"We're All Pretty Welcoming": Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Library Storytime Programs

Fuente: ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Derek T. M. Daskalakes, Maria Cahill
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 2024
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author Derek T. M. Daskalakes
Maria Cahill
author_facet Derek T. M. Daskalakes
Maria Cahill
Derek T. M. Daskalakes
Maria Cahill
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents "We're All Pretty Welcoming": Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Library Storytime Programs Derek T. M. Daskalakes Maria Cahill Librarians Story Reading Public Libraries Inclusion Children Disabilities Teamwork Library Services Family Involvement Accessibility (for Disabled) Public library storytimes provide rich learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers, yet little is known about how inclusive they are for children with disabilities and developmental delays (CwD/DD). The purpose of this study was to identify and describe ways that librarians support the inclusion of CwD/DD and their caregivers in storytime programs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 librarians who provide storytime programs in public libraries in three states and analyzed them using iterative and inductive coding processes. Findings indicate that librarians are aware of the acute need to support diverse populations within their service communities and are collectively using a wide range of accommodations and strategies to facilitate their inclusion. However, on an individual level, they feel under-equipped to do so. Findings from this study highlight the need for further training and raise important questions regarding the equity of storytime programs for children with invisible disabilities, the potential reduction of diversity within storytime programs, and the potential value of establishing formal avenues of knowledge sharing.
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_EJ1436293
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 2024
record_format eric
spellingShingle "We're All Pretty Welcoming": Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Library Storytime Programs
Derek T. M. Daskalakes
Maria Cahill
Librarians
Story Reading
Public Libraries
Inclusion
Children
Disabilities
Teamwork
Library Services
Family Involvement
Accessibility (for Disabled)
"We're All Pretty Welcoming": Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Library Storytime Programs Derek T. M. Daskalakes Maria Cahill Librarians Story Reading Public Libraries Inclusion Children Disabilities Teamwork Library Services Family Involvement Accessibility (for Disabled) Public library storytimes provide rich learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers, yet little is known about how inclusive they are for children with disabilities and developmental delays (CwD/DD). The purpose of this study was to identify and describe ways that librarians support the inclusion of CwD/DD and their caregivers in storytime programs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 librarians who provide storytime programs in public libraries in three states and analyzed them using iterative and inductive coding processes. Findings indicate that librarians are aware of the acute need to support diverse populations within their service communities and are collectively using a wide range of accommodations and strategies to facilitate their inclusion. However, on an individual level, they feel under-equipped to do so. Findings from this study highlight the need for further training and raise important questions regarding the equity of storytime programs for children with invisible disabilities, the potential reduction of diversity within storytime programs, and the potential value of establishing formal avenues of knowledge sharing.
title "We're All Pretty Welcoming": Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Library Storytime Programs
topic Librarians
Story Reading
Public Libraries
Inclusion
Children
Disabilities
Teamwork
Library Services
Family Involvement
Accessibility (for Disabled)
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1436293