Accessible Public Libraries

INCLUDED COURSES

This certification series includes 3 self-paced courses. Each one builds on the last, and together they provide a complete foundation for accessible public library spaces and services.

Accessibility Without Overwhelm - Library Programs That Actually Work for Disabled Patrons

If you plan or support library programs, you've probably had this moment.

You're planning a program you've run ten times before, and you think, "Is this actually accessible?"

And then immediately: "If I try to change it, am I going to get it wrong?"

Accessibility can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to make sure disabled patrons are included and welcomed. You don't want to single anyone out or make someone feel different. You don't want to accidentally offend someone while trying to do the right thing. And you definitely don't have time to rebuild your entire programming calendar from the ground up.

This course focuses on the programs you're already running and helps you think through how to adjust them thoughtfully. You'll work through community assessment, partnerships, and practical strategies for children's, teen, and adult programming. You'll also look at how your marketing shapes who feels invited to show up.

Nothing in this course assumes you have unlimited time or staff. The focus is on steady, realistic improvements that you can maintain.

This course is fully self-paced, allowing you six months of access to complete all six modules at your own pace. The full course provides a comprehensive approach across assessment, partnerships, age-specific programming, and marketing. If you are focusing on a particular audience, individual age-specific modules are also available as standalone options.

If accessibility has felt important but also intimidating, this course gives you a way to move forward with more clarity and less second-guessing.

Making Your Library Space Work For Every Body

This course starts from a simple reality: a library space can be technically accessible and still not work well for the people using it. Entrances, seating, signage, acoustics, lighting, service points, and staff areas all shape whether people feel welcome, comfortable, and able to use the library fully. This course helps you look at those spaces more carefully and more practically.

Across four modules, you will build a shared foundation in accessibility and universal design, learn how to evaluate spaces using audit tools and observation, gather patron and employee input, and turn what you find into realistic recommendations. The course is designed to help you make progress whether you are starting small or thinking about longer-term planning.

Serving Disabled Patrons: What Actually Helps (Beyond Good Intentions)

When libraries talk about accessibility, staff are often given the big-picture message without enough help applying it in actual service situations. Led by an accessibility consultant and librarian with lived experience navigating these interactions from both sides, this course is built to close that gap. It focuses on the everyday interactions where accessibility either becomes real or quietly breaks down, and it gives public library staff more concrete ways to respond.

Across seven self-paced modules, you will explore the foundations of accessibility and neuro-inclusivity in libraries and then move into more specific service situations involving communication differences, physical disabilities, Deaf and hard of hearing patrons, intellectual disabilities, mental health conditions, and neurodivergence. The goal is not just to talk about inclusion in the abstract. It is to help staff make the library easier to use, easier to navigate, and more welcoming in ways patrons can actually feel.

Renee Grassi, Accessibility Consultant and Librarian

Author, trainer, librarian, administrator, teacher, and accessibility consultant Renee Grassi is an advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in libraries, schools, and communities. As a neurodivergent librarian herself, Renee has worked in public libraries for over 17 years, developing award-winning library initiatives that welcome, support, and empower disabled residents and their families and caregivers. Learn more at reneegrassi.com.

Robin Davis, Associate Head of User Experience, NC State University Libraries

Robin Camille Davis is the Associate Head of User Experience at NC State University Libraries, where she conducts user research, coordinates content strategy, and advocates for accessible practices. She earned her MA in Computational Linguistics from the Graduate Center at CUNY and her MLIS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a Data Curation for the Humanities Fellow. In 2022, she was honored with a Movers & Shakers award from Library Journal.

Susanna Cowan, Assessment Strategist, UConn Library (University of Connecticut)

Susanna Cowan has been the Assessment Strategist at the UConn Library since 2018. She holds an MLS and a PhD in English and has worked both inside and outside the library at the University of Connecticut in a range of administrative roles. Much of her work centers on using qualitative and quantitative methods to tell compelling stories about library impact, highlighting strengths and identifying areas for growth. She serves as an assessment consultant, project lead, and advocate for inclusive assessment practices. Susanna also teaches an academic course annually, challenging her to meet undergraduates where they are in a rapidly changing world.

Kara Flynn, Archives Education & Outreach Coordinator, University of Connecticut

Kara Flynn is the Archives Education & Outreach Coordinator for the University of Connecticut Library’s Archives & Special Collections. She received her MLIS with a concentration in Archives from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include archival outreach, teaching with primary sources, universal design for learning, and archival education.

Carli Spina, Head of Research & Instructional Services, FIT Library

Carli Spina is the Head of Research & Instructional Services at the FIT Library. She has extensive experience working on library projects related to accessibility, Universal Design, and user experience. She is the author of Creating Inclusive Libraries by Applying Universal Design and co-author of the Digital Accessibility Handbook for Libraries, along with numerous articles, book chapters, and reports focused on accessibility in libraries.

Scott Young, User Experience Librarian, Montana State University

Scott W. H. Young is a User Experience Librarian and professor at Montana State University. His work focuses on user research, content strategy, participatory design, and ethics. He recently published a book with Library Juice Press, Knowing our Value and our Values: Toward An Ethical Practice of Library Assessment. He also serves as editor-in-chief of Weave: Journal of Library User Experience.

Jacqueline Frank, Assistant Professor, Instruction & Accessibility Librarian, Montana State University Library

Jacqueline Frank is a nationally recognized leader in library accessibility and universal design. As the Instruction & Accessibility Librarian at Montana State University Library and head of its Instruction Department, she teaches information literacy, helps students with research, and works to improve library resources and services to be more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Her scholarship on accessible instruction and services, sensory-friendly environments, and slow librarianship practices appears in peer-reviewed journals and national conferences. She has also led accessibility policy development, long term compliance planning efforts, campus-wide training, and physical and digital accessibility audit projects that prioritize practical and continual improvements for a more accessible library. She holds an M.L.I.S from the University of Kentucky, and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Montana State University.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS SERIES

This series is designed for public library workers and leaders. It is especially helpful for learners who want a structured, multi-course path to building deeper skills in accessibility.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this series and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

SERIES FORMAT

This series includes 3 courses designed to build skills progressively across the full program.

All courses are fully self-paced and asynchronous, allowing you to move through the content on your own schedule.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

If you complete all 3 courses in the series, you will spend approximately 52 hours on the full bundle. Upon completion of the full series, you will earn 52 hours of professional development credit, certificates of completion, and your Library Journal Library Accessibility certification.

ALL THE DETAILS

This series provides a structured path through accessibility. Rather than taking a single course in isolation, participants build knowledge and skills across multiple related areas, with each course adding depth and practical application.

The program is designed to help you move beyond one-off learning and build a stronger, more complete professional toolkit.

By the end of the courses, you will have completed all required coursework and earned credentials that reflect sustained engagement and applied learning in accessibility.

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

All materials and recordings included in this series will remain accessible for six months following the final course or session in the series.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete each course in this series to earn your certificates of completion from Library Journal (one per course).

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.