tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58325616384189069242024-03-14T01:22:17.377-07:00Bryce Kozla BlogIt takes a village, but it's nice to have a blog.Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-91860302445055134212024-02-12T17:41:00.000-08:002024-02-14T04:15:06.125-08:00Join me! Trauma-Informed Care in the Library starts April 8<p> <b><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care-an-introduction-for-libraries/" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries </a>starts April 8!</b></p><p><b><i>Sign up by March 25 for a 10% discount.</i></b></p><div>I'm happy to announce that I will be running Trauma-Informed Care: And Introduction for Libraries through UW-Madison iSchool again this Spring. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">my past, well-reviewed courses</a>, this course is designed to have an <b>extremely reasonable workload and will be a mix of reflection, action, and tips you can use right away. </b>The class is asynchronous, which means we won't be meeting live and you can engage with each week's content when you can. Each week there will be one or two discussion questions. There will be final project that will consist of anything that will help you going forward (a presentation to your board, a letter to your director, a blue print, something else? It's up to you!).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>As always with my courses, you're welcome to download all the material to share among others in your library, so I hope you will see this as a good investment. </b>Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries is steeped in my lived experience and so may be different from other training you may have gotten about these concepts.</div><div><br /></div><div>This course about Trauma-Informed Care <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/04/creating-trauma-informed-presentation.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has been developed with trauma-informed care in mind</a> in its structure. </div><div><b>NOTE: </b>This course has been well-reviewed by students who have lived experience in trauma. <b>While I do have some tips that work for me peppered in the content, this course is not a therapy support group and I am not a medical professional. </b>This course can give you some insight into what might be going on with your brain/central nervous system right now, but it is not a cure for your stress. I say this not to be mean but to manage expectations. If you are looking for more things like mindfulness practices, I'd like to suggest you look into activities related to <a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy/" target="_blank">dialectical behavioral therapy</a>. It covers mindfulness as well as interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Ready to register? <a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Sign up here.</a> </b>Last time my roster and the waitlist filled quickly!</div><div>Want to read more about my take on trauma-informed care? <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/trauma" target="_blank">Click here to check out the "trauma" tag.</a></div></div><div><br /></div>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-61185994110639659852023-09-05T07:00:00.005-07:002023-09-07T19:00:27.017-07:00Updated Links! Get your library tour and outreach scripts here<p>It is an honor, though a little weird, that after all this time library staff still use my blog for field trips/tours and school outreach ideas here! I'm glad to help a little, and I intend to post more "here's something that might be useful" stuff that I'm no longer using. I know especially right now we are in an interesting spot where if you became a youth services librar* in the past three years, you may be facing a learning curve. While I hope you're able to innovate passed what I could 10 years ago, I know having some sort of starting point can mean the difference between an idea getting off the ground or staying in your head.</p><p>One thing that has happened, though, is that Google Drive updated their security settings. This means that if you ever accessed my files before around 2020, you can still access them no problem. If you click through links on my older posts for the first time now, though, it requires me to give you permission. I try to give permission ASAP, but have also been thinking about new readers who may not feel comfortable requesting. Hopefully this post will make access easy for everyone.</p><p>I figured this might also be a good opportunity to get some more favorites out of my archives for new eyes. :) I hope you find something useful!</p><p><b>If you find yourself taking something from the options below and running with it (new characters/books, changes to models, etc) please email me at bryce kozla at gmail so that others may benefit. Thanks!</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B8ZnbCimy1JRbKXNs1ACXYSFCYsz2iPlFXMZOuw8mela7RZUuwtXS4wZMgjGs1MmnEiXHFM0GzIySxB9r_6qjBrjnuBi4zyCaNhv7vw8ZWhoqRIKEQkv7dQBb1fc0itU0p0hTD7XPPCrkKnAQBRTISXFO2imEXStdmA5BqOpmY--whELDdPM2MeIf8g/s1500/Link%20Dump%20to%20the%20Rescue!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Black text on a blue background. Text says "Link Dump to the Rescue! Updated links for library tours and outreach" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B8ZnbCimy1JRbKXNs1ACXYSFCYsz2iPlFXMZOuw8mela7RZUuwtXS4wZMgjGs1MmnEiXHFM0GzIySxB9r_6qjBrjnuBi4zyCaNhv7vw8ZWhoqRIKEQkv7dQBb1fc0itU0p0hTD7XPPCrkKnAQBRTISXFO2imEXStdmA5BqOpmY--whELDdPM2MeIf8g/w213-h320/Link%20Dump%20to%20the%20Rescue!.png" title="Title card" width="213" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>FIELD TRIPS/LIBRARY TOURS</b></p><p><b><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/09/tween-scavenger-hunt-in-library.html" target="_blank">Tween Scavenger Hunt:</a> </b>based on Adventure Time (omg please update the pop culture in this), this hunt is also educational about the library. <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSQlhjY2hpNHNVWWs?resourcekey=0-Z2cXaOIBvPHqBykVu8RdYQ&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Here's the direct link to the files.</a></p><p><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSdHUzUHJGQkZ3OFU/view?resourcekey=0-AtbrFMq-Qc1KjMTS37aaIA" target="_blank">First grade room hunt script: </a> </b>Based on Elephant and Piggie</p><p><b>Interactive Field Trip Grades 2 (Spring), 3, and 4 (Fall):</b> <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSdDh5S3EtelRhLUE?resourcekey=0--QJGtSXDI-eroHhhzxh5MQ&usp=sharing" target="_blank">2nd grade Library Stars Scripts</a></p><p><b>Interactive Field Trip Grades 4K/VPK and K:</b> <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSd0JkZ3lwNkw4VzA?resourcekey=0-xHrfeo__up6h0rB9yDbuDg&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Kindergarten Library Sneakers Scripts</a></p><p>More explanation as to how the interactive field trip files were used <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-hows-and-whys-of-our-successful.html" target="_blank">can be accessed here </a> (if "a slidedeck of Chuck Norris memes" doesn't tell you how much this stuff is begging for a refresh....)</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>OUTREACH TO CLASSROOMS/TABLING EVENTS</b></p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSLVhNLTRnSFdHUmc?resourcekey=0-FkCZ_nDBVmG2u7O9jlxZeg&usp=sharing" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Illusionology:</a><b> 3rd/4th grade outreach </b><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSLVhNLTRnSFdHUmc?resourcekey=0-FkCZ_nDBVmG2u7O9jlxZeg&usp=sharing" target="_blank">(direct link to files)</a></p><p><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/04/making-connections-family-nights-and.html" target="_blank"><b>Tips for outreach I learned from brewfests</b> </a>(really)</p><p><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2017/08/prizeless-prize-wheel-my-new-favorite.html" target="_blank"><b>Prizeless prize wheel: my new favorite outreach tool!</b></a></p><p><b><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/robots-vs-aliens-second-grade-outreach.html" target="_blank">Robots vs. Aliens: 2nd grade-ish outreach </a>: </b>here's <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSLUlFQUphTzdGNk0?resourcekey=0-rgyxfLG9OnWytkj2YvQBjQ&usp=sharing" target="_blank">the direct link </a>to the script and files</p><p><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/12/kindergarten1st-grade-librarian-class.html" target="_blank"><b>K-1 Class visit featuring The Book with No Pictures:</b></a> this summer I gave my nephew, who just started first grade, his first ever reading of this book. Gotta say 6-7 is the PERFECT age for "Book w no pic" (ahem...the quote is a YS Internet Library joke from 2015 about the ubiquitousness of using and suggesting the book, but hey. What I lack in up-to-date jokes I make up for by writing in excess of one or fewer blog posts every year). <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/12/kindergarten1st-grade-librarian-class.html" target="_blank">Here are the direct files</a>!</p><p><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/05/tic-tac-toesimon-says-mashup-game.html" target="_blank"><b>Tic-Tac-Toe/Simon Says Mashup Game</b></a></p><p><a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/10/early-literacy-advocacy-for-elected.html" target="_blank"><b>Early Literacy for Elected Officials with Research</b></a></p><p>I've written up <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/programming" target="_blank">a lot more programs</a> through the years,which again, are debatedly outdated AF (except for my guest posters and former intern Jennifer, you are all eternal) but could be a great stepping stone for getting into event programs for your library.</p><p><br /></p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-88656406008223258212022-04-22T07:00:00.002-07:002022-06-16T14:20:48.084-07:00This Summer: The Disability Community in the Library: the course!<p>This Summer, it's the return of my online course, "<a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/disability-community-in-the-library/" target="_blank">The Disability Community in the Library"</a>! Join me July 11-August 21, 2022. <b>Register by June 27, 2022 for a 10% discount!</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Unsure if this course is for you? Need some help justifying this course to your admin? Read on for more information!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP1QkRq3BoXKWBnnArWpfojI-CX_F01-e-1eM_oQ3hrGICbDc6cQIsXISskPY_uqtGbZNQhhoIm4HB0Q0VrMKKgdIeoa-dUrzTQK1mtZbGyyTZnyz8A_LMVtlmHCbFy8BGgqP-WcOMOiV44mKEC9aI61CIctqPZlbH4vXdwHSfyvgGuXrJDXlJqqb/s800/sara%20bdp%20accessibility%20series%20blog%20post%20image2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Accessbility Series logo by OnaRoll Designs" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP1QkRq3BoXKWBnnArWpfojI-CX_F01-e-1eM_oQ3hrGICbDc6cQIsXISskPY_uqtGbZNQhhoIm4HB0Q0VrMKKgdIeoa-dUrzTQK1mtZbGyyTZnyz8A_LMVtlmHCbFy8BGgqP-WcOMOiV44mKEC9aI61CIctqPZlbH4vXdwHSfyvgGuXrJDXlJqqb/w320-h320/sara%20bdp%20accessibility%20series%20blog%20post%20image2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The goal of this course is to have students emerge as passionate advocates of the disability community, armed with actionable ways to create and maintain inclusive services, spaces, and collections. Several of my past class members identified as people with disabilities, and they communicated how empowered they were to become self advocates. A former student, Jennifer, <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2020/07/oregon-city-public-library-disability.html" target="_blank">wrote in 2020 about all the changes her library was able to make as a result of her involvement in this course</a>. We actually did a <a href="https://www.olaweb.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=510&Itemid=137&year=2021&month=04&day=06&title=ola-pre-conference--inspirations-burdens-and-other-lies-the-disability-community-in-the-library&uid=4101463bbaf98bce894d00eae4ac693d" target="_blank">preconference together at a state conference!</a></p><p><br /></p><p>There is an increasing about of interest in accessible services and programming, and there is even a <a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/designing-accessible-spaces" target="_blank">continuing ed class on designing accessible spaces </a>through UW Madison!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>So: how do you know if this class is the right one for you?</b></p><p>My course has some starting places for building accessible spaces, but it is much more about digging into the history of the disability community, examining why accessibility often seems like such a low priority, and challenging yourself and your workplace to work toward being more accessible and inclusive. I am not an expert in PWD except in my own lived experience and through conversations that nondisabled people are not privy to.</p><p>If you already have some knowledge about the "why" inclusion is important, and your staff seems ready to welcome disabled people in your library, I would definitely encourage you to take a class on specifically creating accessible spaces.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>What this course is:</b></p><p><b>A deep dive into imbedded beliefs</b> about people with disabilities, and a guide forward to adjust your lens.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>A possible way forward.</b> Once you rework your personal framing of PWD (or work on your internalized ableism if you are disabled) through exposing the abled narrative and learning the history of the ADA, you'll: get an introduction to design thinking to support all patrons including disabled patrons and workers; evaluate books for good (okay, decent and not completely harmful. We have a long way to go) representation of disability; and how to start advocating for PWD in your library, including resources to find organizations to partner with in order to create programs and services that will actually be meaningful to PWD.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>A support network and access to a disabled perspective you may not otherwise get.</b> Every week, you engage with the material along with your classmates, in the discussion forums. These forums are places for you to explore the material together. I will provide gentle guidance and resources to help dispel misconceptions. As long as the conversations are in good faith and do not break my course's cardinal rule ("The humanity of disabled people, and our right and desire to pursue work in and to patronize public libraries are not up for debate in this course"), they will be carefully considered and responded to with links, information, and personal anecdotes to clarify things.</p><p>Some examples of things that have come up in past classes that I probably wouldn't otherwise spend time clarifying are:</p><p>-that disabled people are childlike and need to be coddled</p><p>-that disabled people are lazy if they don't "overcome" their disability/anecdotes about relatives that "use their disability as an excuse"</p><p>-"I can't imagine that happening"/ "that article was obviously an extreme case"</p><p>-debunking disability simulations</p><p>...and more!</p><p><b>If you're ready to take the leap and advocate for your library as a welcoming space that disabled people can and want to be, it would be great to see you Join me July 11-August 21, 2022. </b></p><p><b><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/disability-community-in-the-library/" target="_blank">Register here!</a></b></p><p>Need more help deciding if this is for you? Email me at brycekozla at gmail dot com and we can talk it through!</p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-41593535975588349712022-03-01T07:00:00.001-08:002022-03-01T10:08:26.780-08:00Anti-filicide toolkit for the Disability Day of Mourning<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>M<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">arch 1st of every year is observed as the Disability Day of Mourning to remember disabled victims of filicide–disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://disability-memorial.org/&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw1ve1H-dG0sDidDm8f1v5gS" href="https://disability-memorial.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">The memorial site can be found here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8GLXQglFgWbTV_H5DhI6A3Bn6x3oFY8ennsy6_ZqsXi9iB-o0ZR-TRJsYcL2XlP73-sLxNdAQd3xJV3ohX4kIloD2shRxI3Ic4jEscD4zM5vxjvQPlRuPPUp6VoYQ_LRfl-Li4S_64BTYW6KJGs7t91VLYDS5tpdLTHXLZdfl1ibbyVZjAvBmGtu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="1200" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8GLXQglFgWbTV_H5DhI6A3Bn6x3oFY8ennsy6_ZqsXi9iB-o0ZR-TRJsYcL2XlP73-sLxNdAQd3xJV3ohX4kIloD2shRxI3Ic4jEscD4zM5vxjvQPlRuPPUp6VoYQ_LRfl-Li4S_64BTYW6KJGs7t91VLYDS5tpdLTHXLZdfl1ibbyVZjAvBmGtu=w400-h94" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to be sure to share this <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://autisticadvocacy.org/projects/community/mourning/anti-filicide/&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw2nOVYt7HI5QtfpgcUtvbZp" href="https://autisticadvocacy.org/projects/community/mourning/anti-filicide/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Anti-filicide toolkit </a>created by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. As trusted members of our communities, library staff and other information professionals can help as a support for the disability community and caregivers. I've written about some small ways we can be inclusive and disrupt isolation in the past:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/10/responding-to-caregivers-looking-for.html&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw3Sa3GTxkze0v6eFyc4T8Ca" href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/10/responding-to-caregivers-looking-for.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Responding the Caregivers Looking for Information on Disability</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/06/i-have-mind-of-infant-mental-age-theory.html&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw0kWRAqtOzEVWnoWt9frUMm" href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/06/i-have-mind-of-infant-mental-age-theory.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">I Have the Mind of an Infant: Mental Age Theory in Libraries</a><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2017/09/accommodations-and-ada-writing-policy.html&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw3G5X9P-rt-NQtzaoCWrmzR" href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2017/09/accommodations-and-ada-writing-policy.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Accommodations and the ADA: Writing Policy to Exception</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-can-i-tell-if-this-is-harmful.html&source=gmail&ust=1646243699997000&usg=AOvVaw0yIphUTyIGJx8FAZ9O2DAL" href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-can-i-tell-if-this-is-harmful.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How Can I Tell if This is a Harmful Representation of Disability?</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Related, I wanted to share <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw3256SkN0k">this recent video by Ask a Mortician</a> about the considerations made-or not- for architecture vs. human lives. It names a library in New York, and I couldn't help but make additional connections between library concerns for aesthetic rather than accessibility.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Apologies for not being around lately. It's been A Time. Will check in again soon.</div>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-72406080746400599862021-08-02T07:00:00.008-07:002021-08-02T11:31:53.024-07:00Join Me: Trauma-Informed Care in Libraries Starts Sept 13<p> WE GOT A NEW KITTEN</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-EPl1uVP1o/YQgh_Z8M54I/AAAAAAAASko/JrC2_mp6mYcQf7cTzJarhJdAPZGvsUzAgCPcBGAsYHg/s4160/IMG_20210707_132834740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An orange manx kitten sitting on a lap in from of a laptop computer" border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-EPl1uVP1o/YQgh_Z8M54I/AAAAAAAASko/JrC2_mp6mYcQf7cTzJarhJdAPZGvsUzAgCPcBGAsYHg/w320-h240/IMG_20210707_132834740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>This is Hacksaw. Stubbins (19) and Larry (11) are still around; Caleb and I just figured it was good timing. Caleb has always wanted an orange manx!</p><p>Okay, so now I got that out of the way:</p><p><b><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries </a>starts September 13!</b></p><p><b><i>Sign up by August 30 for a 10% discount.</i></b></p><div>Like <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">my past, well-reviewed courses</a>, this course is designed to have an <b>extremely reasonable workload and will be a mix of reflection, action, and tips you can use right away. </b>The class is asynchronous, which means we won't be meeting live and you can engage with each week's content when you can. Each week there will be one or two discussion questions. There will be final project that will consist of anything that will help you going forward (a presentation to your board, a letter to your director, a blue print, something else? It's up to you!).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>As always with my courses, you're welcome to download all the material to share among others in your library, so I hope you will see this as a good investment. </b>Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries is steeped in my lived experience and so may be different from other training you may have gotten about these concepts.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>NOTE: </b>This course has been well-reviewed by students who have lived experience in trauma. <b>While I do have some tips that work for me peppered in the content, this course is not a therapy support group and I am not a medical professional. </b>This course can give you some insight into what might be going on with your brain/central nervous system right now, but it is not a cure for your stress. I say this not to be mean but to manage expectations. If you are looking for more things like mindfulness practices, I'd like to suggest you look into activities related to <a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy/" target="_blank">dialectical behavioral therapy</a>. It covers mindfulness as well as interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Ready to register? <a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Sign up here.</a> </b>Last time my roster and the waitlist filled quickly!</div><div>Want to read more about my take on trauma-informed care? <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/trauma" target="_blank">Click here to check out the "trauma" tag.</a></div></div><div><br /></div>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-46637989636881549712021-04-27T07:00:00.001-07:002021-04-27T09:40:19.343-07:00How Can I Tell If This is a Harmful Representation of Disability?<p>A few weeks ago, I was honored to present a preconference on disability justice in libraries with a <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2020/07/oregon-city-public-library-disability.html">former student, Jennifer.</a> It was awesome to talk about the overarching lies that the abled narrative tells us and having Jennifer talk about the ways that her library is countering these lies right now.</p><p>As I continue to learn and grow in my understanding of disability justice, my preconference (<i>Inspirations, Burdens, and Other Lies: The Disability Community in the Library</i>) <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/accessibility">continues to grow with me through many iterations</a>, from the confronting name change to the examples I cover to how I cover it. The following is information that didn't make it into the presentation this time, but it was referenced and provided afterward.</p><p>This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but is definitely a starting off point. I hope you find it helpful!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rowA8crmTY8/YIg9QEl1R0I/AAAAAAAAR6I/XCV9XQKVaN0BdeDVz36CyqCmVCa7utaOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Trauma-informed%2Bcare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""Books and Media: A Disability Justice Approach"" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rowA8crmTY8/YIg9QEl1R0I/AAAAAAAAR6I/XCV9XQKVaN0BdeDVz36CyqCmVCa7utaOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h320/Trauma-informed%2Bcare.png" title=""Books and Media: A Disability Justice Approach" on a blue background" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When evaluating titles to recommend about disability, here are some things you’ll want to consider:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>-Does the book focus on the experiences of a disabled character, or does it focus more on an abled sibling or friend and experiences of the disabled character from their perspective?</b> A lot of media has been created from the perspective of abled people, leaving disabled people acutely aware of how we’re viewed and what society expects from us. Our self-esteem can consequently be formed around other people rather than our own self worth.</p><p><b>-Is the disabled character as fleshed out as other characters, or do they seem to not have thoughts or experiences independent of the abled characters?</b> Besides having few disabled main characters, disabled side characters often are a metaphor or a tool through which an abled main character grows as a person. A clear message to disabled people here is that we aren’t people in the same way abled people are people. This is untrue. Disabled people are people, just like abled people are people, and we deserve our own stories.</p><p><b>-Does the disabled character have special abilities, extraordinary wisdom, otherworldly patience and kindness, or another quality to “make up” for the disability and increase their worth to abled characters?</b> It can be great to see superheroes with disabilities, don’t get me wrong. But if a character is given powers so that it somehow compensates for their disability and makes them “good enough” to exist, disabled readers without superpowers can learn that they aren’t “good enough” just as they are.</p><p><b>-Are any good traits of the disabled character qualified in terms of their disability? </b>(examples: “She was so stunning I hardly noticed her crutches”; “she was surprisingly smart for someone with her condition”) Disabled people have plenty of good qualities that don’t need to be couched in relation to disability; but lines like this tell disabled people plenty about how our worth will be measured.</p><p><b>-Can the character be happy living with their disability, or does their happiness increase when they do things that may be medically ill-advised in order to be more like abled people?</b> Does a disabled person go against medical advice to show how brave or spontaneous they are? This is a common trope where a disability is a metaphor for something “holding back” an abled person. Abled people can read books with this theme and feel inspired. What disabled people learn is that we’ll never live a full life because we are disabled. This is untrue, and harmful.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>-Does the character need to “overcome” their disability to achieve success, or is success possible with a disability? </b>Disabled people are under no obligation to overcome their disability; living with a disability in itself is pretty badass. Unfortunately, media rarely teaches this message. Instead, we’re taught that we need a narrative of overcoming disability in order to claim space among abled people, or to explain and then minimize our disabilities in order to fit in.</p><p><b>-Are analogies made about abled characters “overcoming” negative traits like meanness and disabled characters “overcoming” disability, as if disability and meanness are the same? </b></p><p>One way media uses disability as a metaphor is for a disabled character to overcome their disability while an abled character overcomes their past as a bully, for instance, being forever changed by the disabled character. Aside from the disabled person being used as a prop, it’s a tall order to burden disabled readers with the expectation that their disability means they need to have superhuman kindness and compassion. The world can be frustrating for disabled people, and there should be room for us to display anger and annoyance as well as gratitude. It’s not our job to teach abled people to be basically decent humans. These types of tropes, however, teach us that we shouldn’t automatically expect respect or even basic human decency from abled people, and any negative interaction is up to us to rectify.</p><p><b>-Does the disabled character spend a lot of time wishing they were abled? </b>Just because it’s difficult for abled writers to imagine being content with living as a disabled person, doesn’t mean that disabled people constantly curse their luck. If we do, it’s mostly because of reminders that abled people don’t have to plan as much as we do, and can generally expect their basic access needs will be met at any given time. A disabled person could learn through media that we are expected to dislike our disabilities, which can be detrimental to our self-esteem.</p><p><b>-Are there any anti-disability slurs in the book? </b>Do characters use the r-word? What about words like “m*ron” or “cr*zy”? There are lots of imaginative negative words to use without resorting to shortcuts to describe antagonists in a story, even if these words are used in dialogue to demonstrate how “mean” a character is.</p><p><b>-As a reader, how do you feel about the disabled character in general?</b> As a whole, what does this book communicate to the reader about disability? What would this book add to a disabled reader’s self-concept? This is basically what it boils down to. Admittedly, it can be difficult to gauge whether a book or movie is a good representation of disability. But it can help to try to answer the question of what this media told you about the disabled experience. <b>If you’re left feeling grateful you’re not the disabled character, that’s not a good sign.</b></p><p> The truth is, decent representation--and especially #ownvoices titles -- are so few and far between that if you recognize the above tropes, a piece of media may still be an important piece of your collection until a time when it can be weeded and replaced by a more worthy representation, lest disabled children don't see themselves on your shelves at all (this is a point I would make about disability specifically, and only in some cases. It is possible for nothing to be better than something if that something is harmful to a child's fragile and growing sense of self). But promotion, obviously, is different.</p><p>I know that we can't always know everything about a book before we order it, and we rely on reviews a lot. One more way the abled narrative finds its way into publishing is in reviews themselves. <a href="https://nicolagriffith.com/2018/04/02/how-ableism-affects-a-book-review/">Here is an article by Nicola Griffith on spotting ableism in a book review.</a></p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-77633381853094985652021-03-31T07:00:00.002-07:002021-03-31T12:02:32.436-07:00Talking Trauma and Libraries on the Library Leadership Podcast<p> A few weeks ago, Adriane Herrick Juarez at the <a href="https://libraryleadershippodcast.com/">Library Leadership Podcast</a> reached out to me to be a guest on the show and talk about trauma-informed libraries. It was my first ever podcast! This conversation gave me the opportunity to give <a href="https://libraryleadershippodcast.com/77-trauma-informed-service-with-bryce-kozla/">a quick run-down of trauma-informed basics</a> in a way that I hadn't before outside of my course and training materials I made locally. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1174760946050293760/Knnfh9oT_400x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Circle with a white, blonde woman in a blazer smiling at the camera in front of a purple background" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1174760946050293760/Knnfh9oT_400x400.jpg" title="LibraryLeadership Podcast logo" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I recorded this on a Friday evening, after I had facilitated a 2-hour meeting and attended one more. As such, I broke one of my personal <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-shy-librarians-guide-to-presenting.html">cardinal rules of presenting </a> and had about 4,000 cups of coffee that day. I stutter and mispronounce words I write but barely say. But, the content! The content is there!</p><p><b>New here?</b></p><p>If you're here because of the podcast, nice to meet you! I'm Bryce. I started this blog in 2011 with easy reader book reviews. They were terrible, so I quickly switched it up to talking about <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/field%20trip">field trips</a> and <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/programming">youth programming</a> and <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/reading%20research">reading research</a>. A few years ago, I turned tides again and started using this space to be vocal about <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/trauma">trauma</a> and <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/accessibility">disability justice</a> in libraries. What a bait-and-switch, eh? I swear I used to be funny, even!</p><p><b>Old here?</b></p><p><a href="https://libraryleadershippodcast.com/77-trauma-informed-service-with-bryce-kozla/">Head on over to listen to my episode of the Library Leadership Podcast</a>. I emphasize workforce wellness and quote Uncle Ben from Superman. I don't know if transcripts are ready yet, but I will send you the Q&A list (which is basically the transcript) if you email me at brycekozla at gmail.</p><p><b>Bonus Links:</b></p><p>I mention in the podcast that I recommend reading/watching Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. Here are the resources I mention:</p><p><a href="https://traumastewardship.com/inside-the-book-2/">The Age of Overwhelm: Strategies for the Long Haul</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOzDGrcvmus">Beyond the Cliff</a></p><p>I couldn't have a post like this without a shout-out to <a href="https://renewerslis.wordpress.com/">Renewals: Promoting Empathy and Self-Preservation in the Workplace.</a> I really admire Kaetrena Davis Kendrick's award-winning work.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-70336014927695988982021-02-18T14:06:00.004-08:002021-02-22T11:17:08.755-08:00Trauma-Informed Communication: webinar recording and bonus links!<p> A couple weeks ago I got an email from my landlord with no context (just "please see attached" and a generically-named attachment. It was information about my utility bill. It looked like I had to pay something, but turns out I didn't.</p><p>Now, I know there's no way of them knowing that something like this would activate my stress response; but also, realistically, this is a pandemic. A time when we hear news stories everyday of people being evicted. A time when the housing and jobs crunch here in my area has only been exasperated by income loss across the community.</p><p>Did this notice activate my stress response? Yes. But did it also make me reflect on other interactions and inspire me to write to Emporia State with an idea for a new webinar? Also yes.</p><p>This webinar was tough to develop and present and I'm actually taking two days off work as a result (I did this without knowing how I'd feel just in case but: Thanks, Past-Bryce. You're the best. Love, Bryce). I share this just so you know where I'm at; I may not have the best time replying to emails right now. Thanks for understanding.</p><p>Here's the blurb for it for some more info:</p><p><i>2020 was quite the year, to put it mildly. 2021 promises new opportunities and challenges amid continued demands for normalcy against the backdrop of a collective traumatic event. Oh, by the way, did you respond to that email from a few weeks ago? No, the other one. There’s no doubt the pandemic and other high-profile crises are affecting our brains and our lives. How can we effectively communicate with one another in order to maintain trust and transparency for our staff and patrons?</i></p><p><i>Bryce Kozla, presenter of <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2020/05/being-trauma-informed-during-pandemic.html">“Being Trauma-Informed During a Pandemic”</a> is back with some go-to tips for successful interactions when possibly everyone involved is affected by prolonged, toxic stress.</i></p><p><a href="https://video.emporia.edu/media/Per+Your+Last+EmailA+Trauma-Informed+Communication+for+Trying+Times+%28and+All+the+Time%29/1_oqrnkk4w/137509381"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/oIIWKHJsW6utfl" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> </a></p><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><a href="https://video.emporia.edu/media/Per+Your+Last+EmailA+Trauma-Informed+Communication+for+Trying+Times+%28and+All+the+Time%29/1_oqrnkk4w/137509381"> <strong> </strong></a><strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/plsanders/trauma-informed-communication" target="_blank" title="Trauma informed communication">Trauma informed communication</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/plsanders" target="_blank">S Bryce Kozla</a></strong> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><a href="https://video.emporia.edu/media/Per+Your+Last+EmailA+Trauma-Informed+Communication+for+Trying+Times+%28and+All+the+Time%29/1_oqrnkk4w/137509381">Here's the recording. </a></div><p></p><div>There's a part in the middle where it cuts out for a minute, but it comes back, don't worry!</div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to make sure to share some links related to this presentation:</div><div><a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/community-incident-response/" target="_blank">Trauma Informed Oregon: COVID response</a></div><div><a href="https://traumastewardship.com/" target="_blank">Trauma Stewardship Institute</a></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/n_Z-gQx1FA4">Grounding/Safety Box example</a> (I like this one because it gets into explanations)</div><div><br /></div><div>I also wanted to be sure to highlight some other wonderful resources:</div><div><a href="https://blossom.heysummit.com/#">BLOSSOM: FREE virtual summit on wellness and libraries with a promising list of speakers</a></div><div><a href="https://www.thehealinghype.com/">The Healing Hype: Newsletter and Community by Nisha Mody</a></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/t46T79W-UdM" target="_blank">"Putting the Care Back in Self-Care" Webinar</a></div><div><a href="https://renewerslis.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Renewals: Promoting Civility and Self-Care in the Workplace</a></div><div><a href="https://captainawkward.com/2020/05/01/pandemic-productivity-life-hacks-from-a-deeply-unproductive-freaked-out-person/" target="_blank">"Pandemic! Productivity! Life! Hacks!" </a>(the title is a little tongue-and-cheek)</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you so much for your interest in this webinar. Hang in there.</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-78225830335383930902020-11-16T07:00:00.001-08:002020-11-16T11:26:18.652-08:00Call for Participation: Study on Accessibility and Makerspaces!<p> I'm delighted to share this awesome opportunity from Dr. Amelia Anderson and Dr. Abigail Phillips!:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJ3EAYbseK4/X5shxOa1ZWI/AAAAAAAAQM8/1gw9k0tZinITvjHb8PmKaZKKCQg6W6ttQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/accessibility%2Band%2Bmakerspaces.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJ3EAYbseK4/X5shxOa1ZWI/AAAAAAAAQM8/1gw9k0tZinITvjHb8PmKaZKKCQg6W6ttQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/accessibility%2Band%2Bmakerspaces.png" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"We are preparing a study about accessibility in public library makerspaces. This study will help to inform public librarians how to make their spaces more accessible for all, creating more inclusive libraries. <b>We want to know about your experiences in public libraries and in makerspaces. We will be conducting a series of focus groups with disability self-advocates and public librarians across the United States.</b></p><p>We would like to invite you to take part in this process, to share your knowledge and experiences with us. For your participation, you will receive a $30 Amazon gift card. Your involvement is voluntary. Any information you share with us will be kept private and confidential. <b>If you want to participate, please <a href="https://odu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cRTwvRkig7ERB1H" target="_blank">complete this brief online form</a>"</b></p><p>If you have any questions, please contact the principal investigators, Dr. Amelia Anderson and Dr. Abigail Phillips: amanders AT odu DOT edu ; abileigh AT uwm DOT edu"</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Accessibility in Making: Perspectives from Disability Self-Advocates is supported by <a href="https://www.imls.gov/" target="_blank">the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)</a> through the <a href="https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/national-leadership-grants-libraries" target="_blank">National Leadership Grants for Libraries</a>.</i></p>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-53884675663534953082020-09-09T07:00:00.015-07:002020-09-25T15:42:41.670-07:00Join me! Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries<p><b>UPDATE 9/25/2020: The class is now full! Here goes nothing...</b></p><p><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries, Oct 5-Nov 15 through UW-Madison iSchool.</a></p><p> So. Things are interesting, to say the least.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A cat sitting next to a computer, watching the screen" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRRoqDQJS64/X1k6OcR8XII/AAAAAAAAO1s/2fZCdVqrgNEUE2BmX0QtnKu6vYgOAxPhgCLcBGAsYHQ/w240-h320/IMG_20200402_093043164.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Larry attending a Zoom meeting" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For instance, Larry attends Zoom meetings.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">When I last taught <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/09/new-course-this-fall-trauma-informed.html" target="_blank">"Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries,"</a> one of my main objectives was to build empathy for people with backgrounds in trauma through sharing real-life experiences as myself, a person with a brain rewired to expect stress due to trauma. The course was approached with the assumption that there would be a mix of people who would see themselves in the content, people who had some familiarity with the content, and people who possibly needed some convincing that trauma isn't just some buzzword or excuse.</p><p>Well, times have changed since *checks post date* last September. My <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2020/05/being-trauma-informed-during-pandemic.html" target="_blank">April 30 webinar on trauma responses during a pandemic</a> has been viewed over THREE THOUSAND times. Only like 5 of those were my parents (Twenty, tops). Every day there's new evidence of a population whose brains are overflowing with stress and are acting on ill-planned, counter-intuitive, and counterproductive attempts at self-preservation (to be clear, I'm talking about people who ignore reasonable health guidelines and/or are violent about their need for a haircut, for instance; and not people protesting police brutality). Amid this backdrop public-facing service workers are being met with vitriol for trying to keep themselves and the community safe.</p><p>The need for a commitment to trauma-informed principles is, I'd say, pretty clear.</p><p>My course on this topic is not the do-all-end-all in healing the world, but it can help you and your colleagues approach work in a way that is helpful for everyone (including yourselves).</p><p><b>Topics I'll cover include:</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><p></p><p>-What “trauma-informed” means in a library context</p><p>-Toxic stress and the brain, and what that means for our work interactions </p><p>-Applying trauma-informed principles to library work</p><p>-The importance of workforce wellness in a Trauma-Informed approach</p><p>-An introduction to the concepts of historical trauma and institutional oppression </p><p><b>The class runs October 5-November 15. <a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Sign up by September 21 for a 10% discount!</a></b></p><div>Like <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">my past, well-reviewed courses</a>, this course is designed to have an <b>extremely reasonable workload and will be a mix of reflection, action, and tips you can use right away. </b>The class is asynchronous, which means we won't be meeting live and you can engage with each week's content when you can. Each week there will be one or two discussion questions. There will be final project that will consist of anything that will help you going forward (a presentation to your board, a letter to your director, a blue print, something else? It's up to you!).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>As always with my courses, you're welcome to download all the material to share among others in your library, so I hope you will see this as a good investment. </b>Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries is steeped in my lived experience and so may be different from other training you may have gotten about these concepts.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>NOTE: </b>While this course has been well-reviewed by students who have backgrounds in trauma, I'm in the process of updating the content some to reflect the collective trauma of the pandemic. <b>While I do have some tips that work for me peppered in the content, this course is not a therapy support group and I am not a medical professional. </b>This course can give you some insight into what might be going on with your brain/central nervous system right now, but it is not a cure for your stress. I say this not to be mean but to manage expectations. If you are looking for more things like mindfulness practices, I'd like to suggest you look into activities related to <a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy/" target="_blank">dialectical behavioral therapy</a>. It covers mindfulness as well as interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ready to register? <a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Sign up here.</a></div><div>Want to read more about my take on trauma-informed care? <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/trauma" target="_blank">Click here to check out the "trauma" tag.</a></div>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-10278623976167539362020-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:002020-07-01T14:41:42.890-07:00Oregon City Public Library: The Disability Community in the Library<i>Bryce note: Long time, I know. I hope to catch y'all up at some point. I hope you're hanging in there. Black Lives Matter. Trans Women are Women. Healthcare is a Right. Access is Love.</i><br />
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</i> <i>This summer, I'm running my course "The Disability Community in the Library" through the UW-SLIS iSchool. If you want more information on what that would entail, <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">here's a post I wrote </a> about what to expect. <b><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/disability-community-in-the-library/" target="_blank">Register here to join me July 13-August 23</a>!</b></i><br />
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</i> <i>This time, I thought I'd turn over my course announcement post to Jennifer Giovanetti at Oregon City Library, who has done A TON for the disability community since taking my course in the Fall of 2018.</i><br />
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</i> <i><b>OR library staff: if you're interested in this course, please look forward to an upcoming free professional development opportunity with the State Library of Oregon. </b></i><br />
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</b></i> <i>And now, handing it over to Jen:</i><br />
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<br /><br /><b>Oregon City Public Library: The Disability Community in the Library<br /><u>B.A.M (Because Accessibility Matters)</u></b><br /><br />The Oregon City Public Library is dedicated to serving its whole community as equitably and inclusively as possible. Our mission is to empower every Youth, Adult and Senior in our service area through:<br /><br /><br /><ul>
<li>Innovative and varied resources and programs</li>
<li>Responsive, well trained and personable staff</li>
<li>Connections to other community resources and events</li>
<li>Inclusive, accessible services to all</li>
<li>Welcoming spaces to gather and build community </li>
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<br />To this end the library has made sincere efforts to ensure that we are serving our whole community including those that are often most marginalized. When library staff noticed that there seemed to be a significant community of adults with disabilities that visited the library, we knew that we wanted to be more intentional about reaching out and serving this part of our library community. We also knew that the best way to do this was to start by educating ourselves about how to best serve this community. This is where Bryce’s class “The Disability Community in the Public Library” came in. After taking this class through the University of Wisconsin, Library staff member Jennifer Giovanetti, began making community connections and developing the B.A.M. (Because Accessibility Matters) program for the Oregon City Public Library to help better serve people with disabilities in the community. Below are some of the things that the Oregon City Library has implemented specifically with our disability community in mind:<br /><br /><ul>
<li>Creation of the Library Accessibility webpage <a href="https://www.orcity.org/library/accessibility">https://www.orcity.org/library/accessibility</a></li>
</ul>
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<li><b>Universal Design</b> Building Considerations: Since our building was fairly recently renovated and an addition was added in 2016, ADA requirements and Universal Design considerations were implemented as part of the building process. The Oregon City library building, as a whole, is highly accessible and all staff are encouraged to keep aware of any building accessibility or safety issues and report them to management or the disability community liaison (ie. Jen). </li>
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<li>Some recent additions have been: Automatic bathroom doors, PAC accessibility station, and on-going evaluation of building accessibility. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>B.A.M Advisory Council:</b> The formation of an advisory committee was key to learning (from the Disability Community itself) how the library could better serve its community members. The B.A.M. Advisory Council is comprised of members of Local Disability organizations, providers and caregivers who with serve people with disabilities, library Board member, staff, and people with disabilities from the local community.</li>
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<li>Council Mission: <i>The mission of the B.A.M (Because Accessibility Matters) Advisory Council for People with Disabilities will be to serve as a resource to the Oregon City Library addressing accessibility issues, equal rights, removing barriers and promoting opportunities and programs for individuals with disabilities. What we envision is a community group where everyone understands the importance of equal participation and full inclusion of all citizens and is committed to making the Oregon City Library a more accessible place to visit and enjoy for people living with disabilities. </i></li>
</ul>
<li><b>BAM Programming:</b> We started with our highly popular Art Lab program. This was a program that had been designed for Kids and Families, but one that we knew the disability community had been attending and really enjoying. With this in mind, we decided to make an adult version designed especially for Adults with Disabilities and to have the program open to everyone! Starting with something we knew the community already enjoyed helped with the early success of the B.A.M. programming. Other programming ideas grew out of suggestions made by Advisory Council members and BAM program attendees. Below are the on-going B.A.M. programs that the library offers. Of course, much of this is now cancelled/on-hold until the Library re-opens but, we will be starting a new B.A.M. virtual program in June! </li>
<li><b>B.A.M. Art Lab:</b> Monthly Art Class <a href="https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-art-lab">https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-art-lab</a></li>
<li><b>B.A.M. Lego Lab:</b> Monthly open LEGO studio <a href="https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-lego-lab">https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-lego-lab</a></li>
<li><b>B.A.M. Academy:</b> Monthly series of classes on topics of interest to the disability community (ASL, Emergency Preparedness, Self Determination, Container Gardening, etc.) <a href="https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-academy">https://www.orcity.org/library/bam-academy</a></li>
<li><b>B.A.M. Make-it Together </b>(coming in June!): Maker program using Creative Bug </li>
<li><b>On-going Education & Advocacy!</b></li>
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Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-33833147691808557802020-05-02T13:43:00.000-07:002020-05-02T13:43:16.362-07:00Being Trauma-Informed During a Pandemic: Webinar Archive and Other LinksA few weeks ago, Emporia State put out a call to people who were going to present at the Oregon Library Association's annual conference to see if we'd be willing to turn our workshops into webinars. I had a great preconference in the works with a former student from my <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">Disability Community in the Library</a> course, but that wouldn't fit into a 40-minute webinar. I instead proposed a webinar on <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2020/03/wtf-is-happening-to-your-brain-and-what.html" target="_blank">"WTF is happening to your brain"</a>, and was accepted. I figured I'd piece together a couple of other resources I made and bam! Easy-peasy.<br />
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HAHAHAH welp, the VERY last thing my brain wanted to let me do during a pandemic was write about dealing with trauma during a pandemic. </div>
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<a href="https://video.emporia.edu/media/Being+Trauma-Informed+During+a+PandemicA+An+Introduction+for+Library+Staff/0_0q6izo9v/137509381" target="_blank"><br />
</a></div>
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<a href="https://video.emporia.edu/media/Being+Trauma-Informed+During+a+PandemicA+An+Introduction+for+Library+Staff/0_0q6izo9v/137509381" target="_blank">Anyway, here it is.</a></div>
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If you need a transcript of the webinar for personal use, feel free to email me at brycekozla at gmail.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/2bLNNmIjToi5EM" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/secret/2bLNNmIjToi5EM" target="_blank" title="Trauma informed care + pandemic ppt">Trauma informed care + pandemic ppt</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/plsanders" target="_blank">S Bryce Kozla</a></strong> </div>
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I only practiced it once before the live viewing, and I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon. <b>If you watch it and want to process it with someone, please do that with someone who is not me unless you know me personally, thanks.</b> I've talked before about<a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-power-of-validation.html" target="_blank"> the power of validation </a>before and as much as I appreciate where this is coming from, I need to invest my energy in specific places right now. (<b>this is not for people who have already reached out to me</b>, because this is a boundary I didn't set until right now. Thank you)</div>
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I'll talk about less heavy stuff all day though. Have you heard about <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/07/its-here-fostering-readers-free-toolkit.html" target="_blank">Fostering Readers</a>? </div>
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One thing I wanted to make sure to say plainly because I didn't in my presentation: the pandemic is hitting BIPOC communities harder than white communities. There is also a lot of historical trauma and institutional oppression rearing its head for many marginalized communities when dealing with work, government benefits, and hospitals.<b>This is NOT the time to say that equity and inclusion is not a priority. They are CENTRAL to the health of your staff and community. ALL of the time.</b></div>
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I wanted to make sure to share some links that were mentioned in the presentation:</div>
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<a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/community-incident-response/" target="_blank">Trauma Informed Oregon: COVID response</a></div>
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<a href="https://eponis.tumblr.com/post/113798088670/everything-is-awful-and-im-not-okay-questions-to" target="_blank">Everything Is Awful and I'm not Okay</a></div>
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<a href="https://youfeellikeshit.com/" target="_blank">You Feel Like Sh**</a></div>
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<a href="https://traumastewardship.com/" target="_blank">Trauma Stewardship Institute</a></div>
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I also wanted to be sure to highlight some other wonderful resources:</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/t46T79W-UdM" target="_blank">"Putting the Care Back in Self-Care" Webinar</a></div>
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<a href="https://acrl.ala.org/dh/2020/04/30/post-remote-managing-in-the-time-of-corona/" target="_blank">"Remote Managing in the Time of Corona"</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/librevolution-free-library-web-conference-tickets-102303616872?aff=erelexpmlt" target="_blank">"#LIBREV(olution)" Free Web Conference</a>"</div>
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<a href="https://renewerslis.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Renewals: Promoting Civility and Self-Care in the Workplace</a></div>
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<a href="https://captainawkward.com/2020/05/01/pandemic-productivity-life-hacks-from-a-deeply-unproductive-freaked-out-person/" target="_blank">"Pandemic! Productivity! Life! Hacks!" </a>(the title is a little tongue-and-cheek)</div>
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Thank you so much for your interest in this webinar. Hang in there.<br />
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Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-9543431731516654502020-03-25T07:00:00.000-07:002020-03-27T10:01:03.203-07:00WTF Is Happening to Your Brain and What You Can Do About ItThere's been something I've been thinking about a lot lately but haven't really had the energy to talk about it in any comprehensive way.<br />
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I still don't think I'm going to, because <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/06/investing-energy-whats-working-for-me.html" target="_blank">investing energy where it needs to go</a> is incredibly important right now. But I will say this:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Visiting this blog, right here, right now, I am allowing you the space to admit and accept that what we're going through is a stressful and potentially traumatizing situation.</b><br />
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People are different. Two people can experience the exact same thing and one can emerge traumatized and the other unscathed.<br />
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One thing that might help right now is knowing what might be going on with your brain and central nervous system. The following is something I shared yesterday with friends and family. It's based on the training I received from <a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Oregon</a>, which led to me to create a unique <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/09/new-course-this-fall-trauma-informed.html" target="_blank">introductory course in Trauma-Informed Care that is library-specific</a>. It's not a lot but I hope it helps.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>"WTF Is Happening to My Brain?"</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4g3HkCUzuY/Xnu8E68JTVI/AAAAAAAALY8/6dC6STPpUx8uVp_GvEXgL3mFPWpwbuP0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Three-Types-of-Stress-1024x732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The three types of stress: positive, tolerable, and toxic. Information in the image is explained below" border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1024" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4g3HkCUzuY/Xnu8E68JTVI/AAAAAAAALY8/6dC6STPpUx8uVp_GvEXgL3mFPWpwbuP0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Three-Types-of-Stress-1024x732.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/" target="_blank">the Center on the Developing Child</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There are three kinds of stress:<br />
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<b>Positive stress:</b> meeting someone new, public speaking you agreed to, etc. You may feel a spike of adrenaline but you know you're mostly safe and it's over soon.<br />
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<b>Tolerable stress:</b> this stress is difficult to manage but you know there is a time ahead when that specific stress will be gone, like planning a wedding.<br />
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<b>Toxic stress:</b> this stress is negative, prolonged, and you are unable to see an end. Your brain may adapt to a new normal by rewiring itself to constantly expect stress. This is a self-preservation mechanism, but can remain once you've left the stressful or dangerous situation. This is one way people get PTSD.<br />
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Right now, a lot of people might feel like they are experiencing tolerable stress and teetering toward toxic stress.<br />
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<b>"What Can I Do About It?"</b><br />
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It is important to note that the #1 way to buffer tolerable stress and keep it from becoming toxic is the <b>presence of supportive relationships.</b><br />
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(This is not to say that if you live with others you are more immune to toxic stress than those that live alone. "Supportive" is in there for a reason).<br />
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Our collective isolation can be particularly difficult right now because undue stress can cause us to crave <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-savvy-psychologist/202002/the-power-oxytocin" target="_blank">oxytocin, which is a stress relieving hormone we get through social interaction.</a><br />
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<b>So:</b> video chat. Group text/text old friends. Actually call people on the phone. Set up Xbox parties. It may feel silly at first, but this is a unique situation where EVERYONE is going through something similar. Hearing from each other can not only be fun, but can help buffer stress and maintain or increase our mental health.<br />
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<b>BONUS! Trauma-Informed Oregon has compiled<a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/community-incident-response/" target="_blank"> resources on Community Incident Response</a> (aka, what we're doing right now) to help us navigate the nebulousness of now with our staff and patrons.</b>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-7922387930450624772019-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:002020-01-06T13:55:29.705-08:00Why "What Happened to You?" Isn't Trauma-informedI just finished up my first run of my <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/09/new-course-this-fall-trauma-informed.html" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries</a> course.<br />
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I hope to run it again next year, but something came up that I felt I should clear up.<br />
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There are a lot of different training opportunities lately coming at trauma in the library at different angles.<br />
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Quite a few of them start attempting to shift thinking about trauma with the notion that trauma-informed care "seeks to shift the clinical perspective from 'what’s wrong with you' to 'what happened to you'". I can't pinpoint the origin of this quote, but it's been used by such respected organizations as <a href="https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/trauma-informed">SAMHSA.</a><br />
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This phrase, quite deliberately, does not appear in any of my training materials. That's because I don't believe it's true.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwefR6CKT1s/Xfu-CI3Ui0I/AAAAAAAAKdo/V-ITTBd7K7Ua9HuwdRXQ9_DMjHdMis-3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Trauma-informed%2Bcare%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="title text in black on a blue and green background" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwefR6CKT1s/Xfu-CI3Ui0I/AAAAAAAAKdo/V-ITTBd7K7Ua9HuwdRXQ9_DMjHdMis-3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Trauma-informed%2Bcare%2B%25281%2529.png" title="Trauma-Informed Care: A Disability Justice Approach" width="320" /></a></div>
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At its most basic, I can understand what this is trying to do: make people who have not experienced trauma that has reshaped their brains start to blame circumstance rather than the people themselves when they have a frustrating interaction. Apparently, wondering what happened to someone is supposed to build empathy so we can act more compassionately.<br />
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I humbly submit that thinking this way can have the opposite impact, and instead can inspire pity and possibly resentment. I also contend that asking this question isn't trauma-informed, and is potentially harmful. It also assumes that library staff <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2016/01/i-resolve-to-rock-in-2016-choice.html">do not have backgrounds in trauma, which is not universally true.</a><br />
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To demonstrate how this framing might be problematic: here's how a person whose brain has been rewired to expect stress might answer these questions, speaking from experience:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>What is wrong with you?</b><br />
"I'm frustrated", "I'm confused", "I'm pissed" or similar.<br />
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<b>What happened to you?</b><br />
Nothing.<br />
Plenty.<br />
Too much or too little for the shape I'm in, depending on the day.<br />
But to be honest? It's none of your damn business.<br />
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Now, I completely understand that these questions aren't supposed to be asked directly to the other person-- though, I'm unsure how much some trainings make that clear.<br />
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First of all, framing trauma-informed care through the lens of "what happened to you?" plays into the <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2019/02/three-lies-weve-learned-about.html">lies the abled narrative</a> tells us. Basically, it can frame neurodivergent people, like those with PTSD and other brain-related disabilities, <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/08/should-i-share-this-inspiring-story.html">as curious objects, "abnormal" medical oddities</a>. It plays into that lie that people with disabilities need to be <a href="https://crippledscholar.com/2017/08/12/okay-so-i-educated-1-nondisabled-person-only-6-billion-to-go/">prepared to educate at all times</a> and put their past traumatic experiences on front street in order to be believed.<br />
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Now: I GET IT, AGAIN, that these questions aren't intended to be asked of people, and are intended to inspire empathy; however, I assert that <a href="https://ollibean.com/ableism-and-pity-reject-them-be-awesome/">it can inspire pity</a>, regardless. "Putting yourself in another person's shoes" when it comes to disability doesn't work to cultivate empathy; but it CAN <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/disability-simulators-dont-work-but-there-are-other-ways-to-be-able-bodied-ally-75727">cultivate fear, discomfort, and doubt. </a> That's what<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550614559650"> the research says.</a><br />
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I also KIND OF feel like framing trauma-informed care in this way works in opposition to a core foundational aspect of trauma-informed care, at least as I understand it: <b>We cannot know who we encounter every day has experienced trauma. Trauma can affect anyone; and done right, trauma-informed care helps everyone.</b><br />
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<b>So what can we ask instead?</b><br />
I propose that Trauma-Informed Care, instead, compels us to ask:<br />
<b>"How can we succeed, together?"</b><br />
It could look something like this:<br />
-What do you have in place, in your environment and in interactions, that can keep a stress response from being activated?<br />
-What supports are in place for staff and patrons who have backgrounds in trauma?<br />
-What does a successful [interaction, recruitment/retention, display, environment, program, partnership] look like, and how can <a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/resources/trauma-informed-care-principles/">a trauma-informed approach help us get there</a>?<br />
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I get that the question "what happened to you?" attempts to add the context of trauma; but I propose that "how can we succeed together?" can help us be mindful of all aspects that could influence an interaction/event (power/perceived power, "flipped lids", historical trauma, institutional oppression, bias, etc) in the context of the reality that we're currently experiencing.<br />
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As they say at <a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/">Trauma-Informed Oregon:</a> <b>Every interaction has the opportunity to be retraumatizing or healing; we may as well try to be healing!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-49433654610784768952019-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:002019-09-16T08:57:36.461-07:00New Course this Fall! Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction For LibrariesAs long-time readers may recall, I've been interested in and studying topics related to trauma since I <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/03/libraries-and-ace-study-iron-fist-joint.html" target="_blank">first learned about the Adverse Childhood Experiences study in 2013. </a> I've written <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/trauma" target="_blank">a lot related to trauma</a> since, and to be quite honest my research has transformed the way I approach my work, as well as my relationships to other people and the world in general. In April 2018, I was chosen by <a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Oregon</a> to be trained as a community trainer, and have developed and delivered library-specific training to local library staff, which has been well-received.<br />
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So I'm so pleased to announce that I will be running the course:<br />
<b><a href="https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/trauma-informed-care" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries</a> through UW-SLIS Continuing Education, November 4-December 15, 2019! Register before October 20 for a 10% discount!</b></div>
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Like <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">my past, well-reviewed courses</a>, this course is designed to have an <b>extremely reasonable workload and will be a mix of reflection, action, and tips you can use right away. </b>The class is asynchronous, which means we won't be meeting live and you can engage with each week's content when you can. Each week there will be one or two discussion questions. There will be final project that will consist of anything that will help you going forward (a presentation to your board, a letter to your director, a blue print, something else? It's up to you!).</div>
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<b>As always with my courses, you're welcome to download all the material to share among others in your library, so I hope you will see this as a good investment.</b></div>
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I've said on Twitter previously that preparing for this course has made my Disability Community in the Library course feel like Sunday brunch. Like that course, Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries is steeped in my lived experience and so may be different from other training you may have gotten about these concepts.</div>
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<b>Here's some of the topics we'll cover:</b><br />
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<a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><br />
-What “trauma-informed” means in a library context<br />
-Toxic stress and the brain, and what that means for our work interactions <br />
-Applying trauma-informed principles to library work<br />
-The importance of workforce wellness in a Trauma-Informed approach<br />
-An introduction to the concepts of historical trauma and institutional oppression, and how that is related to trauma-informed care </div>
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<b>You'll also get a candid look at the effects of trauma:</b><br />
-my personal experiences with this content, including what a stress response feels like<br />
-some behavioral tips in my personal toolkit to keep calm and present in stressful situations<br />
-examining willfulness and buffering against burnout<br />
...and more!<br />
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This course won't be fun, but hopefully it will be eye-opening and worth it for you.<br />
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Questions? Need some more information to justify it to your manager or director? Feel free to email me at brycekozla at gmail.<br />
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<b><i>Hope you'll join me November 4-December 15! Register by October 20 for a 10% discount.</i></b><br />
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Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-12865724568889461982019-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:002019-07-22T16:14:41.866-07:00It's here! Fostering Readers, a FREE Toolkit to Support Beginning Readers<i>[Bryce note: everyone, I AM PUMPED. After some dreaming and scheming over email and in a coffee shop in NE Portland back in 2016, my coworker Katie and I have been co-project-managers on an LSTA grant-funded initiative to help library and afterschool staff all over boost their programming, support, and confidence with beginning readers in grades K-3 (learn more about <a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/about.html" target="_blank">our story and our amazing team here</a>). </i><br />
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<i>I cannot even tell you what this means to me.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So here is the official press release.]</i><br />
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Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) and OregonASK are thrilled to announce the Fostering Readers resources are available to download and use in whatever way that makes sense for your library. These resources are designed to help you plan and implement fun research-based literacy programs for children in K-3rd grade who are learning to read.<br />
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We recruited two children’s librarians and two elementary reading specialists, two of whom are bilingual, to develop the Fostering Readers resources. The materials were tested and updated through a pilot project. All the resources are available at no cost to you on the Fostering Readers website. Resources include:<br />
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<b> <a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/plan-activities.html" target="_blank">Pre-made activity plans</a> </b>to get you started supporting K-3rd grade beginning readers<br />
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<b>Ideas for <a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/activity-stations-passive-programs.html" target="_blank">passive programming </a>and <a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/beginning-reader-storytimes.html" target="_blank">storytimes and book clubs</a></b> for beginning readers<br />
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<b><a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/get-handouts-and-more.html" target="_blank">Handouts</a> for parents and caregivers</b> to encourage reading at home<br />
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<a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/training.html" target="_blank"><b>Videos</b></a> that introduce research-based key elements and key strategies to enrich your K-3 activities with literacy<br />
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<b>An <a href="https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com/research-review.html" target="_blank">extensive research review</a> </b>with easily digestible key findings and implications<br />
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…and more!<br />
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To accommodate our large and growing population of Spanish-speakers, Fostering Readers handouts are available in both English and Spanish. In the materials, library and afterschool staff will find tips for working with families who speak languages other than English, and Spanish vocabulary to use with the activities.<br />
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<b> Preview some of the research-based key elements and strategies with these video playlists (just kidding they don't link to the playlists here they are:</b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW1ura2Rng5KB9yJQOUr0mjaioyHRupnL" target="_blank">Key Strategies</a></b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW1ura2Rng5K9EgaHoz6Xn-P1yVdic3E_" target="_blank">Key Elements</a>):</b><br />
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We hope that these materials will help library and afterschool staff:<br />
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Increase their knowledge of the reading process<br />
Feel more confident in supporting children who are learning to read and their families<br />
Plan, implement, and evaluate fun research-based literacy programs for children in K-3rd grade<br />
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Libraries and afterschool programs are essential community partners in the effort to increase the number of children reading at grade level by the end of third grade, which is a key indicator for high school graduation.<br />
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We are proud to provide you with Fostering Readers materials to champion this important work.<br />
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Fostering Readers is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.<br />
<br />Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-81135501895835744142019-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:002019-05-31T09:17:43.468-07:00A Rambling Ode to Summer ReadingSummer Reading starts here this weekend! My job doesn't include staffing a public service desk or anything, so I mostly spend my summer working on special projects to clear out to-do lists and set us up well for Quarter 2, which starts in September. I'll also do the occasional <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/12/so-youre-subbing-preschool-storytime.html" target="_blank">storytime subbing</a> or <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2017/08/prizeless-prize-wheel-my-new-favorite.html" target="_blank">tabling event.</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cannot WAIT to tell you about what this screenshot is from<br />(I also figured out alt-text on Blogger!)</td></tr>
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This year I am PRETTY PUMPED because my coworkers and I recently opened a request form for the local libraries to have us visit for whatever they'd like to talk about or show us and our local staff BROUGHT IT. So far, we've talked about collection development and dreamed big about scalable projects. This summer, I'll get to staff a station at a reading camp (<a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/programming" target="_blank">stations-based programming</a> was my jam for awhile) and help at other events. Next Friday I'm even shadowing a floor shift afterschool during Summer Reading.<br />
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One weird thing about my job: it's great for someone who loves youth services librarianship but doesn't like anything about actually being a youth services librarian. I don't think I'll ever be there, and I still miss a lot about SRP. I figured I'd share here something I wrote about it last year. It was in one, long, rambling comment, so I'm breaking it up:<br />
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Summer Reading is a weird and wonderful time.<br />
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The children's area is bustling with activity and you're working the service desk more.<br />
(My official desk time doubled. And then there's roaming the room).<br />
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You get to see kids you might never see otherwise, which is a blessing and a...not so blessing:<br />
lots of kids who might not know <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/search/label/child%20management" target="_blank">library behavior expectations</a><br />
and also probably don't see you as an authority<br />
can turn your area into a chaotic tornado<br />
for all but the couple minutes a day that an Adult Services librarian stops by<br />
and is like, "whooo, quiet day today huh?"<br />
and you sigh and continue to pick up the stack of 250 Pokemon graphic novels strewn across the floor in anticipation of the next wave of children<br />
(not dissimilar to the time between waves in Horde Mode in Gears of War, now that I think about it).<br />
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On the other hand, kids who may have never been to the library before<br />
or haven't been in FOREVER<br />
come in and are like,<br />
"I know you from somewhere..."<br />
or they're like, "Do you know ___? She's my friend. She came to my school"<br />
because oh yeah in May<br />
YOU VISIT EVERY SCHOOL IN YOUR AREA and they are all here to join Summer Reading to read or do other library-related activities over the summer<br />
because YOU TOLD THEM TO.<br />
<br />
And there are so many. So many.<br />
<br />
And if you're on your A-game readers' advisory-wise<br />
kids will ask you for good books and you will find the Perfect Book<br />
and they will come back and tell you every single thing about it<br />
and they might even become regulars once school starts again<br />
and you will become one of the Adults in Their Lives<br />
and they will tell you all about themselves<br />
and you'll swap favorite jokes and silly facts.<br />
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Oh then you are running all these big programs/events<br />
and local YMCAs unexpectedly bring 50 kids<br />
and your well-prepared program turns into some big, loud, chaotic mess<br />
but those kids still remember you next time<br />
and will tell you about all about their favorite dinosaurs<br />
<br />
or about this cool movie that they don't recall the name of<br />
but they will tell you the entire plot<br />
and you will ask if they think it might be the Little Mermaid<br />
and they will swear that it's not<br />
("but hey let me tell you about the rest of the plot of this one movie I saw<br />
that is clearly The Little Mermaid<br />
and also do you have The Little Mermaid on DVD?")<br />
<br />
and you look it up and there are 600 holds on it<br />
so you spend the next 30 minutes finding movies that are just enough like it to tide them over<br />
until their hold comes in (or until they forget).<br />
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And then if you're lucky THEY will come back,<br />
but not with their class,<br />
with their friends or their parents and then they become regulars<br />
and they find you and high five you<br />
when you're <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/03/ask-away-1-working-with-children-and.html" target="_blank">dressed to resemble a beer bottle in the Oktoberfest parade </a><br />
(okay this is getting a little specific)<br />
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All this to say Summer Reading is so draining but can be so rewarding<br />
so bring your kid to the library to join the Summer Reading program<br />
<br />
because making readers and library lovers out of your kids<br />
so that they become engaged community members who enjoy reading<br />
is literally what your YS staff is here for.=<br />
<br />
(Maybe bringing your library staff gifts would be nice too<br />
JUST KIDDING they can't accept your gifts HAHASOB<br />
but some patience and some thank yous will be really, really appreciated).<br />
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<b><i>What do you like best about Summer Reading?</i></b><br />
<b><i>Need to get pumped about SRP yourself? <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/05/bookmark-this-summer-reading-hype-videos.html" target="_blank">Check out these hype videos!</a></i></b><br />
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"Let this be our annual reminder<br />
That we can all be something bigger"<br />
--The Hold Steady<br />
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<br />Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-64790339209632623042019-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:002019-04-16T20:53:51.312-07:00Creating a Trauma-Informed PresentationBack in April of last year, I was one of 17 participants selected as part of a community cohort to be trained by <a href="https://traumainformedoregon.org/" target="_blank">Trauma-Informed Oregon </a>on trauma-informed care. The intent of these train-the-trainer workshops was for participants to take the material and make it specifically relevant to our organizations/industries. Knowing that libraries are "a helping profession" and that <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2016/01/i-resolve-to-rock-in-2016-choice.html" target="_blank">many of us come into with backgrounds in trauma</a>, I wanted to make my delivery of this content as trauma-informed as possible.<br />
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Last week, I held two "countywide conversation" sessions to introduce the concept of trauma-informed care to local staff. It was an in-person iteration of some of the internal Trauma-Informed Care training modules I created and posted on our extranet. A flipped-classroom model, I reasoned, would help staff process the material on their own before having to talk to anyone about it, and the sessions would allow room for discussion for those who'd want to talk about. I also prepared a presentation to introduce the material for these sessions, in the likely event that a staff person would want to attend but not have time to view the referenced modules beforehand (or would need an in-person intro to understand how trauma-informed care is meaningful to our work).<br />
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Having attended plenty of conference sessions that didn't take their own advice over the years, I set out to make this presentation as trauma-informed as possible.<br />
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Here are some considerations I made in order to achieve this goal. You might want to try them out for even unrelated presentations!<br />
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<b>Registration recommended, not required: </b>It's trauma-informed to have registration, so I could anticipate how many people would attend and plan accordingly. I also wanted to make it okay, however, for staff to feel like they could drop in without crashing the party (also trauma-informed). We got 30 registrations, and we ended up with 30 participants-- though, some registrants couldn't attend in the end, and some attendees didn't register. At the time I started planning, I had 22 registered and planned for 40 (so maybe +25-75% attendance if you wanted to try this).<br />
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<li><b>I also sent out a Doodle Poll before I opened registration so I could gauge the interest in all parts of the county.</b> The hope was that the highest amount of people who wanted to attend could be able to, and not have to travel across the county to do so. I didn't catch everyone this way, but I was able to do my best to make sure the locations were equitably chosen around the county.</li>
<li><b>Registration was open for two weeks, with a reminder a week before. </b>The registration email included a registration link, location and links to Google Maps of the locations, and the agenda with approximate times. If we had the time I might have opened the registration for longer, but we were butting up against local summer planning as it was.</li>
<li><b>Reminder email to attendees: </b>I collected the email addresses of registered attendees, and sent out an email to them the Monday of the sessions. I thanked them for registering, and then set out some expectations: there will be snacks but feel free to bring your favorite snack or drink; knitting and other fidgeting is welcome; and to dress however they felt best (whether that be sneakers or a suit).</li>
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<b>Coloring sheets and fidget toys: </b>I had ordered a box of assorted fidget toys online, but they hadn't arrived in time for the sessions. So I printed off some coloring sheets and brought some crayons to help attendees <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1440-1630.12224" target="_blank">mitigate stress and process information</a>. The coloring sheets and fidget toys now live in a basket in our conference room, and I'm intending to bring them to every meeting I can remember to bring them to!</div>
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<b>Voice Amplifier: </b>A few months ago <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zoweetek-Rechargeable-Microphone-Presentation-S308-Black/dp/B01GFXR49A/ref=pd_sim_b2b_5/147-6154761-4804801?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01GFXR49A&pd_rd_r=d61f8c31-60a6-11e9-a863-7767bbfe69e8&pd_rd_w=zKzp8&pd_rd_wg=cTgIt&pf_rd_p=dcfdcb09-d2eb-4188-bb91-71dad27375f9&pf_rd_r=111M5A4X8HVB294NMD0N&psc=1&refRID=111M5A4X8HVB294NMD0N" target="_blank">I got a voice amplifier</a> and I thought this would be a great place to try it out-- in meeting rooms with possible ambient noise. I'm blown away by how inexpensive it was and how good it works. I get not wanting to hook yourself up to a surround sound system for a few people (and yes, social anxiety is a real thing and no, introversion and social anxiety are not the same). Not only it is <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/01/accessibility-and-conference.html" target="_blank">an accessible practice to wear a mic</a> (calm down, abled people, please don't be self-righteous about the one thing you're actually committing to); once you do get into practice of it you'll realize just how noisy the rest of the world inside meeting rooms truly is. Best part about a voice amplifier for small gatherings is you just have to hook yourself and go, and if you DO have social anxiety you can turn it up enough to where everyone can hear but you don't "sound like you're on a mic", which could help with comfort.</div>
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<b>Housekeeping at the beginning of the presentation: </b>Things like duration, reminders, or behavior expectations (it's okay to stand or walk around, etc). Apologies but I do not care at all if the same Library Thought Leaders who hate powerpoint find a short introduction that includes housekeeping boring and I "lose" them. I care more about "losing" staff who may literally not be able to process information without knowing where the exits are and it's okay to leave; or staff whose stress response is activated and are at risk of disassociating and take solace in knowing the exact amount of time remaining before they don't have to heavily employ coping mechanisms if they want to stay. People with backgrounds in trauma are in your presentations too.</div>
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<li><b>Icebreakers: if you have to have one, send it ahead of time. </b>That way everyone is listening to everyone else and not worrying about what they'll say when it's their turn.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Choice, choice choice: </b>Plan participatory options into your session and refer to them. No mandatory participation. No "you have to work with someone you don't know very well." Make it okay to say "pass."</div>
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These tips are more poignant for heavier topics, but could be useful for any presentations. As trauma-informed care tells us:</div>
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-we have no idea what it took (in the day, in the life) to get a person in front of us, and plenty of people have acute stress responses we might not even guess</div>
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-EVERY consideration we make is an opportunity for re-traumatization or healing. We may as well try to be healing!</div>
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(also, <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/01/accessibility-and-conference.html" target="_blank">creating a presentation that's accessible </a>can also be trauma-informed.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/E8Kp3tLnzt9vqq" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/plsanders/becoming-traumainformed-why-should-we-care" target="_blank" title=""Becoming Trauma-Informed: Why Should We Care?"">"Becoming Trauma-Informed: Why Should We Care?"</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/plsanders" target="_blank">S Bryce Kozla</a></strong> </div>
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Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-34330586605655426752019-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:002019-03-31T08:39:18.103-07:00Investing Energy: Staying on Top of ThingsMy best laid plans the past few years have always seemed to hit snags. For instance: this is my first real blogpost since my blog address change. BDP officially closed on December 31. I had intended to write a heartfelt send-up for the readers who have been around since the beginning. My plans were thwarted, however, as I had to <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/02/investing-energy-in-trying-times-whats.html" target="_blank">work on investing energy in a large-scale way </a> as I worked through the following things in the past 6 months:<br />
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-A car accident involving a man-hole cover flying at my car soon after my 36th birthday (as if my feelings about my birthday aren't complicated enough, the <i>Final Destination</i>-ness of this event stuck with me longer than I care to admit).<br />
-My spouse's 16-year-old cat, Stubbins, nearly dying three days before Christmas (Caleb stayed home last minute to care for him). We've decided to not pursue any further intervention care.<br />
-My parked car being involved in a second accident, this time with a U-Haul on New Years Day. It was nearly totaled, which meant we would spend another year with one car between us; which has become increasingly untenable. The auto body shop was able to find a way to keep the cost just low enough for us to keep it, which I am so grateful for.<br />
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Add to this my day and weekend work: At my day job, I was trained as a trainer with Trauma-Informed Oregon and I worked on extensive learning modules based on trauma-informed care (keep an eye out for an online course coming soon that will NOT use these modules but will address related topics); and in my "free" time I created presentations and ran a course on the Disability Community in the library. Usually, I'm able to enjoy vastly different work between my day job and my side stuff. At one point a few months ago, I had just finished writing about historical trauma and institutional oppression; the next day I walked to the coffee shop and opened up my laptop to a slide that just said: "Disabled People are Burdens."<br />
<br />
Yeah, it's been fun.<br />
<br />
Through all this I'm thinking about stuff I've put in place in order to mitigate particularly stressful situations and stay on top of things. It's really a huge deal for me; and even though I don't have everything under control at all times, I thought I'd share some things that have helped:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>-Got my meds right: </b>yes, again. It's a process.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>-Have one notebook where EVERYTHING lives: </b>I first got this idea from Shawn Brommer, who presented on her organizational style at the 2015 ILEAD Wisconsin workshop. One thing I've definitely borrowed from her style is writing down things I've accomplished that didn't make my to-do list but I accomplished anyway. My notebook has become such a mainstay in my my office that my boss and two of my coworkers also carry them around everywhere.<br />
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<b>-Mark emails on my to-do list: </b>and I don't cross them off until I hit send. Emails can sometimes be easy things to do, though I have a tendency to write them and forget to send them until later. Meds help, but marking them with a little box on the side of my to-do list can alert me to do things I can do to keep things going. If I don't have much time at my desk one day, it's often more important to get emails out in order to keep projects moving than trying to work on a larger project.<br />
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<b>-Question why I'm putting something off: </b>I recently have been reading more about <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/procrastination-and-panic-disorder-2584095" target="_blank">procrastination as it's related to anxiety</a>, and it really makes a lot of sense to me. If I'm feeling particularly willful about a task, I do my best to reflect on why that is, and engage in a short de-stress exercise in my toolkit, and it's usually enough to get over it and get started. Way more often than not, interestingly enough, the anxiety is left over from past toxic work environments; I can acknowledge that my anxiety about a task is valid, but is not useful in a work environment in which I feel relatively safe. Reaching out to coworkers to help me remember this has been especially helpful through change.<br />
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<b>-Install web tools to increase focus: </b>random web usage when I'm putting stuff off has been common for me, particularly anymore on the weekends. When I'm having a hard time reeling in my work-related anxiety, I actually find it soothing (though COMPLETELY UNPRODUCTIVE, to be fair) to Google the same things over and over again. At one point several years ago, my anxiety was particularly about my place in the world outside of my workplace, which I assumed (irrationally, I know) I would die at before I had the opportunity to leave. Consequently, the thing I Googled the most was, like, my own name. My own self-preservation had completely taken over. To disrupt this tendency anymore, I use tools like<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/block-site-website-blocke/eiimnmioipafcokbfikbljfdeojpcgbh?hl=en" target="_blank"> Block Site.</a> Seeing the block screen is often enough for me to engage in a de-stress activity and rededicate my brain.<br />
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-<b>Write things down as a I remember them: </b>As I go through the week, occasionally my mind will wander in a meeting or on non-work time and I remember something that I need to do. I'll either <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2016/03/healthy-boundaries-in-work.html?m=1" target="_blank">email the idea to myself</a>, or write it in the margins of my notebook with a big star. At the beginning of the next week, all big-starred and emailed items are added to my to-do list.<br />
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<b>-Have meeting days and non-meeting days where possible: </b>this is a hugely useful change I'm moving toward thanks to my coworker Katie. I'm sure I'm not alone in that my brain works differently at meetings versus at my desk, and it can be tough to transition if meetings are scattered throughout the week. While scattered meetings are not completely unavoidable, I try to find at least one day every two weeks where there are no meetings scheduled, and rope off that time on my calendar. This is time to dig into large projects and catch up.<br />
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Staying on top of things can be overwhelming especially when life goes pear-shaped. But it's been powerful to figure out a system that works for me in a job as varied as the one I've got.<br />
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What are some things that help you stay on top of things?Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-18400877228108033912019-02-12T14:36:00.002-08:002019-02-15T12:36:58.324-08:00Webinar Archive! From Access to Advocacy: The Disability Community in the Library<i>Content note: some lies we learn about disability are named here. They are not true, but they can be tough to read.</i><br />
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Today I had the pleasure of presenting <a href="http://librarylinknj.org/content/access-advocacy-disability-community-library" target="_blank">"From Access to Advocacy: The Disability Community in the Library"</a>, a webinar hosted by <a href="http://librarylinknj.org/">LibraryLinkN</a>J (they have an <a href="http://librarylinknj.org/ce/past-classes">awesome free archive of continuing education</a>, by the way!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eslq9L7mMR8/XGWVoWKCAnI/AAAAAAAAECk/rlvKHAStM6cPllZTALXmfnSNN3TFCp3BACLcBGAs/s1600/20190212_105918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Picture of Bryce, a person with large teal glasses and curly hair, smiling. Text includes the the title of the webinar, date and time, and the sponsorship information. Thanks to LibraryLinkNJ." border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="744" height="283" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eslq9L7mMR8/XGWVoWKCAnI/AAAAAAAAECk/rlvKHAStM6cPllZTALXmfnSNN3TFCp3BACLcBGAs/s320/20190212_105918.jpg" title="Title card of webinar" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They added this title card and I may have sent a picture of it to my sister.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The webinar was structured by digging through three of the overarching lies about disability that are embedded in our dominant culture. A few years ago I became aware of the term "the abled narrative" to describe these lies as a whole; I cannot pinpoint an exact origin but I credit <a href="https://twitter.com/ebthen?lang=en">Twitter user @EbThen </a>for my introduction to the phrase.<br />
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I came up with these specific examples of lies when writing the introduction to <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">my related course</a>. I sat down and made a long but non-exhaustive list of all of the messages I had learned and internalized over the years through media depictions and reinforced through...well, generally living as a person with a disability. These are messages not only disabled people internalize, but abled people as well. And that's one place where we can get stuck with not prioritizing accessibility.<br />
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Once I wrote out my list, I reorganized it to find three overarching themes. Note that these are not particularly thoughts anyone actively has every day about disability, but these are threaded into the fabric of our society and can impact our interactions, reactions, and even how and when we consider disabled people as patrons or workers:<br />
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-Disabled people exist as functions of, or tools/props for, abled people and do not have their own stories.<br />
-Disabled is the worst possible thing to be.<br />
-Disabled people are burdens.<br />
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(Ugh--Remember when I <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2013/01/ninjago-library-party.html" target="_blank">wrote about LEGO Ninjago</a>? That was fun.)<br />
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Not that everyone left thoroughly bummed (at least the 7 people who were able to make the webinar in an ice storm!); we talked about specific things libraries can work on to counteract these lies and make the library welcoming for people with disabilities.<br />
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My<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brycedontplay/pwd-in-the-library/" target="_blank"> digital handout</a> has lots of resources about issues raised in the webinar. Regretfully, Pinterest doesn't support Facebook links! So here are the pages I mentioned (and a few more):<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Representing-Disability-in-an-Ableist-World-Essays-on-Mass-Media-169486559737980/" target="_blank">Representing Disability in an Ableist World</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdWileyAutismAcceptance/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank">Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Library</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/neurodiversitylibrarians/" target="_blank">Neurodiversity Librarians </a>for those wanting to start a neurodiversity library<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrutchesandSpice/" target="_blank">Crutches and Spice</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.disabilityintersectionalitysummit.com/access-is-love" target="_blank">Access is Love</a>, new initiative by Sandy Ho, Alice Wong, and Mia Mingus (not a Facebook page but Pinterest won't let me post without a picture)<br />
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<a href="http://librarylinknj.org/content/access-advocacy-disability-community-library" target="_blank">Watch the webinar's archive recording here</a>. If you need a script of the webinar, email me at brycekozla at gmail dot com.Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-11358763447906737752018-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:002018-12-15T20:56:44.074-08:00How and When Should I Step In To Help a Disabled Person?One of the things that has always intrigued me about abled people* is their absolute, unwavering awkwardness when encountering PWD. I mean, I code as abled particularly in social situations, and like the literal second a random person I'd been talking to learns I'm disabled it just. Gets. Awkward. It's not like I intentionally hide the fact either. I literally wear it on my sleeve occasionally with one of <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/thefutureisaccessible/" target="_blank">fashionable tops</a> I've <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/accessibilitymatters2/" target="_blank">acquired to support </a>disabled artists.<br />
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Perhaps you're wondering what this has to do with the title of this post. I say this not to shame but to share this reality. If this is you-- hey, you're not alone!<br />
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I feel the need to preface this post as such because: <b>no matter whether, when, or how you step in to assist a person with a disability, the interaction should be about what they need and not how you feel about it. </b>I understand that there is some warm-fuzzies you get from helping people at all. <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/08/should-i-share-this-inspiring-story.html" target="_blank">But as we've talked about before, </a>the abled narrative can make these types of interactions with disabled people much more feelings-based than others. You might say or do the wrong thing along the way. That can be annoying but don't let that keep you from helping. Remember, also, that everyone needs help at one time or another; and since disabled people are human beings just like abled people are, we sometimes need help. That's it. As you follow through the considerations below, <b>prioritizing the actions and not the feelings around the action</b> can help you get out of your head with the whole thing.<br />
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When it comes to helping people with disabilities you see appear to be struggling, three competing narratives are at play:<br />
1. This Person is Working to Overcome their Disability and I Mustn't Interrupt Their Journey!<br />
2. I am Uncomfortable Watching this Person Live their Life and Need to Intercede!<br />
3. If I Help This Person, What If They Find it Offensive?<br />
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One
glaring problem in these competing narratives is there is only one of
three that actually involves helping someone, and it's putting your
feelings first and placing judgment on a another human being.<br />
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If you've been following these posts I hope you see that #1 is a lie. No random disabled person you encounter ever had an epiphany because you watched them from afar for 20 minutes and then maybe clapped**. Sorry to disappoint.<br />
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As for PWD finding help offensive: first, it depends, so read on. Second, if it is, you are probably the 20th person to similarly offend them and are probably the least of their concerns. We want to get on with our lives just like you.<br />
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The title of this post is a question I get a lot. If you'll indulge me, I'm going to go into two types of interactions I've had recently, that actually happened within seconds of each other. Guess which one I was more put-off by, as a disabled person:<br />
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-I'm grocery shopping alone (this is significant due to the fact that I normally shop with my spouse. More on that below). The cashier hands me my bags; they are numerous and plastic. I am usually calculating with shopping and only carry around a basket to ensure I can carry everything out. The awkwardness of the bags, however, cause me to take them in chunks and place them on the ground to pick them up in a way that works for me. This is a little difficult but honestly something I've done many times before. The cashier stares at me as I'm doing this, and asks if I need help. They then immediately rescind, having taken a second and registered that I'm disabled, saying <i>"no, you need to do this yourself." </i><br />
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-A Very Nice Neighbor walks by and asks if I need help. I tell them I've got it, but thanks.<br />
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This is something that literally happened to me a few months ago, though I didn't let either actually bother me (but only because<i> I could</i> actually 'do this myself' and wondered what would happen if I hadn't). But the person who actively denied help was pretty off-putting, and the subsequent offer of help was heartening. To be honest this wasn't so much an exercise as some insight into the different types of ways we're used to interacting with this issue.<br />
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One important thing to remember is that disabled people do things differently than abled people, so it might not immediately make sense to you how someone is completing a task. While this can't be a definitive, yes-or-no type checklist, here are some things to think about when you see someone struggling:<br />
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<b>1. Can You Wait a MF Second?: </b>It might be second nature to swoop in and help everyone you perceive as struggling. Which, yes, it makes you a nice person. But how long do you <i>actually </i>let someone be before attempting to assist? Can you wait more than five seconds? Fifteen seconds? If you're unsure of your assessment, take a lap around the space and consider question two.***<br />
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<b>2. Are You Prepared to Help This Person Right Now?: </b>How much time do you have? Do you have five minutes (related to #1: no, a real five minutes?) Remember that disabled people need patience and time that large swaths of the abled population don't seem capable of providing (this is not an insult, I promise, but it's annoying and patience would be a really cool thing to cultivate). Additionally, are you in the right frame of mind, or are your feelings getting in the way? <br />
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<b>3. Did You Ask If They Want Help?: </b>this is basically the biggest thing. You need to ask the person if they want help, and what help they want. It is <i>very likely </i>that they know. One thing I recently learned about is <a href="https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/access-intimacy-the-missing-link/" target="_blank">Access Intimacy</a>, coined by Mia Mingus. I loved hearing about this phrase because it reminds me of me and my spouse, and how he anticipates my disability-related needs in a way that feels natural (to the extent that codes me as abled a lot of times where we are together). Like Mia, I've also experienced different levels of access intimacy with other friends, relatives, and strangers. I also want to share this because it is very likely that if you encounter a person that you perceive as struggling, <i>you</i> do not automatically know what help they need or want. <b><i>This</i> can be one of the most frustrating parts of these interactions. </b>Assumptions are made and things end up taking longer than the PWD just doing it themselves.<b> </b>Or you touch someone's mobility<b> </b>aid without permission, and it's literally considered to be a body part. If they say no, please leave them be. If you're working in a professional capacity (say, a library),<b><i> a "no" does not indicate they will never want help, even during the same visit. </i></b>If you see them struggling in a different capacity/on a different task, you can follow the steps and ask them again.<br />
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I hope this helps everyone feel a little less awkward or a little more confident when approaching a person who looks (to you) like they're struggling. Remember, you may not be able to tell right away who is disabled and who isn't. So these considerations can be used in any similar interactions.<br />
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*Not All Abled People. Just, like, 99.7%. At the most. So probably not you, no.<br />
**Yes, this has happened to me.<br />
***Exceptions include: someone is in imminent danger, like a fire. An attempt to use the checkout with an accessibility aid, for instance, does not place anyone in imminent danger.<br />
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<i><b>Are you a person who works in or uses libraries and identify as disabled/neurodivergent? Please consider guest-posting for me! <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/p/accessibility-series-submissions.html" target="_blank">More information here.</a></b></i>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-86521729658979814912018-11-15T07:00:00.000-08:002018-11-15T10:23:10.754-08:00Can't Miss: Sessions at ALA Midwinter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The ALA Midwinter meeting is my favorite of any national conference I've been to. I can't really tell you why. But I do know that t<a href="https://2019.alamidwinter.org/symposium-schedule" target="_blank">he Symposium on the Future of Libraries</a> is happening for a third year!!<br />
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Midwinter is back in Seattle this year, like my first Midwinter when I was <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2013/07/so-you-want-to-be-ala-emerging-leader.html" target="_blank">a 2013 ALA Emerging Leader.</a> I'll probably have some reflections on that later on. (I remember bringing my spouse because we were like, "when will we ever have a reason to go to the Pacific Northwest ever again?" And now we live here? So.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu_Q8uUQHw0/W-xTUWJTXgI/AAAAAAAADjI/7IBG7QoRcgAphCsvv29l-yGTxnSfFVf7gCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="603" height="256" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu_Q8uUQHw0/W-xTUWJTXgI/AAAAAAAADjI/7IBG7QoRcgAphCsvv29l-yGTxnSfFVf7gCLcBGAs/s320/Untitled6.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryce's Facebook status from 2011. Text reads, <br />
"you may never impress anyone. what will you do instead"? <sic></td></tr>
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The image above is a Facebook memory I received while at last year's Midwinter meeting. I had to laugh when it passed by on my notifications as I attempted to navigate the terrain of the exhibit hall, which always feels loud and bright and can be disorienting. Thanks, Past Me. You're a real peach.<br />
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Here are some Symposium sessions that I'm particularly excited about. Might be worth adding to your schedule!</div>
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<b>YOUTH SERVICES-SPECIFIC:</b></div>
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<b>Breaking Down the Barriers to Advocacy for School Libraries</b></div>
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<i>Deborah Rinio, Adjunct Instructor, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Ann Ewbank, Director, School Library Media Certificate, Montana State University; Jenna Nemec-Loise, Head Librarian, North Shore Country Day School</i></div>
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Join ALA Policy Corps members for a conversation surrounding political advocacy for school librarians. In this session, you will hear directly from decision makers at various levels to learn their perspectives on advocacy and what makes a good advocate. You will also learn how to connect with your local, state, and national legislators; communicate effectively; and break down the barriers standing in the way of your advocacy efforts. </div>
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<b>Making the Connection: Early Literacy and Computational Thinking for Young Children</b></div>
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<i>Claudia Haines, Youth Services Librarian, Homer Public Library (Alaska); Paula Langsam, Children's Librarian, DC Public Library</i></div>
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Computational thinking, a problem solving process often associated with computer science, has become a buzz word as libraries and other cultural institutions move to support STEM and STEAM learning. But beyond the “coding” buzz, the universal ideas behind computational thinking – decomposition, pattern recognition, and abstraction – connect with familiar early literacy practices, like reading, singing, and playing. By exploring the relationship between early literacy skills and computational thinking skills, library staff can challenge themselves to think differently about our fundamental services and programs and the ways our work supports the whole child. Young children can become successful problem-solvers, creative thinkers, and lifelong learners at the library.</div>
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Community, Equity, and Storytimes</div>
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<i>CiKeithia Pugh, Early Learning Program Manager, The Seattle Public Library; Betha Gutsche, WebJunction Programs Manager, OCLC</i></div>
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Leading for equity means examining our library practices and policies with an equity lens. This shift in practice moves away from viewing our services as merely transactional and instead builds them in partnership with community. This interactive session will highlight The Seattle Public Library’s work to prioritize community voices and equitable partnerships to create relevant, responsive youth services programming. We'll also explore how Supercharged Storytimes is applying an equity lens to a training program that builds the skills and knowledge of storytime providers across the country as they nurture early literacy skills in the readers of the future.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Learning from Each Other: Intergenerational Learning with Storytelling and STEM</span></div>
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<i>Ashley Braun, Digital and Family Learning Librarian, The Seattle Public Library; Amy Twito, Informal Learning Program Manager, The Seattle Public Library; Dr. Carrie Tzou, Associate Professor, University of Washington Bothell</i></div>
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When families use STEM concepts to tell their own stories that center around their culture, creativity, and values, learning comes to life. Hear about the transformative partnership between a public library, university research team, science center, and community-based organizations that codesigned family programs incorporating stories, robotics, and e-textiles. At the heart of this learning is family storytelling, a practice that brings folks of all ages together in a culturally responsive, strengths-based way. Attendees will learn ways to incorporate participatory design elements with partners, as well as how to cultivate intergenerational learning experiences by prioritizing storytelling in STEM programs.</div>
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<b>DISABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFIC:</b></div>
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<b>Pushing on the Frontier: Disability Access and the Future of Libraries</b></div>
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<i>Katherine N Deibel, Inclusion & Accessibility Librarian, Syracuse University Libraries </i></div>
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To be truly inclusive, the future of libraries must take great strides in promoting disability access. This goes beyond just web accessibility. Yes, we should be more obstinate regarding the compliance of our own web sites and collectively push on vendors to be compliant. True change, however, requires libraries to further involve themselves in the creation, remediation, and sharing of accessible content. As stewards of content throughout history, we understand how content’s structure and usage has evolved. Using this knowledge, libraries must play an active role in shaping the technology, standards, and practices to make content truly accessible to all. </div>
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OTHER TOPICS POSSIBLY OF INTEREST TO READERS OF THIS BLOG:</div>
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<b>Algorithms, Implicit Bias, and Search Literacy: Exploring Beliefs among Computer Science Students about Search Engine and Machine Learning Models</b></div>
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<i>Shalini Ramachandran, Science Librarian, University of Southern California; Steven Cutchin, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Boise State University; Sheree Fu, ECST Librarian, California State University, Los Angeles; Karen Howell, Head, Leavey Library, University of Southern California</i></div>
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What role do library professionals have in raising awareness about algorithm design and human bias? In this presentation, we share insights from a survey of computer science students – the future architects of algorithms and AI systems that shape our information infrastructure – about their perceptions of the biases in search engines and big-data algorithms. All librarians can benefit from our presentation as it will help them understand the significance of developing ethically informed search literacy. In our discussion, we underscore that library and information professionals have a role in partnering with information scientists to ensure that libraries can be spaces where users can optimize their search for information and expect fair treatment from automated systems.</div>
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<b>Building a Future-Ready Workforce: How Public Libraries Can Create Resilient and Entrepreneurial Communities</b></div>
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<i>Audrey Barbakoff, Community Engagement and Economic Development Manager, King County Library System; Jay Lyman, Librarian, The Seattle Public Library</i></div>
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Learn about key trends shaping the future of work and how public libraries can play an important role in creating communities that are prepared for change. Structural shifts in our workforce such as automation and AI, the sharing and gig economy, systemic income and educational inequity, and entrepreneurship and design thinking will impact workers and businesses in your community. By the end of this session, you will: understand some key workforce shifts impacting your patrons; be able to connect those broader trends to impactful library partnerships and services; and have begun formulating a plan to develop services responses for your own library.</div>
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<b>Racial Equity: Libraries Organizing to Transform Institutions</b></div>
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<i>Amita Lonial, Learning, Marketing and Engagement Principal Librarian, San Diego County Library; Sarah Lawton, Neighborhood Library Supervisor, Madison Public Library</i></div>
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Libraries across the country are working to identify and address institutional racism and structural inequities. Released in 2018, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity’s issue paper “Advancing Racial Equity in Libraries: Case Studies from the Field” provides an overview of successful strategies and a framework designed to drive change from the local level. Join colleagues from GARE and from the Public Library Association’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to learn more about the work that is being done and to discuss the opportunities and challenges that libraries and communities face as we transform our institutions. </div>
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<b>Return to the Real: The Library as Social Connector</b></div>
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<i>Betha Gutsche, WebJunction Programs Manager, OCLC; Jennifer Peterson, WebJunction Community Manager, OCLC</i></div>
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Studies show an increase in loneliness and depression because of too much time spent online. Communities experience steady erosion of the bonds formed when people share real-time activities together, which affects our health and well-being. As a magnet for social connection, libraries offer that sense of community and shared place that humans as social animals crave. Active learning programs that offer participatory activities to enhance individual learning can go further to cement social connection when people are learning and doing together. This session will explore library programs through the lens of social possibilities, with the goal of strengthening community bonds. </div>
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<b>The Role of Libraries in Addressing Homelessness and Poverty </b></div>
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<i>Julie Ann Winkelstein, Researcher, Author, Teacher, Activist; Tina Reid, Library Assistant II, Felix G. Woodward Library, Austin Peay State University; Jessica Ball, Librarian, Memphis Public Libraries; Hilary M Jasmin, Research and Learning Services Librarian, University of Tennessee Health Science Center </i></div>
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Across the United States, public libraries in particular are considering their responsibilities in serving well their community members who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. The role of libraries in addressing societal challenges like these is one that hasn’t received much specific attention in library schools and this fact has left many who are addressing these challenges on a daily basis without the necessary vocabulary, background and tools. Using a new library school class as an example, this interactive session will offer examples of exercises, readings, videos and conversations that can help libraries move forward, dream big and take action.</div>
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<a href="https://2019.alamidwinter.org/symposium-schedule" target="_blank"><b>Check out the whole line-up here!</b></a> Hope to see you at Midwinter!</div>
Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-10318181731930192302018-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:002018-12-12T11:46:19.044-08:00Responding to Caregivers Looking for Information on DisabilitySaturday night I returned from a whirlwind 19 hours in Las Vegas for #NVLA18, where I presented on how library staff need to examine the lessons they've internalized about disability if we really want to get serious about accessibility and welcoming the disability community in the library.<br />
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My thoughts on how to talk about the disability community in the library continue to evolve as I learn and grow as a self-advocate. I'm realizing that for multiple reasons we can't talk about disability in the same frame as other marginalization, though it's important to acknowledge that particularly the intersection of race makes a member of the disability community more vulnerable to the societal effects of <a href="https://dointhework.podbean.com/e/episode-8-vilissa-thompson-lmsw-black-disability-disabled-women-of-color-empowerment-advocacy/">the abled narrative </a>(follow<a href="https://twitter.com/VilissaThompson"> Vilissa Thompson</a> at <a href="http://rampyourvoice.com/">Ramp Your Voice</a> for more on the intersection of race and disability). There are specific challenges in regards to accessibility that disabled people face in society and the workplace; and often un-examined feelings about the disability can lead to a neglect of basic access needs.<br />
<br />
So at #NVLA18 I tried my hand at a way to talk about accessibility and the way the abled narrative inserts itself into the framework in our profession. I framed the presentation through three overarching lies the abled narrative tells us; how each plays out in libraries; and some things we can do to counter and rebalance our thinking. A tall order for 50 minutes! But hey, I had a lot to say.<br />
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One part of the presentation was not only particularly difficult to write but also prompted some discussion afterward, and I thought it might make a good post for everyone to consider:<br />
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<b>I want you to imagine yourself in situation we all have found ourselves at one point or another, if you've ever worked at a public reference desk:</b><br />
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An adult walks up, perhaps hesitant, perhaps nervous. Maybe they have children with them; maybe not. Depending on how well they know you or the library, maybe they fidget with flyers on the desk before they step up. The reference interview begins: <i>"Hi, how can I help you today?"</i><br />
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Th adult, perhaps, takes a deep breath, and says, "<i>My child was just diagnosed with [autism/cerebral palsy/insert congenital disability here].</i>"<br />
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Now.<br />
<br />
How do you respond to this?<br />
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<b>There are two extremely common responses that you're not alone in, if this is you:</b><br />
1) <i>"Oh, I'm so sorry."</i><br />
2) <i>"That's terrible! But you know, it's not all bad. My brother/son/uncle's fifth cousin/favorite Youtube star was born with [congenital disability] and they're really smart/kind/lovable/etc."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Because of how society views disability, these reactions are understandable. Here's some things to consider, though:</b><br />
1) Library staff are some of the most trusted members of the community. Chances are they haven't said this out loud in public, and you're the first person they're telling. Your response can mean the world.<br />
2) Major life changes can be particularly traumatic, and many caregivers understandably code a diagnosis as a major life change. One way people can deal with trauma is <a href="http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/intellectualization.htm" target="_blank">intellectualization</a>. It is not our place to challenge them into Feelings in the middle of this public place from which they're seeking information.<br />
3) That said, your reaction is your feelings/how you would feel about it. We can't assume that this is everyone's reaction. Maybe they're from a family where this congenital disability is common. Maybe they are just relieved because they knew SOMETHING was different and they're happy to name it. This, by the way, is why I am humbly requesting that you stop sad-reacting every time a Facebook friend announces a new diagnosis in the family. Show them love and support instead.<br />
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So how DO you react? The same way you react to someone saying they want to learn to bake. Or they're planning a vacation. Or starting a business. Please just say "okay" and move on with the interview.<br />
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I actually remember multiple times at the desk where I'd have this interaction, and the adult would pause after they said the diagnosis to gauge my reaction. Abled people may not notice this, but I know the look well. They're looking to you. <b>This is your time to be warm, positive, and informative. That's it.</b><br />
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<b>YES, IT'S THAT BIG A DEAL</b><br />
You may wonder why I thought this small interaction was important enough to write a post about. Here's the thing: this can be one of the most powerful things you can do to welcome the disability community in the library. Be warm, positive, and informative. Families will feel accepted; they'll want to stick around. Maybe they'll meet each other and hang out outside of the library for friendship and support.<br />
<br />
The reality is, children with disabilities are <b>four times more likely</b> to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9391683/Disabled-children-four-times-more-likely-to-be-victim-of-violence-study.html" target="_blank">experience violence </a>than abled children; specifically, <b>it is six times more common</b> for a <a href="http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/domestic-violence/filicide-children-disabilities/" target="_blank">disabled child to be deliberately killed by a parent or caregiver </a> than an abled child. Library staff might not be able to change the statistics personally, but re-framing the conversation can definitely help how empowered a caregiver feels at that given moment.<br />
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Library staff can hold a powerful role in a family's life, and it's important to own that and be warm, positive and informative for all reference interviews, but especially those in which we're helping them discover themselves.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Rather than feature a specific crowdfund, please take a look and follow <a href="https://twitter.com/SJwishlists" target="_blank">@SJWishLists </a>and donate to a PWD in need where you can.</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Interested in diving into this topic? I'm running a <a href="https://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/07/rerun-this-fall-disability-community-in.html" target="_blank">continuing education course on the disability community in the library November-December 16.</a> Join by Oct 22 for a 10% discount. Hope to see you there!</b>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-1335859322789571252018-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:002018-09-27T09:00:05.206-07:00Sensory Story Time for Adults<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>Guest
post by Jen Taggart and Ed Niemchak, Bloomfield Township Public Library</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Why do sensory story times for adults with </b></span><b>intellectual</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>/developmental disabilities?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jen:</b> Story times are not just for kids,
and multisensory experiences are the best way to engage audiences of all ages
and abilities. Adults with cognitive disabilities may often feel more at
home in the Youth Services area. Three years ago, we began seeing increasing
numbers of group home residents with disabilities visiting the library.
Caregivers were asking about attending our adaptive sensory story times for
youth with developmental delays, which is limited in registration to help
prevent overstimulation of our young attendees with sensory sensitivities. Many
of our weekly group home visitors enjoy coloring, playing with some of the
games and toys, doing a simple craft at
our passive activity table, and eating their lunch in the library café. It was
time to start thinking about an ongoing program for these frequent visitors who
loved the library so much. One question kept arising: While youth librarians
have experience creating developmentally appropriate programming and these
folks seem to prefer children’s books and materials, <a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2018/06/i-have-mind-of-infant-mental-age-theory.html" target="_blank">are we being mindful andrespectful of their age</a> by doing the program in Youth Services?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Youth Services and Adult Services
Collaborate!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jen: </b>After reaching out to the Adult
Services department for their thoughts, I soon began meeting with Ed to talk
about developing a monthly program for our adult group home visitors (which
would later also include young adult students with multiple disabilities from
the Wing Lake Developmental Center). We decided to start with a monthly
program, taking a look at the program outline for the youth sensory story times
which we have offered here since 2010. We adapted the program outline for teens
and adults, including simple but age-respectful materials and more opportunity
for social skills development. Accessibility aids such as a <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="https://adaptiveumbrella.blogspot.com/2016/12/what-is-visual-schedule.html" target="_blank">visual schedule</a></span> and
adaptive yoga movement remained. After the first few story times, Ed adjusted
some of those activities based on caregiver input.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where Do I Start?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ed:</b> Identifying 24 local adult group
homes, I sent out letters introducing myself and explaining our plan to offer a
program for adults with cognitive disabilities. After a month I had not
received a single response and felt completely demoralized. It was then that I
noticed a group of six adults and two caregivers just hanging out here one day.
I approached them and introduced myself, talking about the possibility of this
ongoing program. They were very enthusiastic and offered to attend the first
program. Word of mouth and dedication helped to grow our average attendance to
between 20 – 40 participants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZzwjVhAlR4/W6z9YD9lR2I/AAAAAAAADhE/IP2RLgLxol46qIxR-CJI_WWPw8w1f5lRQCLcBGAs/s1600/BDP%2Bguest%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="610" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZzwjVhAlR4/W6z9YD9lR2I/AAAAAAAADhE/IP2RLgLxol46qIxR-CJI_WWPw8w1f5lRQCLcBGAs/s320/BDP%2Bguest%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personal standing and looking at picture book in front of a white board</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sensory Story Time for Teens and Adults: a
Plan<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ed: </b>There are generally 8 – 10 steps to
each story time:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Greeting (We greet them when they come in and
again once everyone is seated. This is a great time to reintroduce yourself and
any aides you have assisting with the program.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Explanation & discussion of theme (We talk
about the theme and each activity we will be doing with the help of a visual
schedule.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Yoga pose (Try to use mainly seated poses, but
you can also adapt poses for people with mobile disabilities. Favorites include
“reach for the sky” and “forward bend.”)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-American Sign Language-aided rhyme or interactive
rhyme with active movement (more movement was requested by caregivers who explained
they are seated with little movement throughout the day.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Story (using mainly non-fiction now at the
request of caregivers wanting to focus more on educational themes and concepts)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Interactive song</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Music or video clip related to the theme (This
is not only entertaining but great reinforcement/clarification of the theme.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Sensory experience/craft (This is the highlight!
I am always asked at the beginning of the program “What are we going to make
today?”)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Goodbye</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a
few successful themes ideas: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (see this
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSMVROWmxBRGNTYTJIR1lvZjYxTFBoT3JYMWtB/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">sample</a><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Xfsh6UaBOSMVROWmxBRGNTYTJIR1lvZjYxTFBoT3JYMWtB/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">story time outline</span></a>)</span>,
Seasons, Jazz Music, Classical Music, In the Garden, Under the
Sea, Countries Around the World, Our United States<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tips for trying
sensory story time for adults at your library:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jen: </b>Picture
books with photographs or “age-respectful” illustrations and simple text are
ideal (i.e. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Best in Snow</b> by April
Pulley Sayre, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This Jazz Man</b> by Karen
Ehrhardt). It’s okay to shorten lengthier titles, reading parts of the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Be sure to ask questions about the illustrations as you are
reading, describing the illustrations for attendees who are blind or have low
vision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Try to incorporate multisensory experiences that will be
inclusive of all abilities, such as tactile manipulatives, audio, smell (i.e.
flowers and aromatic vegetables for a gardening theme), and even <br />
taste!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nOOntCGnm8/W6z9zFHczZI/AAAAAAAADhQ/_Cee6i8fQPM6PuWiGB_xtTxvf5KCmw5dACLcBGAs/s1600/bdp%2Bguest%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="563" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nOOntCGnm8/W6z9zFHczZI/AAAAAAAADhQ/_Cee6i8fQPM6PuWiGB_xtTxvf5KCmw5dACLcBGAs/s320/bdp%2Bguest%2B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a bird's nest replica with eggs, feathers, and scarves on a wood-paneled table</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPlGggZk1ME/W6z9oYdNu9I/AAAAAAAADhM/yoZjmRP9Wvcmtt9y_1udO6uq5ZZrrhscwCLcBGAs/s1600/BDP%2Bguest%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="560" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPlGggZk1ME/W6z9oYdNu9I/AAAAAAAADhM/yoZjmRP9Wvcmtt9y_1udO6uq5ZZrrhscwCLcBGAs/s320/BDP%2Bguest%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carrots, flowers and animal puppets on a woo-paneled table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(The above pictures depict sensory experiences for an outreach
springtime science program for students with multiple disabilities)<br />
</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
Ed: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Seek
out your local agencies and group homes to target your audience. Be sure to
solicit their assistance for ideas and suggestions. Feedback is critical and
always helpful. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s
easy to get discouraged, but start with no expectations. I started our program
by speaking with one group and through word of mouth it spread. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Start
small. The first program I conducted simply involved reading two stories and
playing with artificial snow. Once the attendance started to swell, I was
offered additional staff assistance. Also, the caregivers are there to offer
support as well. They know the audience better than you do and can be helpful
in engaging and stimulating the group as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Have
fun! I was interested in developing this program, but didn’t know where to
start. I was nervous and questioned if I was the right person for the job, but
now it is honestly the highlight of my month. In the same way that the first
group told me, essentially, if you build it, they will come.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">About our guest
bloggers:<br />
</b><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">Jen Taggart is the Assistant Department Head of
Youth Services at the </span></em><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://btpl.org/">Bloomfield Township Public Library</a></span></span><em><span style="color: black;">,<span style="background: white;"> and a member of the </span></span></em><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://librariesandautism.org/grant/">Autism Welcome Here
grant <span style="background: white;"> </span></a></span></span><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">committee. She also developed the BTPL’s Special Needs
Collection for youth, chairs the Special Needs Services Roundtable (SNSR) of
Michigan librarians serving patrons with disabilities of all ages, and created
the biennial </span></em><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://btpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-Adaptive-Umbrella-brochure.pdf">Adaptive
Umbrella Workshop</a></span></span><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">. You can find Jen on her blog </span></em><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://adaptiveumbrella.blogspot.com/">adaptiveumbrella.blogspot.com</a></span></span><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">, follow her on Twitter @librarianjennt, or email her
at </span></em><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="mailto:taggartj@btpl.org">taggartj@btpl.org</a></span></span><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ed Niemchak is a
librarian in the Adult Services department at the Bloomfield Township Public
Library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2016, he began developing
and building a Special Needs Collection for adults and teens in addition to his
monthly sensory story times for adults and teens. You can email Ed at </i><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="mailto:niemchae@btpl.org">niemchae@btpl.org</a></span></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><i></i></span>Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5832561638418906924.post-38979821636730336262018-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:002018-10-17T13:40:12.987-07:00Favorite Program Posts from the Archives!This past spring as I was starting to make the move from my old blog space to this one, Courtney from the Public Programs Office of ALA reached out to me about being featured on a post of "favorite programming blogs" on <a href="http://www.programminglibrarian.org/" target="_blank">ALA's Programming Librarian </a>website.<br />
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While I was honored, the timing was tricky and I didn't want to muddy the waters and direct lots of new people to my old address when I was just intending on abandoning it. Also, I love programming, but aside from the <a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/12/so-youre-subbing-preschool-storytime.html" target="_blank">occasional storytime sub opportunity</a> that's not really part of my job anymore.</div>
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So, how humbling and hilarious was it that <b>five out of the nine authors</b> who ended up being featured <a href="http://www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/best-blogs-programming-librarians" target="_blank">named my old blog as one of their favorites</a>?</div>
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Granted, I'm Internet Friends with each of them and we've been part of a shared blogging community for awhile (I know at least that I've been blogging about library stuff for 7.5 YEARS now...what?!). I've been incredibly fortunate that something I basically started as notes to myself (okay, a very terrible book blog that THEN turned into notes to myself that THEN turned into stuff people read sometimes) to be received so well by people I respect so much.</div>
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For a couple of years I used my blogging anniversary to lift up <a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/04/awesome-new-to-me-blogs.html" target="_blank">newer programming blogs</a>, and then <a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2016/05/awesome-new-to-me-blogs.html" target="_blank">newer-to-me-blogs in general</a>. I'm out of practice with it but I need to get back in the game. That's why, when this space is fully up-and-running, I'll be writing a post with a whole bunch of new-to-me programming blogs to add to your feeds. </div>
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<b>If you've started a blog that I don't know about it, please comment here so I can feature you, too!</b> If you'd like to start collecting your programming thoughts in a place that's shareable, a blog is still a good place for that! Know that it's a lot of work, but you'd probably be doing it anyway for your own files, so might as well share your great ideas and maybe meet a few people along the way!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2HiI3-gtKE/W6PB9pFNtWI/AAAAAAAADgk/cRDEJ9yTBhUsQ0ljdjYBwE9E0Qu42kl2gCLcBGAs/s1600/27912672_10155845111025813_2526831189548998719_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2HiI3-gtKE/W6PB9pFNtWI/AAAAAAAADgk/cRDEJ9yTBhUsQ0ljdjYBwE9E0Qu42kl2gCLcBGAs/s320/27912672_10155845111025813_2526831189548998719_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryce with some Internet Friends sitting round a restaurant table<br />
and smiles for a picture at ALA Midwinter 2018</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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(From left to right those pictured are Soraya (Admin at <a href="http://storytimeunderground.org/" target="_blank">Storytime Underground</a>), Mary (of Storytime Underground and <a href="https://missmaryliberry.com/" target="_blank">Miss Merry Liberry</a>), Rebecca (of <a href="https://hafuboti.com/" target="_blank">Hafuboti</a>), Melissa (of <a href="http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/" target="_blank">Mel's Desk</a>), me (of here), and Anna (of <a href="http://everydaydiversity.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Everyday Diversity</a> and <a href="http://www.futurelibrariansuperhero.com/" target="_blank">Future Librarian Superhero</a>).</div>
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In sum: <i>I'm Nobody and You Can Be Too. Email me if you need encouragement! </i></div>
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<b>Anyway, wasn't I posting programs from the archives? Here you go</b> (there may be some links that still need updating, but it'll send you right back here to the corresponding post):</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2012/10/story-action-pod-election-edition.html" target="_blank"><b>Story Action Pod: Election Edition:</b></a> Shark and Train face off in this passive program</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2013/01/ninjago-library-party.html" target="_blank"><b>Ninjago Library Party:</b></a> At over 100 people between two branches, this was possibly the most successful active program I made with junk and hope.</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2013/05/mythbusters-for-kids-sneaky-stem-2.html" target="_blank"><b>Mythbusters for Elementary Kids:</b></a> I completely forgot I did this, but there's four weeks of weekly plans for you.</div>
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<a href="https://brycedontplay.blogspot.com/2013/09/lego-chima-and-pinewood-derby-party.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/05/library-sponsored-public-lego-track-at.html" target="_blank"><b>Library-sponsored LEGO track at the Pinewood Derby:</b></a> it was fun.</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/spy-school-at-library-program-do-over.html" target="_blank"><b>Spy School at the Library:</b></a> those Ology programs were some of my favorites!</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/09/tween-scavenger-hunt-in-library.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/09/tween-scavenger-hunt-in-library.html" target="_blank"><b>Tween Scavenger Hunt in the Library: </b></a>great for class visits or other group trips.</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2015/05/tic-tac-toesimon-says-mashup-game.html" target="_blank"><b>Tic-Tac-Toe/Simon Says Mashup Game:</b> </a>one of my last inspired activities as a frontline staff member.</div>
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<a href="http://brycekozlablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/library-lego-checkout-club.html" target="_blank">L<b>ibrary LEGO Checkout Club:</b></a> one of my most-shared posts ever! Super easy.</div>
Brycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02620311818924212405noreply@blogger.com0