University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Information and Library Science)

The University of North Carolina, in partnership with the Durham and Charlotte Public Libraries and the Autism Society of North Carolina, will conduct a three-year early career research project focused on community assessment and information poverty and access. The project aims to help libraries equip people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families with the skills they need to become self-advocates and to fulfill their own information needs by taking an active role in library programming, planning, and collection development. The multi-method project features the development of theory, online toolkits, and in-person workshops for library practitioners involving 14 families, 14 library staff, and 4 focus groups. Deliverables include a critical theoretical model; an empirical model describing the local, library-oriented information worlds and needs of people with autism; a process model; toolkit; and open source resources for library community assessment and program planning for marginalized communities.