Access & equity
Access & Equity are broad areas for libraries and they encompass many issues. This includes, among so much more, making sure your facility is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, serving patrons on the autism spectrum, building a diverse collection, and creating a welcoming environment that represents your entire community no matter ethnicity, heritage, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
June 6, Supporting domestic and sexual violence survivors at your library
Publish Date: News / 6 June 2024
Learn to recognize signs of domestic/sexual violence and the ways your library can support survivors through referrals and resources.
May 22, Cardholder signup policies: Access in practice
Publish Date: News / 22 May 2024
Learn key findings and takeaways from national research on cardholder signup policies from public libraries across the country.
Co-creating library services through human-centered design
Publish Date: News / 10 April 2024
Much of the work of co-creation happens before you start to plan a concrete service or program. It’s worth spending the time up front to establish authentic, asset-based relationships and craft a scope that aligns with both community aspirations and ...
Reading in the balance: Exploring the role of public library in the ‘science of reading’
Publish Date: News / 26 March 2024
Learning to read is neither an innate nor simple process, and recently there has been increased scrutiny on whether schools are effectively preparing children to learn to read. Colloquially referred to as “the reading wars,” this scrutiny has led to ...
Hopkinton Public Library unites community in library planning
Publish Date: News / 12 March 2024
At Hopkinton Public Library in Iowa, community engagement is thriving. And the secret to this success is including community members in in the planning, from beginning to end. From an annual haunted house to community bake-offs, the library incorpora...
Co-Creating Library Services for Transformative Impact
Publish Date: Webinar / 27 February 2024
Learn about the fundamentals of co-design and explore how to apply them in your library for wildly creative and deeply impactful programs and services.
Align library services with community aspirations
Publish Date: News / 27 February 2024
The most successful library services are often those that help the community meet its aspirations while also honoring the unique purpose of the library. But balancing the community’s goals and the library’s scope is not always an easy task.
Together we heal
Publish Date: News / 20 February 2024
Like many small-town libraries, Jarrell Community Library is an important place for connection. And through a recent Libraries for Heath grant, the library is offering new kinds of connections—to peer mental health specialists and an array of resourc...
Easy as ABCD: Using asset-based community development as a lens for authentic relationship-building
Publish Date: News / 7 February 2024
Building relationships with systematically excluded communities is one of the most important things your library can do to support relevant, meaningful services. Co-creation can help librarians embody our EDISJ (equity, diversity, inclusion, and soci...
Building Authentic Relationships with Underserved Communities
Publish Date: Webinar / 30 January 2024
Learn how to develop a plan for identifying, reaching, and building relationships with underserved communities.
Community engagement
Where do you go for inspiration? Invigorate your community engagement efforts with advice from library leaders.