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Consider this important new LITA web course: Universal Design for Libraries and Librarians <http://www.ala.org/lita/universal-design> Instructors: Jessica Olin, Director of the Library, Robert H. Parker Library, Wesley College; and Holly Mabry, Digital Services Librarian, Gardner-Webb University Offered: April 11 – May 27, 2016 A Moodle based web course with asynchronous weekly content lessons, tutorials, assignments, and groups discussion. Register Online, page arranged by session date (login required) <http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=oloc&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=L> Universal Design is the idea of designing products, places, and experiences to make them accessible to as broad a spectrum of people as possible, without requiring special modifications or adaptations. This course will present an overview of universal design as a historical movement, as a philosophy, and as an applicable set of tools. Students will learn about the diversity of experiences and capabilities that people have, including disabilities (e.g. physical, learning, cognitive, resulting from age and/or accident), cultural backgrounds, and other abilities. The class will also give students the opportunity to redesign specific products or environments to make them more universally accessible and usable. Takeaways By the end of this class, students will be able to… - Articulate the ethical, philosophical, and practical aspects of Universal Design as a method and movement – both in general and as it relates to their specific work and life circumstances - Demonstrate the specific pedagogical, ethical, and customer service benefits of using Universal Design principles to develop and recreate library spaces and services in order to make them more broadly accessible - Integrate the ideals and practicalities of Universal Design into library spaces and services via a continuous critique and evaluation cycle Here’s the Course Page <http://www.ala.org/lita/universal-design> Jessica Olin is the Director of the Library, Robert H. Parker Library, Wesley College. Ms. Olin received her MLIS from Simmons College in 2003 and an MAEd, with a concentration in Adult Education, from Touro University International. Her first position in higher education was at Landmark College, a college that is specifically geared to meeting the unique needs of people with learning differences. While at Landmark, Ms. Olin learned about the ethical, theoretical, and practical aspects of universal design. She has since taught an undergraduate course for both the education and the entrepreneurship departments at Hiram College on the subject. Holly Mabry received her MLIS from UNC-Greensboro in 2009. She is currently the Digital Services Librarian at Gardner-Webb University where she manages the university’s institutional repository, and teaches the library’s for-credit online research skills course. She also works for an international virtual reference service called Chatstaff. Since finishing her MLIS, she has done several presentations at local and national library conferences on implementing universal design in libraries with a focus on accessibility for patrons with disabilities. Dates: February 29 – March 31, 2016 Costs: • LITA Member: $135 • ALA Member: $195 • Non-member: $260 Technical Requirements: Moodle login info will be sent to registrants the week prior to the start date. The Moodle-developed course site will include weekly new content lessons and is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructor. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. The course web site will be open for 1 week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. The course site will remain open for 90 days after the end date for students to refer back to course material. Registration Information: Register Online, page arranged by session date (login required) <http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=oloc&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=L> OR Mail or fax form to ALA Registration <http://www.ala.org/lita/sites/ala.org.lita/files/content/learning/LITAWebCourseRegFormNov2014.pdf> OR call 1-800-545-2433 and press 5 OR email [log in to unmask] Questions or Comments? For all other questions or comments related to the course, contact LITA at (312) 280-4268 or Mark Beatty, [log in to unmask] Ken Varnum for the LITA Education Committee -- Ken Varnum Senior Program Manager for Discovery, Delivery, and Learning Analytics Library Information Technology | University of Michigan Library [log in to unmask] | @varnum | 734-615-3287 http://www.lib.umich.edu/users/varnum