group is being formed for librarians and library paraprofessionals on the autism spectrum who face(d) difficulty finding work.

‘Rules’ is problematic Schneider award recipient

Continuing with my discussion of the Schneider Family Book Awards: I struggled with this next part’s social acceptability.

Would expressing concern about a prior award recipient be “second-guessing” a past committee, possibly inviting defensiveness, or would it demonstrate the need for nominated titles to be considered carefully?

Here goes:

For discussion of a problematic Schneider award recipient, I ask that the committee read a review of Rules by Cynthia Lord, the 2007 middle-school winner.

Schneider Family Book Award

Each year in January, I await the announcement of American Library Association Youth Media Award winners.

And each year with its emphasis upon portraying the experience of people with disabilities, the Schneider Family Book Award uniquely piques my interest — both as a person on the autism spectrum and as a library professional who wants the collection to “mirror” the experience of a diverse readership.

Project PALS module 2, ‘Arranging the Library Environment’

“Arranging the Library Environment,” Module 2 in the Project PALS online course, “Serving Library Users on the Autism Spectrum,” invites library professionals to critically evaluate the environment and the structure of activities in the library to consider the effect they might have upon autistic patrons.

STDL and autism: Are self-advocates part of discussion?

From Targeting Autism, a project and blog addressing library service to patrons with autism, I learned that Kate Niehoff, program and outreach coordinator with the Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL) in Schaumburg, Ill. will be part of a panel discussion that focuses on programs for adult patrons on the autism spectrum.

Oregon Battle of the Books, audio-format resources

A number of this year's Oregon Battle of the Books titles can be checked out in Audiobook or eBook format through Overdrive/Library2Go, available to Jackson County Library Services cardholders.