Making Your Library Space Work for Every Body

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

• Explain how accessibility and universal design overlap and where they differ in library spaces
• Assess physical spaces for barriers affecting people with physical, sensory, cognitive, neurodivergent, and situational access needs
• Use universal design principles to evaluate common space elements like entrances, signage, seating, lighting, and acoustics
• Conduct and document an accessibility audit using practical tools, observations, and clear notes
• Gather input from patrons and employees in ways that center lived experience instead of assumptions
• Turn audit findings and user research into realistic short-term and long-term recommendations
• Build a more sustainable approach to accessibility through documentation, policies, planning, and staff training

You will leave with practical ways to review your space, identify priorities, and move accessibility work forward without treating it like a one-time project.

This course is especially helpful for:

• Public library staff responsible for patron spaces, service areas, or building improvements
• Academic library workers involved in space planning, assessment, user experience, or facilities decisions
• Library employees working on accessibility, inclusion, universal design, or employee experience
• Managers and team leads who need better evidence to support accessibility improvements
• Staff who want a more practical way to evaluate spaces and make meaningful recommendations

If that sounds like your role, you will probably see yourself in this course.

If you are someone who:

• Keeps noticing space problems that seem small on paper but clearly affect how people use the library
• Wants to think beyond ramps and door widths and look at the full experience of moving through a space
• Needs better ways to assess accessibility without pretending to be an architect or compliance expert
• Knows user feedback matters and wants more inclusive ways to gather it
• Wants realistic improvements you can actually advocate for and sustain over time

This course was built for that kind of practical, ongoing accessibility work.

THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 4 SELF-PACED MODULES:

Module 1: Rethinking Accessibility in Library Spaces

This module establishes a shared foundation for understanding physical accessibility in library spaces and the importance of making spaces welcoming for all patrons and employees. You’ll develop a common language around accessibility and universal design, and examine how “accessible” often extends beyond ADA compliance or visible mobility needs. You’ll explore how physical spaces can support—or unintentionally exclude—patrons with physical, sensory, cognitive, and neurodivergent needs. By the end of the module, you’ll have a framework that can be applied to all functions of the library, including the physical environment.

Module 2: Evaluating Library Spaces for Accessibility

In this module, you’ll learn how to systematically evaluate your library’s physical environment using universal design principles. The module will cover observational techniques used to evaluate common space elements like entrances, signage, seating, lighting, and acoustics. By the end of the module, you’ll be able to conduct and document an accessibility audit to identify realistic, actionable improvements.

Module 3: Centering Patron and Employee Experience Through User Research

Accessibility cannot be fully understood without knowing about and listening to the people who use—and avoid—library spaces. This module introduces practical, ethical ways to gather input, lived experiences, and demographic data. You’ll learn how to conduct inclusive observation and feedback activities that deepen your understanding of how real people experience your space. Lastly, you’ll explore sources of demographic data so you can gain additional insights about the population your library serves.

Module 4: Executing Short-Term and Long-Term Accessibility Plans

This final module focuses on turning insights into actionable steps. You’ll learn how to prioritize findings, develop low-cost and phased improvement ideas, and advocate for changes effectively to decision-makers. The module also covers maintenance of accessible design over time, including documentation, policies, and staff training. By the end, you’ll know how to embed universal design principles into everyday practice rather than treating it as a one-time project.

COURSE ADVISOR & INSTRUCTORS

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.

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.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

Early bird pricing ends one month before the session deadline. Course materials become available on the registration deadline date.

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 course 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.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a fully self-paced, asynchronous online course consisting of 4 modules. Each module includes video instruction, slides, readings, and reflective exercises designed to connect concepts directly to your daily work.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Each module is designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete, for a total of 16 hours. You may move through the course at your own pace and on your own schedule.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to all course materials for six months from the material unlock date.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

Complete all modules to earn 16 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion, which will be emailed to you.

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.