Universal Accessibility Interest Group

Hi All - My Penn State colleague, Brett Spencer, wants to create a ACRL Discussion Group about sensory spaces in libraries and is looking for initial signatures to kickstart the process. If you are an ACRL member and willing to sign, please see the info below to do so. If you have specific questions about this group, please reach out to Brett at: dbs21@psu.edu.

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I am writing to ask if you would be willing to join me in asking ACRL to create a Discussion Group about sensory spaces in libraries.  Not as formal as committees, Discussion Groups "gather together to discuss the issues and provide members with the always-important informal networks for exchanging ideas and problem-solving."  These are examples of existing Discussion Groups: https://connect.ala.org/acrl/communities/all-acrl-groups/all-acrl-discussion-groups. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="">https://connect.ala.org/acrl/communities/all-acrl-groups/all-acrl-discussion-groups 

I've been corresponding with the ACRL staff and they sent me an ad hoc petition form and materials (the usual online form for proposing a discussion group is not working right now).  Creating a Discussion Group requires 25 signatures from current members of ACRL.  If the petition receives 25 signatures, the ACRL Executive Committee would then decide whether to allow the group to be formed.  There would not be any obligation if you sign; you could attend the Discussion Group zoom meetings as you like if the petition is approved by the Executive Committee.  

Here is the petition:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15nezxsGYeZ-uknmvdLsbTjBkxjkeKKzU0lgS2N-ttzU/edit?usp=sharing. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="1" data-ogsc="">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15nezxsGYeZ-uknmvdLsbTjBkxjkeKKzU0lgS2N-ttzU/edit?usp=sharing

Signing it is a little tricky in Google Sheets as I found out 😀:

>Click Insert at the top

>Select Drawing and a box will appear

>Click the line that has dots on both ends:  

>Select "Scribble"

>Draw your name in.

>Click "Save and Close"

>Resize and move the signature to the cell.

(This https://fynk.com/en/electronic-signatures/how-to-sign-google-sheets/#guide-drawing-tool. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="Verified" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffynk.com%2Fen%2Felectronic-signatures%2Fhow-to-sign-google-sheets%2F%23guide-drawing-tool&data=05%7C02%7Celf113%40psu.edu%7C38cb67ead54b473412c408dd4c874dff%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C638750866185394180%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TmrnY43XwF3lPjkxL3tEyyAM6gjI7K5tqiBEkGMVMko%3D&reserved=0" data-linkindex="2" data-ogsc="">pagehttps://fynk.com/en/electronic-signatures/how-to-sign-google-sheets/#guide-drawing-tool. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="Verified" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffynk.com%2Fen%2Felectronic-signatures%2Fhow-to-sign-google-sheets%2F%23guide-drawing-tool&data=05%7C02%7Celf113%40psu.edu%7C38cb67ead54b473412c408dd4c874dff%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C638750866185407902%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WbQzCsHltQY23DxXss%2BjCn3r1jmfnMj9wp7BbjhvOZ4%3D&reserved=0" data-linkindex="3" data-ogsc=""> explains using graphics).

Sensory spaces are being created at many types of libraries, so it seems like ALA should have a group for all libraries, but creating a Discussion Group within ACRL seems like a start (and requires only 25 signatures compared to 100 for ALA-wide), and would hopefully lead to an ALA-wide group.

(By the way, even if you're not a member of ACRL, we'll still invite you to the Discussion Group meetings 🙂👍🏻).