Autistic employees in canadian academic libraries

Added on 04/11/2024

Type de contenu

Journal article of the type Scientific research ( ; english)

Lori Giles-Smith , Emma Popowich
Autistic employees in canadian academic libraries published in the journal "Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship" n°9, 22 pages , doi: 10.33137/cjal-rcbu.v9.39994

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Summary/Presentation

There is little research on the employment of autistic librarians and library support staff, and yet there are many ways in which libraries are a good fit for autistic individuals. As the prevalence of autism grows, academic libraries represent a viable option for meaningful and inclusive employment for autistic employees, provided library managers and administrators create environments that value diversity and inclusion. The main purpose of this study was to obtain information from autistic staff currently or recently employed in academic libraries in Canada about the current difficulties and barriers they experience in the workplace, the opportunities that working in a library gives to autistic employees, and potential accommodations they feel would allow them to excel and thrive in their workplaces. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data, designed to respond to our research questions. Through qualitative analysis we identified the following themes in the survey results: library as unsafe space, social difficulties in the workplace, difficulties requesting accommodations, and a need for improved understanding of autism.

For your information:

(1) References in blue are resources listed on our site.

(2) Authors listed in this bibliography whose names are in color have published other resources referenced on the site. Clicking on the name allows you to see the list of resources they have published and shared on the site.

(3) Authors whose names are followed by an asterisk have publicly disclosed being autistic.

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