TY - JOUR
AU - Fagan, Mary, K
AB - Abstract In today’s public libraries, children’s librarians are challenged to provide inclusive programming that welcomes all individuals, including deaf and hard-of-hearing children at risk for delayed reading and literacy development. This study, using quantitative survey data and qualitative interview methods, investigated the programs and accommodations public libraries provide for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, the impetus for providing these programs, and the training required. Nearly 500 public libraries in the United States with service areas greater than 100,000 patrons were invited to participate in an online survey. Fifty-nine librarians completed the survey and 11 participated in an additional telephone interview. Results indicated less than half of the libraries surveyed provided services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Nearly all of the programs offered were inclusive; among the accommodations provided were books with sign language and sign language interpreters. Training was the most common limitation facing librarians in their role as community partners in the literacy development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. In the United States and internationally, public libraries today are increasingly focused on providing programming for diverse populations with special needs and interests. Many libraries, for example, offer programming designed to support reading and literacy development in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children, children who are blind, and children with developmental disabilities (Andissac, n.d.; Day, 2000; Playforth, 2004). DHH children and adults, with some exceptions, face unique challenges in literacy development, both in learning to read and improving their reading skills across the life span. Deaf adults in the United States (US), on average, read at the 4th grade level or less (Golden-Meadow & Mayberry, 2001; Kyle & Harris, 2006, 2010; Scott & Hoffmeister, 2017; Traxler, 2000), well below the 9th-grade average reading level for hearing adults in the US (National Institutes of Health, n.d.). Because public health and safety information is generally printed at the 5th grade reading level and newspapers are written at the 11th grade level, these and other print materials can be difficult or for many DHH (and hearing) individuals to read. In many countries, including the US and the United Kingdom (UK), hearing and DHH individuals who have trouble reading tend not to frequent public libraries (Day, 2000; Playforth, 2004). However, library programming can be an integral part of early literacy development for DHH children and the adults who support their learning. Early Literacy Programs Story time programs are among the most common pre-literacy (i.e., pre-reading) programs offered to all children who visit public libraries in the US, the UK, France, and Spain (Andissac, n.d.; Hands & Johnson, 2012; Playforth, 2004; Poveda, Pulido, Morgade, Messina, & Hedlova, 2008; Rodriguez & Reed, 2003). In the US, these programs often follow the American Library Association’s (ALA) guidelines for early literacy development, guidelines that have been incorporated into programs such as, Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR, 2011). ECRR prioritizes six identified pre-literacy skills: print awareness (e.g., knowing how to handle a book and follow the written words on a page); letter knowledge; narrative skills; print motivation (e.g., interest in and enjoyment of books); phonological awareness (e.g., rhyming, syllable, and sound awareness); and vocabulary development (Colin, Magnan, Ecalle, & Leybaert, 2007; Friedman Narr, 2006; Syverud, Guardino & Selnick, 2009). Embedding these pre-literacy skills into story time programs helps children to develop literacy skills and demonstrates for parents what they can do to help. The development of these same pre-literacy skills is critical for DHH children learning to read, with some modifications when necessary (Bergeron, Lederberg, Easterbrooks, Miller, & Connor, 2009; Easterbrooks & Beal-Alvarez, 2013; Gioia, 2001; Golden-Meadow & Mayberry, 2001; Harrington, DesJardin, & Shea, 2010; Kyle & Harris, 2010; Mayer, 2007; Plessow-Wolfson & Epstein, 2005; Poveda et al., 2008; Robertson, Dow, & Hainzinger, 2006; Rottenberg, 2001; Sehyr, Petrich, & Emmorey, 2017; Wolf, 2007; Woolsey, Satterfield, & Roberson, 2006). For example, the development of phonological awareness (e.g., rhyming, syllable segmentation) is a challenging yet important pre-literacy skill for DHH children learning to read (Mayer, 2007). Although phonological awareness may be more challenging than visual phonics using hand cues (Beal-Alvarez, Lederberg, & Easterbrooks, 2012; Easterbrooks, Lederberg, Miller, Bergeron, & Connor, 2008; Friedman Narr, 2006; Gilliver, Cupples, Ching, Leigh, & Gunnourie, 2016; Luckner, Bruce, & Ferrell, 2016; Smith & Wang, 2010; Syverud et al., 2009; Webb & Lederberg, 2014; Woolsey et al., 2006), it is an important component of learning to read for all children (Mayer, 2007). Early Identification and Literacy Instruction With the advent of newborn hearing screening programs in 1999 nearly all children born in the US will have a hearing screening before one month of age. Two to three of every 1,000 children in the US are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIDCD, 2016). Newborn hearing screening, combined with improved hearing technologies, has resulted in more children receiving hearing aids or cochlear implants within the first year (NIDCD, 2016). However, any delay in diagnosis or fitting with appropriate amplification increases children’s risk for language delay, associated delays in early pre-literacy skills, and poor outcomes in later reading and literacy development (Fagan & Pisoni, 2010; Fagan, Pisoni, Horn, & Dillon, 2007; Harrington et al., 2010). After early diagnosis and amplification, early literacy instruction is the most important factor in narrowing the gap between hearing and DHH children’s reading abilities (Allen, Letteri, Choi, & Dang, 2014; Aram, Most, & Maylift, 2006; Aram, Most, & Simon, 2008; Mounty, Pucci, & Harmon, 2014). With delays in regular access to language or early intervention services, it is not unusual for children to experience a 3- to 6-year period with little exposure to pre-literacy information (Gioia, 2001). For example, parents often read to DHH children less frequently than to hearing children (Kaderavek & Pakulski, 2007). Nevertheless, it is widely understood that the years prior to school age are a critical time for building the pre-literacy skills children will need in order to learn to read (Aram et al., 2008; Easterbrooks et al., 2008; Mounty et al., 2014). Difficulties and delays in access to appropriate methods of communication can also occur. American Sign Language (ASL) has been the primary language of Deaf1 individuals in North America since 1960 (NIDCD, 2016); however, many hearing parents choose communication approaches other than ASL, including spoken English (Gioia, 2001; Plessow-Wolfson & Epstein, 2005; Toscano, McKee, & Lepoutre, 2002). More than 90% of DHH children are born to hearing parents (Golden-Meadow & Mayberry, 2001), who may be unsure how to provide early literacy activities and less well-prepared and more hesitant to use ASL than Deaf parents (Allen et al., 2014; Dostal & Wolbers, 2014; Easterbrooks & Beal-Alvarez, 2013; Mounty et al., 2014; Strong & Prinz, 1997). Hearing parents of DHH children also may feel less qualified to read books to their children in ASL or to introduce new ASL vocabulary words (Easterbrooks & Beal-Alvarez, 2013; Plessow-Wolfson & Epstein, 2005). However, use of sign language alone does not fully account for differences in literacy development among DHH individuals (Kyle & Harris, 2010; Scott & Hoffmeister, 2017). Public Library Services By fostering pre-literacy activities and providing other programs and services, libraries can play an important supportive role in early literacy development not only for DHH children but also for their families. Librarians can help to bridge the reading achievement gap for early learners by providing information about early literacy development, children’s literacy programs and other library services, and programming and materials, including books in ASL, graphic novels, and DVDs with closed captioning (Arnold, 2002; Banks, 2004; Hands & Johnson, 2012; Lajoie, 2003; Nail, 2008; Noland, 2003; Rodriguez & Reed, 2003; White, 2011). Potentially, libraries can also be a place for building DHH reading communities. However, to serve in this role, librarians must be knowledgeable about early literacy development and intervention for DHH children, understand the needs of DHH children and their families, and have the training and resources to provide appropriate programming (Macmillan, 2003; Mounty et al., 2014; Playforth, 2004; Wemett, 2007). A core purpose of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ALA, is creating a better future for children through libraries. The ALSC aims to empower its members to eliminate barriers and promote equity of access to library services for all children and the communities that support them (American Library Association, ALA, 2017). The ALSC goals for children’s library services are to ensure children have full access to information technologies, provide collaborative models for community participation in library services to children, and outreach to children of underserved communities (ALA, 2017). Yet libraries seldom provide reports regarding their work with DHH children or the specific services currently being provided by children’s librarians. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS, 2013) reported libraries offered more than 3.5 million programs in 2010, with the majority (61.5%) designed for children. Whereas programming for children, overall, has steadily risen since 1993 (ALA Library Statistics, 2016), disability diagnoses have also been on the rise. Data regarding the number of disability services provided by public libraries are not maintained by the ALA. However, in 2013–2014, 13% of children in public schools in the US were reported to have some type of disability (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016). Libraries can play a critical role in helping to provide these children with the tools they need to reach their maximum reading potential. Public libraries, in addition to public schools, are among the few organizations providing literacy services to DHH children and their families at little to no cost. Therefore, children’s librarians can be an important early resource for DHH children, their parents, teachers, and intervention specialists. Libraries provide these literacy resources, services, and programming for the general community; however, our study focused on the extent to which these services are extended to DHH children. Research Questions This research investigated the services librarians at public libraries in the US offer to DHH children and their families, the early literacy programs and accommodations provided for DHH children, the impetus for starting these library programs, and the training librarians received to facilitate services. The goal of the study was to facilitate the availability of library programs for DHH children at risk for delayed reading and literacy development, with the long-term goal to improve DHH individuals’ reading outcome levels. The study used survey and interview methods to address three research questions about the processes of providing library services to DHH children. The three research questions were: What services do libraries provide to DHH children, including early literacy programs and accommodations? What was the impetus for providing library services to DHH children? What training do library staff receive to provide these services? Method For this research, online surveys were sent to 490 librarians; 59 responded, and 11 of those librarians also participated in subsequent telephone interviews. The present study focused on the online survey data and examples from the telephone interviews (discussed below) as sources of information about the experiences of the librarians. A theoretical model for initiating library services developed from the telephone interviews and library websites is presented elsewhere (Bushman, 2018); however, specific examples from the interviews are presented in this report. It should be noted that librarians will not know a child’s actual hearing level. Therefore, in this study, children (i.e., birth to 17 years) were considered by librarians to be deaf or hard of hearing if the parent/caregiver/child indicated to the librarian that the child was deaf or hard of hearing in requesting services, the child wore hearing aids or cochlear implants in the library, or the child communicated predominately by using sign language or sign language and speech. During telephone interviews, for example, several librarians described interacting with children who used hearing aids or cochlear implants. The World Health Organization (2015) defines deafness in children as hearing loss greater than 30 dB in the better hearing ear, thus including even mild hearing loss. Participants Information about librarians In the present study, survey and interview participants were not asked about their age, gender, or education, although some volunteered identifying information (e.g., education level, number of years employed at the library). Librarians make up approximately one-third of all library staff (IMLS website). Online survey participants Potential participants in the library surveys were identified using the data file from the 2010 Public Libraries Survey posted on the IMLS website. The file contained 9,308 records of libraries in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia; 540 of these records described having a service area population greater than 100,000. Our expectation was that libraries in service areas with more than 100,00 patrons would have librarians on staff, more staff with a greater variety of experiences and specializations, and more experience serving DHH children than comparatively smaller libraries. Email addresses of librarians from 490 of these 540 libraries could be located by searching the library websites for contact information for children and/or youth librarians. Survey invitations were sent by email to all 490 of these librarians; 59 of the invited librarians completed the online survey (described below). Telephone interview participants Fifteen (25%) of the librarians who completed the online survey instrument indicated they would be willing to participate in a subsequent telephone interview to discuss their library’s services for DHH individuals. Ten of these librarians could be reached using the contact information they provided. One additional librarian was referred by an interview participant. These 11 librarians were interviewed by telephone. The 11 telephone interview participants represented libraries in eight different states across the US. They held positions as children’s librarians or early childhood specialists, librarians in management positions, and librarians in other positions (e.g., Community Engagement Coordinator, Youth Services Manager, Deaf Literacy Coordinator). All reported some interaction with DHH individuals at their libraries, although two described their experience as limited. Comparatively, about 70% of libraries that completed the online survey reported interacting with DHH children. Librarians who disclosed information about how long they had worked in libraries (n = 8) described at least 2–15 years of experience. Five librarians mentioned a nearby school for the Deaf and two noted these schools provided information or training for librarians (e.g., Deaf culture, or ASL training). Materials and Procedure The online survey instrument and telephone interview questions were designed to learn about library services provided to DHH children. Both the online survey and the telephone interview questions were developed following preliminary research on library services to children with diverse special needs, a review of the literature on literacy development in DHH children, and the first authors’ experience with early literacy programs and DHH individuals (Adkins & Bushman, 2015; Bushman, 2018). The questions were then refined to be more specific to DHH children than to children with other special needs. The interview questions were pre-tested with a librarian at a school for DHH children and with an early literacy expert for DHH children. Both of these individuals were identified through an initial contact with the principal at a school for the Deaf. These preliminary interviews helped to clarify the final questions used. Online survey instrument The online survey sent out to libraries by email consisted of 13 questions regarding library services for DHH children, the early literacy programs provided, accommodations or modifications to early literacy programs for DHH children, program initiation, and staff training. The online survey questions are presented in Appendix A. Six of the survey questions were yes/no questions, one was a forced-choice question about inclusive programming, six permitted multiple responses, and all questions allowed respondents to add any additional comments. A final item asked if participants would be willing to participate in a telephone interview and, if so, to provide contact information. Those who provided the information were then contacted for a telephone interview (described below). The online surveys required about 20 min to complete. Telephone interviews Telephone interview questions gathered additional in-depth information about personal experiences with library practices, accommodations or modifications made to existing programs, the impetus for services, and staff training. The telephone interviews made it possible to conduct and record conversations with librarians throughout the country using open-ended questions to begin a dialog about services, early literacy programs, the impetus for program development, staff training and in-depth information about librarians’ experiences and challenges. Interviews ended with an invitation to share anything else related to their work with DHH children. The individual telephone interviews took about 30 min each. The 13 telephone interview questions are presented in Appendix B. The interviewer, a librarian herself, began with the standard list of 13 interview questions (Appendix B) and asked increasingly specific questions when it became clear that a particular librarian had substantial experience in a given area. For example, if the interviewee said that her library offered a story time for DHH children, the interviewer followed up with questions about how that story time differed from the story time for hearing children. The questions were intended to uncover what libraries were doing to develop successful programming for DHH children. The interviews were audio recorded (with participant consent), transcribed, edited only by removing identifying information (e.g., person name, library, name of nearby agency), printed, and numbered (1 to 11). Library resources and websites relating to programming or staff training were examined if they were brought up by the librarians during the interviews. Three librarians mentioned library websites, each of which was examined to provide clarity or greater understanding of topics discussed in the interviews. These websites were also used to verify details, triangulate data, and develop themes and codes. In the current study, telephone interview examples supplemented information from the online surveys. In grounded theory research, these examples clarify how librarians initiated or successfully served DHH children and families and they allowed the researchers to become familiar with the natural library setting where the problems occur (Creswell, 2009). Data Analysis The current study was based on quantitative data from the online surveys, supported by examples from the telephone interviews. The online surveys and the resulting quantitative data (i.e., frequencies and percentages) for this report were generated with Qualtrics software, Version 2012 (Qualtrics, 2012). The telephone interview data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology (see Bushman, 2018). Because the grounded theory process is relevant to the current study (i.e., interview examples), we briefly describe it here. The qualitative method is a way of exploring problems and procedures, developing general themes, and understanding the meaning of the problem for the individuals who face it (Creswell, 2009; McWilliam, 2000). Glaser and Strauss (1967) developed the grounded theory method for systematic qualitative research. The transcribed telephone interviews were coded by hand, using charts, highlighting, and handwritten notes and memos to expose codes (i.e., labels) and illustrate emerging themes and categories (Bryant & Charmaz, 2007; Charmaz, 2006; Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Creswell, 2008). The typed, double-spaced interviews filled 79 pages; each interview was about seven pages in length. Interpretation of the data involved finding themes and larger meanings within the data, later used to form new models (Creswell, 2008). All phases of coding incorporated the emerging structure and evaluative criteria suggested by Creswell (2008) for use in qualitative research. Analyzing the telephone interview data using grounded theory methodology contributed to a general four-stage model for successful library services for DHH children (Bushman, 2018). The first stage of the model for successful library services developed from this research highlighted staff attitudes as being warm and welcoming, taking the initiative, and not seeing hearing loss as a disability. The second stage described the impetus for providing services as encountering a DHH patron in the library, knowing a special-needs person in the librarians’ personal life, or encountering a nearby agency serving DHH individuals. The third stage described providing accommodations (e.g., ASL) and inclusive programming for DHH library patrons. The fourth stage of the model reported the outcomes of successful services as educating both hearing and DHH individuals and building a sense of community (Bushman, 2018). Validity There are two ways of validating the coding scheme (or methodology) used with qualitative data. The first involves continuously comparing emerging coding schemes against the raw data; the second method is to tell the story to respondents to obtain their feedback (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). Both methods were used in this research. Data codes were repeatedly checked against the original interviews, adding memos and notes on the original interviews, and incorporating more of the participants’ own words. Additionally, interviews were compared when looking for themes in the data to check that participants said similar things about DHH programming at their libraries. Information on three library websites (e.g., programs) mentioned by librarians was also compared with the information presented in participant interviews. This theoretical triangulation, using multiple perceptions to clarify meaning, is a mode of verification used in data gathering and analysis (Bryant & Charmaz, 2007). Additionally, three interview respondents who indicated they would like to know the outcome of the research and who also had experience with DHH programming were contacted by email and provided with a copy of the model of successful library services and modifications for DHH children. Participants were asked to indicate whether the model reflected their experiences and to add anything they thought was missing. One participant responded. She reported that the model was “excellent” in explaining the process of providing services to DHH children and that she supported and agreed with it. Results The majority (71%) of the 59 libraries that participated in the online survey (service area greater than 100,000 people) had DHH individuals in their service area. The remaining libraries reported either that they did not, or that they did not know. Table 1 presents the number of responses and percentages for yes/no survey questions. Table 1 Yes/no survey responses by topic question Question Topic Yes No Don’t Know DHH individuals in library service area? (n = 59) 42 (71%) 3 (5%) 14 (24%) Library staff interacts with DHH children? (n = 54) 36 (67%) 6 (11%) 12 (22%) Library serves or plans to serve DHH children/adults? (n = 57) 26 (46%) 16 (28%) 15 (26%) Use same literacy program for DHH and hearing children? (n = 45) 24 (53%) 21 (47%) 0 (0%) Community/school resources for DHH are in your area? (n = 32) 32 (100%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Staff have received training to work with DHH children? (n = 58) 16 (28%) 33 (57%) 9 (16%) Question Topic Yes No Don’t Know DHH individuals in library service area? (n = 59) 42 (71%) 3 (5%) 14 (24%) Library staff interacts with DHH children? (n = 54) 36 (67%) 6 (11%) 12 (22%) Library serves or plans to serve DHH children/adults? (n = 57) 26 (46%) 16 (28%) 15 (26%) Use same literacy program for DHH and hearing children? (n = 45) 24 (53%) 21 (47%) 0 (0%) Community/school resources for DHH are in your area? (n = 32) 32 (100%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Staff have received training to work with DHH children? (n = 58) 16 (28%) 33 (57%) 9 (16%) Note. DHH = deaf and hard of hearing. Table 1 Yes/no survey responses by topic question Question Topic Yes No Don’t Know DHH individuals in library service area? (n = 59) 42 (71%) 3 (5%) 14 (24%) Library staff interacts with DHH children? (n = 54) 36 (67%) 6 (11%) 12 (22%) Library serves or plans to serve DHH children/adults? (n = 57) 26 (46%) 16 (28%) 15 (26%) Use same literacy program for DHH and hearing children? (n = 45) 24 (53%) 21 (47%) 0 (0%) Community/school resources for DHH are in your area? (n = 32) 32 (100%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Staff have received training to work with DHH children? (n = 58) 16 (28%) 33 (57%) 9 (16%) Question Topic Yes No Don’t Know DHH individuals in library service area? (n = 59) 42 (71%) 3 (5%) 14 (24%) Library staff interacts with DHH children? (n = 54) 36 (67%) 6 (11%) 12 (22%) Library serves or plans to serve DHH children/adults? (n = 57) 26 (46%) 16 (28%) 15 (26%) Use same literacy program for DHH and hearing children? (n = 45) 24 (53%) 21 (47%) 0 (0%) Community/school resources for DHH are in your area? (n = 32) 32 (100%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Staff have received training to work with DHH children? (n = 58) 16 (28%) 33 (57%) 9 (16%) Note. DHH = deaf and hard of hearing. Library Services, Literacy Programs, and Accommodations Of the libraries that reported DHH individuals in their service area, 67% reported interacting with DHH children in the library in some way. However, fewer than half (46%) offered library services for DHH children or adults, specifically. Ninety-two percent offered inclusive children’s programming (i.e., programming for hearing and DHH children together), whether or not accommodations were provided. Accordingly, librarians interviewed by telephone also described providing inclusive children’s programming. For example, children’s librarians interviewed reported, “All of our programs are open to anyone” (Public Library 5) and, “We have an American Sign Language story time that’s offered at our branch libraries that has a mix of deaf and hearing children attending” (Public Library 6). The most common services provided for DHH children were reference services (49% of libraries), readers’ advisory services (44%), and computer assistance (44%). Table 2 lists responses for the inclusive and multiple-answer survey questions about services, accommodations, training, challenges, and service initiation. Accommodations provided for DHH children included books with ASL pictures (47%), computers with assistive technology (48%), and ASL interpreters (34%). Every librarian surveyed by telephone reported making ASL interpreters available to library patrons on request. One librarian reported, for example, “If we have a child who’s deaf and needs support in a program, that’s when we hire interpreters” (Public Library 6). Table 2 Survey response to multiple-choice questions Topic Number (%) Library Services for DHH Children (n = 41)  Readers’ advisory services 18 (44%)  Reference services 20 (49%)  Computer assistance 18 (44%)  Children’s programming 16 (28%)  Informal interaction 24 (59%)  Programming for parents of DHH children 5 (12%)  Other (comments: Interpreters, library tours, ASL classes, homework help, toy collection) 12 (29%) Inclusive programming for all children or DHH specific (n = 51)  Inclusive (mainstreamed) 47 (92%)  DHH specific 4 (8%) Modifications/Accommodations Libraries Provide for DHH Children (n = 58)  ASL interpreter 20 (34%)  Books with ASL Pictures 27 (47%)  TTY/TDD communicator 20 (34%)  Computers with assistive technology 28 (48%)  Videos with ASL 19 (33%)  None 8 (14%)  Other (comments: sound system amplification, video telephone ASL interpreter on request, video relay ASL story time, induction loops, interpretype machine, video link service) 10 (17%) How Services Were Initiated (n = 29)  Library’s Children’s/Youth Department (own initiative) 15 (52%)  Request by library administrators 0 (0%)  Request by teachers 3 (10%)  Request by parents/caregivers 11 (38%)  Other (comments: reaching out to community organizations, library response to growing deaf community, request by local agency or organization) 6 (21%) Who Provides Training for Working with DHH Children (n = 17)  Community agency 7 (41%)  Consultant 4 (24%)  Library association 4 (24%)  College instructor/student 3 (18%)  Other (comments: staff member, school for the deaf, state library, city diversity program or disability services) 6 (35%) Challenges Library Face in Providing Services to DHH Children (n = 54)  Not enough resources 5 (9%)  Staff need more training 13 (24%)  Staff not trained to work with DHH children 12 (22%)  Not a priority 4 (7%)  Patrons not interested/don’t participate 4 (7%)  Staff/administrators not interested/don’t participate 0 (0%)  Communication barriers 2 (4%)  Other (comments: could not find a volunteer interpreter, little demand, no barriers, all of the above) 14 (26%) Topic Number (%) Library Services for DHH Children (n = 41)  Readers’ advisory services 18 (44%)  Reference services 20 (49%)  Computer assistance 18 (44%)  Children’s programming 16 (28%)  Informal interaction 24 (59%)  Programming for parents of DHH children 5 (12%)  Other (comments: Interpreters, library tours, ASL classes, homework help, toy collection) 12 (29%) Inclusive programming for all children or DHH specific (n = 51)  Inclusive (mainstreamed) 47 (92%)  DHH specific 4 (8%) Modifications/Accommodations Libraries Provide for DHH Children (n = 58)  ASL interpreter 20 (34%)  Books with ASL Pictures 27 (47%)  TTY/TDD communicator 20 (34%)  Computers with assistive technology 28 (48%)  Videos with ASL 19 (33%)  None 8 (14%)  Other (comments: sound system amplification, video telephone ASL interpreter on request, video relay ASL story time, induction loops, interpretype machine, video link service) 10 (17%) How Services Were Initiated (n = 29)  Library’s Children’s/Youth Department (own initiative) 15 (52%)  Request by library administrators 0 (0%)  Request by teachers 3 (10%)  Request by parents/caregivers 11 (38%)  Other (comments: reaching out to community organizations, library response to growing deaf community, request by local agency or organization) 6 (21%) Who Provides Training for Working with DHH Children (n = 17)  Community agency 7 (41%)  Consultant 4 (24%)  Library association 4 (24%)  College instructor/student 3 (18%)  Other (comments: staff member, school for the deaf, state library, city diversity program or disability services) 6 (35%) Challenges Library Face in Providing Services to DHH Children (n = 54)  Not enough resources 5 (9%)  Staff need more training 13 (24%)  Staff not trained to work with DHH children 12 (22%)  Not a priority 4 (7%)  Patrons not interested/don’t participate 4 (7%)  Staff/administrators not interested/don’t participate 0 (0%)  Communication barriers 2 (4%)  Other (comments: could not find a volunteer interpreter, little demand, no barriers, all of the above) 14 (26%) Note: DHH = deaf and hard of hearing; ASL = American Sign Language; TTY = teletypewriter; TDD = telecommunications device for the deaf. Table 2 Survey response to multiple-choice questions Topic Number (%) Library Services for DHH Children (n = 41)  Readers’ advisory services 18 (44%)  Reference services 20 (49%)  Computer assistance 18 (44%)  Children’s programming 16 (28%)  Informal interaction 24 (59%)  Programming for parents of DHH children 5 (12%)  Other (comments: Interpreters, library tours, ASL classes, homework help, toy collection) 12 (29%) Inclusive programming for all children or DHH specific (n = 51)  Inclusive (mainstreamed) 47 (92%)  DHH specific 4 (8%) Modifications/Accommodations Libraries Provide for DHH Children (n = 58)  ASL interpreter 20 (34%)  Books with ASL Pictures 27 (47%)  TTY/TDD communicator 20 (34%)  Computers with assistive technology 28 (48%)  Videos with ASL 19 (33%)  None 8 (14%)  Other (comments: sound system amplification, video telephone ASL interpreter on request, video relay ASL story time, induction loops, interpretype machine, video link service) 10 (17%) How Services Were Initiated (n = 29)  Library’s Children’s/Youth Department (own initiative) 15 (52%)  Request by library administrators 0 (0%)  Request by teachers 3 (10%)  Request by parents/caregivers 11 (38%)  Other (comments: reaching out to community organizations, library response to growing deaf community, request by local agency or organization) 6 (21%) Who Provides Training for Working with DHH Children (n = 17)  Community agency 7 (41%)  Consultant 4 (24%)  Library association 4 (24%)  College instructor/student 3 (18%)  Other (comments: staff member, school for the deaf, state library, city diversity program or disability services) 6 (35%) Challenges Library Face in Providing Services to DHH Children (n = 54)  Not enough resources 5 (9%)  Staff need more training 13 (24%)  Staff not trained to work with DHH children 12 (22%)  Not a priority 4 (7%)  Patrons not interested/don’t participate 4 (7%)  Staff/administrators not interested/don’t participate 0 (0%)  Communication barriers 2 (4%)  Other (comments: could not find a volunteer interpreter, little demand, no barriers, all of the above) 14 (26%) Topic Number (%) Library Services for DHH Children (n = 41)  Readers’ advisory services 18 (44%)  Reference services 20 (49%)  Computer assistance 18 (44%)  Children’s programming 16 (28%)  Informal interaction 24 (59%)  Programming for parents of DHH children 5 (12%)  Other (comments: Interpreters, library tours, ASL classes, homework help, toy collection) 12 (29%) Inclusive programming for all children or DHH specific (n = 51)  Inclusive (mainstreamed) 47 (92%)  DHH specific 4 (8%) Modifications/Accommodations Libraries Provide for DHH Children (n = 58)  ASL interpreter 20 (34%)  Books with ASL Pictures 27 (47%)  TTY/TDD communicator 20 (34%)  Computers with assistive technology 28 (48%)  Videos with ASL 19 (33%)  None 8 (14%)  Other (comments: sound system amplification, video telephone ASL interpreter on request, video relay ASL story time, induction loops, interpretype machine, video link service) 10 (17%) How Services Were Initiated (n = 29)  Library’s Children’s/Youth Department (own initiative) 15 (52%)  Request by library administrators 0 (0%)  Request by teachers 3 (10%)  Request by parents/caregivers 11 (38%)  Other (comments: reaching out to community organizations, library response to growing deaf community, request by local agency or organization) 6 (21%) Who Provides Training for Working with DHH Children (n = 17)  Community agency 7 (41%)  Consultant 4 (24%)  Library association 4 (24%)  College instructor/student 3 (18%)  Other (comments: staff member, school for the deaf, state library, city diversity program or disability services) 6 (35%) Challenges Library Face in Providing Services to DHH Children (n = 54)  Not enough resources 5 (9%)  Staff need more training 13 (24%)  Staff not trained to work with DHH children 12 (22%)  Not a priority 4 (7%)  Patrons not interested/don’t participate 4 (7%)  Staff/administrators not interested/don’t participate 0 (0%)  Communication barriers 2 (4%)  Other (comments: could not find a volunteer interpreter, little demand, no barriers, all of the above) 14 (26%) Note: DHH = deaf and hard of hearing; ASL = American Sign Language; TTY = teletypewriter; TDD = telecommunications device for the deaf. Library reports about children’s early literacy programs were about evenly divided between those that offered just one literacy program for both groups (hearing and DHH; 53%), and those that did not use the same program for both groups (47%). Multiple-choice and interview questions provided more details. Table 3 lists the early literacy programs used at surveyed libraries. Some librarians used a variety of programs, as the 54 participants who answered this question made 69 responses (Table 3). However, 72% indicated using the widely-known ALA program, Every Child Ready to Read. Other literacy programs in use were developed by the surveyed library or another library (29%), and 7% of the libraries did not use any early literacy programs (Table 3). In their additional survey comments, at least two noted programs focused specifically on DHH children and their families (e.g., Deaf Literacy Center, and Motheread/Fatheread). Table 3 Early literacy programs used by libraries surveyed Program Number (%) Every Child Ready to Read 39 (72%) Program created by the library 12 (22%) Program created by another library 4 (7%) Another program 10 (19%) We do not use a program 4 (7%) Total Respondents (n = 54) Program Number (%) Every Child Ready to Read 39 (72%) Program created by the library 12 (22%) Program created by another library 4 (7%) Another program 10 (19%) We do not use a program 4 (7%) Total Respondents (n = 54) Table 3 Early literacy programs used by libraries surveyed Program Number (%) Every Child Ready to Read 39 (72%) Program created by the library 12 (22%) Program created by another library 4 (7%) Another program 10 (19%) We do not use a program 4 (7%) Total Respondents (n = 54) Program Number (%) Every Child Ready to Read 39 (72%) Program created by the library 12 (22%) Program created by another library 4 (7%) Another program 10 (19%) We do not use a program 4 (7%) Total Respondents (n = 54) Impetus for Service Initiation Librarians most often reported relying on their own initiative to begin programs for DHH children (52%). Librarians’ initiative was also described in telephone interviews; for example, “There was a staff member who has significant hearing loss and is fluent in ASL who really took the reins” (Public Library 10). Parent/caregiver requests were another important impetus (38%); “The family just made us aware that they had that need and we were able to accommodate them” (Public Library 2). Community agencies also initiated or requested library programs (21%; e.g., “They [local company] have a policy where they get 20 hr a year of [paid] volunteer time;” Public Library 7). Given that only 29 librarians responded to the question about the impetus for services, some may not have known how services were first initiated. Training The main challenge to service provision was librarians’ concerns about staff training (46%), both that library staff had not been trained to work with DHH children (22%), and that they needed more training (24%; Table 2). Few libraries contributed to the survey question about training sources (n = 17) but those who did described being trained by community agencies (41%), and by consultants, library associations, and local college instructors or students. Various community agencies were identified in additional comments as well (i.e., Other, 35%). For example, “Over the years, we’ve worked with various agencies from our hearing, speech and deafness center to Deaf theater groups, student groups, and other agencies, state agencies who support deaf services and community programs” (Public Library 6). Two librarians mentioned making use of ALA training webinars. Depending on minimum staffing needs (which was not surveyed), the percentage of staff trained to work with DHH children was relatively small. About one-fourth of the respondents (28%) had received training to work with DHH children; more than half (57%) had not, or were unsure about training (16%). Librarians themselves varied in their training, experience, and ability to communicate with DHH children. For example, librarians interviewed by phone commented that they knew ASL, relied on interpreters (e.g., “And we have a really strong deaf community over the years so it hasn’t been difficult to find people.”), or utilized other forms of communication (e.g., written). Libraries also reached out to community organizations, schools, and volunteers from the Deaf community (paid and unpaid) for experienced ASL signers and interpreters, for ASL story time leaders, and for other DHH programming needs (e.g., “We always have a Deaf storyteller;” Public Library 6). Survey respondents overwhelmingly reported that community or school resources for DHH children were located nearby (100%), although the fewest number of librarians responded to this question (n = 32). Their additional comments suggested numbers were high in part because public schools were included (i.e., 14 comments listed local schools). The librarians who were interviewed also reported working in partnership with schools; “We worked with our community colleges for ASL students who are studying, --who may need library resources or who need to attend programs related to the Deaf community” (Public Library 6). Discussion Librarians in public libraries with service area populations greater than 100,000 were surveyed online and interviewed by telephone to address three research questions regarding the services and accommodations provided to DHH children, the impetus for initiating the services, and the training library staff received. The data collected sufficiently allowed answering the study’s three research questions. In addition to addressing the research questions (below), the survey data showed that less than half of the libraries surveyed provided services for DHH children, even though they were in relatively large service areas. Actual numbers may be smaller yet, as libraries that did not provide services may have declined to participate in the survey. Research Question 1: What services and accommodations do public libraries provide to DHH children? Survey results showed that when libraries did provide services, nearly all children’s programming was inclusive rather than specific to DHH children alone (92%). Inclusive programming, while beneficial, may require modifications to advance the literacy education and development of DHH children. The most common accommodations for DHH children were books with ASL pictures and the provision of ASL interpreters. Children’s story time programs used sign language interpreters for the DHH children, or ASL storytellers and oral interpreters for the hearing children. Similarly, libraries in Europe have also reported using sign language storytellers and interpreters as well (Day, 2000; Playforth, 2004; Poveda et al., 2008). The interviewed librarians reported these story time activities introduced hearing children to sign language and engendered respect for individual differences (Bushman, 2018). Librarians reported, “There’s a comfort that comes [for hearing children] with understanding deafness” (Public Library 6) and, “Then the hearing people that come get exposed to Deaf culture. It’s just pretty amazing” (Public Library 9; see also Poveda et al., 2008). Although 53% of libraries surveyed used the same early literacy program for DHH and hearing children alike, more research is needed to determine which programs and practices provide the greatest educational benefit for DHH children (Easterbrooks et al., 2008). Librarians reported incorporating books that facilitated vocabulary development, print motivation, and dialog rather than rhyming and phonological awareness (Bushman, 2018). Almost half of the libraries also purchased books with ASL pictures for their collections and one-third had ASL videos. Similar practices were reported in the UK and France (Andissac, n.d.; Playforth, 2004), with some libraries preparing DVDs in sign language and inserting them into picture books (Andissac, n.d.). Research Question 2: What was the impetus for providing library services to DHH children? Most of the libraries surveyed had DHH individuals in their service area (71%) but fewer than half (46%) provided services to DHH adults or children, and one-fourth offered DHH children’s programming specifically. Staff initiative was the primary impetus for providing services. Interviewed librarians described encountering deaf children in the library, personally knowing someone with a disability, or collaborating with a nearby agency as their own motivation for providing library services to DHH children (Bushman, 2018). Parent and caregiver requests were a second important impetus for service provision (38%). Librarians also collaborated with community agencies to offer programming to the DHH community. Research Question 3: What training do library staff receive in order to work with DHH children? Librarians obtained training from several sources. Frequently, staff training came about as the result of community partnerships. Sometimes, community agencies initiated the training, but more often the librarians sought training from community or state agencies serving DHH individuals (e.g., “Our staff have attended sign language training;” Public Library 11). Some staff members volunteered to learn ASL on their own and it was that training that allowed DHH programming to take place in their library (e.g., “I started taking sign language myself;” Public Library 9). Librarians also sought volunteers or paid adults to provide sign language accommodations when needed to serve DHH children. The survey also asked about challenges to providing services to DHH children. Training was an important identified barrier, both to service initiation and to the ongoing provision of services. Only 28% of libraries reported that staff had received training to work with DHH children; 46% of libraries reported either that staff were not trained or that they had not received enough training to provide services for DHH children. The specific training needs that librarians had in mind was not addressed. Therefore, it will be important to determine both the minimum number of library staff they feel should be trained to provide services and the type of training librarians feel is necessary. Community Partnerships Survey and interview results consistently found that many libraries offering services for DHH children were located near a community of DHH individuals, an agency that served DHH individuals, employers of DHH individuals, or schools that served DHH children (e.g., “We are close to the school for the Deaf so we have quite a bit of a Deaf population;” Public Library 4). Partnerships between public libraries and these community resources were important in many ways; they served as the impetus for providing services, as training resources, and as a source of volunteers to support ongoing services. Community partnerships also promote public awareness of library services, both in the US and internationally (see Andissac, n.d.; Day, 2000; Playforth, 2004). Limitations Limitations are inherent in the nature of survey and interview research. Limiting the survey to libraries in the US and excluding small libraries from the sample omitted input from librarians that might offer services to DHH children in comparatively small communities and in a variety of countries. Selection bias within library service area populations greater than 100,000 was minimized by sending surveys to all libraries in that category, inviting all survey participants to participate in telephone interviews, and using the same questions across all surveys. Further, the librarians who elected to participate in the survey and subsequent telephone interviews may have volunteered because they had some interest or experience in providing services for DHH children that they were willing to share. Librarians from libraries that did not provide services, that considered their efforts to be unsuccessful, or that had few if any DHH library patrons may have declined to participate. As a result, the responses may not represent practices at all libraries, the experiences of librarians as a whole, or the experiences of the DHH families they serve. Given that the majority of libraries did not complete the survey and that these libraries with service populations greater than 100,000 invariably will have DHH children in their service area, barriers to providing services are likely even greater than represented in the quantitative data. The efficacy of the programs libraries provide, an important remaining question, was not assessed in the quantitative or qualitative data and requires additional research, as does the type and amount of training librarians require. Future research could address these questions by conducting larger surveys, more in-depth individual interviews, and research with an international focus. Conclusions The online surveys and telephone interviews provided new information about common practices among librarians in the US who serve DHH children in service areas with more than 100,000 people. Fewer than half of the libraries surveyed provided services for DHH children, specifically. Librarians themselves frequently initiated services for DHH children or responded to parents’ requests but community partnerships were also important in service initiation, staff training, and as a valuable source of volunteers from the DHH community. Training was the greatest limitation to providing services identified by librarians. A potential implication of this research is the need for increased public awareness about the libraries that serve DHH children, information about the programs they offer, and about opportunities for community volunteers. That 24% of libraries surveyed did not know if DHH individuals were in their service area indicates both a need for library outreach and for DHH communities to reach out for services if they have not. Libraries wishing to offer or extend services for DHH children might also reach out to the many nearby local schools as partners, bringing books into classrooms, inviting DHH children and their families to visit the library, and partnering with educators for literacy training and collaboration. Areas that need further study include identifying the library practices and literacy programs that are most effective in fostering the early literacy skills of DHH children in the US and internationally. Additional areas include extending research to smaller communities and to family needs and perceptions, comparing the literacy skills of children who regularly visit public libraries with those who do not, and exploring optimal staff training levels. Portions of this research also contributed to the development of a model for libraries that wish to initiate or improve existing services that also must be tested (Bushman, 2018). Together, research on the early literacy needs of DHH children and the library practices that effectively support their literacy development can help to reduce the risk of poor reading outcomes in the future (Easterbrooks et al., 2008; Mayer, 2007; Traxler, 2000). Conflicts of interest No conflicts of interest were reported. 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TI - Public Library Programs and Accommodations for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in the United States
JF - The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
DO - 10.1093/deafed/eny041
DA - 2019-04-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/public-library-programs-and-accommodations-for-deaf-and-hard-of-0VDfw1Fbo3
SP - 74
VL - 24
IS - 2
DP - DeepDyve
ER -