March Inclusive Services Update

Resources:

• Free online ASL class from the Oklahoma School for the Deaf: The Oklahoma School for the Deaf has a free, online ASL program available for this spring. There is level one and level two, and they are taught by the ASL Specialist from OSD. They are basic courses in conversational ASL and may be a good starting point for someone interested in trying it out or a refresher for the basics if you have taken classes before.

• CCBC Choices 2023 Now Available : CCBC Choices 2023 recommends 212 books published in 2022 for children and teens from birth through high school age. Entries for each book include a full bibliographic citation, annotation, age recommendation and cover image, and a link to the book’s entry in the CCBC-Recommended Book Search database, where custom lists can be created. The publication also includes an introductory essay and name/title index.

•  Updated EEOC Resource Explains ADA Requirements for Individuals with Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace : In January 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released an updated resource document, “Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” explaining how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to job applicants and employees who are deaf or hard of hearing or have other hearing conditions. The document outlines how certain pre- and post-job offer disability-related questions can violate the ADA, describes free or low-cost, easy-to-access technologies that can provide reasonable accommodation for a hearing disability, addresses employer concerns about safety, and shares realistic scenarios of potential discrimination. In addition to adding information about discrimination against job applicants, the updated document provides new or updated examples that reflect available technologies.

• Rainbow Round Table releases Top 10 book list : The Rainbow Round Table has released both its Over the Rainbow Top 10 and annotated Over the Rainbow Short List 2022, a collection of the best LGBTQIA+ literature for adult readers from the previous year.

• Cultivating the Relationship-Driven Library : During the month of April, Let’s Move in Libraries will host a series of conversations on community collaboration and community health. Each conversation features 2-4 librarians sharing their experiences working collaboratively with others to promote community health. After the discussion, you’re invited to stay in the room for a half hour open conversation about that week’s topic. Each conversation takes place on a Thursday in April. Visit the event page to learn more about the sessions and participating library workers! This event is part of HEAL (Healthy Eating and Active Living) at the Library, funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum & Library Services. Register today!

  • Schedule:

  • April 6 – Event kick-off and conversation on “Institutionalizing collaboration, urban perspectives”

  • April 13 – Conversation on “Sparking change, Directors / Branch Manager perspectives”

  • April 20 – Conversation on “Institutionalizing collaboration, small and rural perspectives”

  • April 27 – Conversation on “Start where you are, early career perspectives” and event conclusion

• Bibliography of picture books dealing with anxiety : This list was developed with the support of the Carnegie Whitney Grant and features 267 reviews of books that were published between 2010-2022. In addition to the individual reviews, they used an SEL framework to ideally help librarians, educators, parents, guardians, and counselors better identify books that might work best for the children with whom they work.

Continuing Education:

• Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library, Wednesday, March 8 at 10am

• Six Questions for Equitable Board Recruitment, Thursday March 9 at 1pm

• Providing Multilingual and Multicultural Health Information, Tuesday, March 14 at 1:00pm

• Celebrating Literacy with Youth in Your Community: Read Across America All Year Long, Tuesday, March 14 at 3:00pm

• Southeast Collaborative Online Conference, March 14-16: This conference is free and open to all library staff. Session topics include:

  • Overwhelmed by Underserved Communities

  • Creating and Implementing an Outreach Committee and Plan

  • Policies of Yes: Empowering Staff and Community

  • You, Me, We: Building Community Partnerships

• Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning Foster Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Accessibility Solutions (IDEAS) in Libraries, Wednesday, March 22 at 1:00pm

• WLA’s Inclusive Services Special Interest Group (SIG) Meeting, Thursday, March 23 at 10:00 am

• Let’s Go Outside: Self-Care in the Great Outdoors, Thursday, March 23 at 12:00pm

• Going Beyond Captions: Creating Accessible Instructional Videos, Wednesday March 29 at 1pm

• Classes from UW Madison’s iSchool:

  • Navigating Book and Program Challenges for Public Libraries, Mar 20 – Apr 30

  • Designing for Accessibility, Mar 27 – Apr 30

  • Services to Homeschoolers, Apr 3 – May 1

  • The Next Chapter: Programs and Services for Older Adults, Apr 17 – May 14

• Accessibility Toolkit Two Part Series:

  • Accessibility Toolkit Session 1: Making Presentations Accessible, Apr 11, 1pm

  • Accessibility Toolkit Session 2: Making Documents and PDFs Accessible, Apr 18, 1pm

• Toward One Wisconsin 2023: A Conference on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, April 25 – 26 in Appleton. Wherever you are on your Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) journey, there’s something for you at Toward One Wisconsin 2023.  Whether you’re just starting and overwhelmed, or you’re a leading activist in your community, this conference will provide best practices, insights and implementation tools to help you take the next steps.

• Using Book Connections at the Public Library, Tuesday, May 2, 12-12:45 PM : Learn about the Collection Analysis and Diverse Books Toolkits, ready-to-use resources for your book clubs and story times, homework help features, and more.

Consumables:

• 5 Inclusive Communication Must Have Tools

• Tips For Creating a More Inclusive Workplace

• 5 steps to become a neurodiverse-friendly workplace

• Critics blast rewrites to Roald Dahl’s children’s books

• New UW institute to study evidence-based solutions to diversity-related challenges

• Library reading program to shine a light on area food insecurity

• New Report Shines Light on the State of Vision Loss Among Older Adults in Wisconsin : This report is a tool to help policymakers and other interested people better understand the circumstances of Wisconsinites with vision loss and the need for more resources to support them.

Diverse Holidays in March:

March is National Women’s History Month, celebrating the contributions and achievements women have made to American history. It’s also Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

March 8: International Women’s Day, celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and highlighting women’s rights.

March 8: Holi, a Hindu and Sikh spring festival celebrating spring and new beginnings with bonfires, bright colors, and feasting.

March 14: Equal Pay Day, this symbolic day denotes how far into the year women must work to be paid what men were paid the previous year.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday celebrating the patron saint of Ireland.

March 20: Ostara, a holiday celebrating the spring equinox observed by Pagans and Wiccans.

March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, declared by the United Nations in 1966 to honor the killing of 69 people at a demonstration against South African apartheid.

March 22: Chaitra Sukladi/Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi, the start of the Hindu lunar calendar is celebrated in a spring festival.

March 23-April 20: Ramadan, a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad. The religious holiday involves fasting, praying, and being around loved ones.

March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, declared by the United Nation in 2008 to honor and remember slaves who died.

March 30: Rama Navami, A celebration of the birth of Rama (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya.

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility, a time to celebrate transgender and non-binary people around the globe and acknowledge the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, as well as raising awareness around discrimination and violence that transgender people face.