Join us to learn about the emerging movement in librarianship to engage those with intellectual disability (ID), who have previously been largely overlooked. Over two sessions, Leah Plocharczyk and Matthew Conner will discuss two intertwined case studies in academic libraries. They will then unpack the lessons they learned and how to apply them in academic, public, and school libraries.
In Part 2, Leah and Matt will provide a framework for examining the issues that came out of their experience. They’ll discuss the lifecycle of a DL-focused library program, including recruitment, instruction theory, specific activities, collection development, assessment, and more.
Attendees can expect to:
– Understand the “lifecycle” of library engagement with those with intellectual disability (ID), starting with recruitment
– Have a firm grasp of the theory, design, and practice of programming for those with ID
– Be able to make use of a set of resources and contacts to apply to programming in the participant’s library
See Part 1 of this series here.
About our presenters:
Leah Plocharczyk is the Director of the John D. MacArthur Campus Library at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Jupiter campus and became a professional librarian at FAU in 2007. She has an MLS from the University of South Florida and an MA from FAU. She is active in mentoring students, as well as leadership and library outreach. Her publications include articles on library collaboration with marine mammal stranding networks and conflict management within libraries. She co-authored a book about the importance of library book clubs as educational tools for adults with intellectual disabilities. Her book club is a member of the Next chapter Book Club.
Matthew Conner has an MLS, an MA and a PhD in English. He is the author of The New University Library: 4 Case Studies (ALA, 2014) and co-author of Libraries and Reading: Intellectual Disability and the Extent of Library Diversity (Emerald, 2020). He is also the former President of the Librarians Association of the University of California. He currently works as Student Services Librarian at the University of California, Davis where he serves as the subject liaison for the University Writing Program.
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