In a significant achievement for the library community, Dr. Amelia Anderson, Assistant Professor of USF’s School of Information, has been awarded a prestigious grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. This competitive grant will support the development of the Autism Informed School Library Educators (AISLE) Project, which aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of school librarians in providing inclusive services for autistic students.
The AISLE Project, led by Dr. Anderson as the Principal Investigator, along with co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Selena Layden from Old Dominion University, is set to create a free virtual mini conference for school librarians across the country. The event will offer multiple sessions focused on best practices and strategies for school librarians working with autistic students. “We saw this as a great opportunity to gather experts together to provide focused professional development for these school librarians,” says Dr. Anderson.
These sessions will be recorded and made available on-demand to allow for continued professional development after the conclusion of the event. The inspiration to pursue this grant was a result of extensive research conducted by Dr. Anderson and Dr. Layden, which revealed a gap in the educational opportunities available to school librarians on this topic. Their studies showed a clear need for more resources and training to help librarians create more inclusive environments for autistic students.
“Our goal is to develop the knowledge of school librarians nationwide about autism, and to help equip them with skills they need to provide more inclusive services for their students,” Dr. Anderson explains. “We know this is needed, and we hope to address this gap.”
Over the next two years, Dr. Anderson plans to center her research on this grant program and evaluating the effectiveness of training. A key component of this research will involve gathering insights directly from the community. “Most importantly, we plan to survey autistic library users to better understand what they want school librarians to know based on their lived experiences,” says Dr. Anderson. “This is critical, as we do not want to make any assumptions without input from members of the community themselves.”
As the AISLE Project moves forward, the library community will be watching closely to see the positive impact this initiative, and supporting grant, will have on the future of school library services for autistic students.