Upcoming Events
Join lecture
Feili Tu-Keefner is an associate professor in the University of South Carolina's School of Information Science. Tu-Keefner is from Taipei, Taiwan; she came to the School of Information Science in Fall 2003. She has six years’ experience working for the Library of Congress equivalent in Taiwan, including three and a half years as a reference librarian and periodicals manager in a computing and informatics library.
Research Areas
- Evidence-Based Health Information Access
- Health Informatics
- Health Information Literacy
- Health Sciences Librarianship and Its Education
- Reference, Information, and Research Services
She will be addressing our community on fostering inclusion and working with non-native speakers of English.
Description:
How can we provide better access to information and library services to the thousands
of South Carolinians who live in an institution and are unable to visit a traditional
public library? Join us for a day of learning and networking focused on institutional
library services in correctional facilities, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes,
and other long-term care facilities. Access to a library in these settings can have
a profound impact by providing a space for community, creativity, curiosity, relaxation,
and growth. Come ready to share challenges, swap strategies, and leave with new partnerships
and ideas to expand access.
Lunch will be provided. This event will not be recorded.
Audience:
This event is for library workers, activity coordinators, and education staff within
institutions, as well as their partners and supporters.
Keynote Presenter:
Karen Gavigan is a Professor Emerita and former Interim Director in the School of
Information Science at the University of South Carolina. Her work has focused on innovative
literacy practices, including the use of graphic novels to engage incarcerated youth
and support literacy development in institutional settings. She is co-editor of the
book, Fostering Literacy Behind Bars: Successful Strategies and Services for Incarcerated
Youth and Adults (Rowman and Littlefield, 2017). Also, Karen and Clayton Copeland
co-authored the article, "Examining Inclusive Programming in a Middle School Library:
A Case Study of Adolescents Who are Differently-and Typically-Able" (2015). Prior
to working at USC, Karen served as an academic, school, and public librarian.
Location:
This event will be held in person at the South Carolina State Library, 1500 Senate
Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
For attendees unable to travel, a Zoom link for virtual attendance will also be available. In-person attendance is encouraged to allow full participation in discussion and networking activities.
About the Accessibility Leadership Lab
The School of Information Science at the University of South Carolina established the Accessibility Leadership Lab (ALL) to conduct research, provide resources, and plan programming related to protecting access to information people need. Areas and issues of interest include:
- Universal Access and Universal Design
- Access for people with different abilities
- Digital Divide
- Freedom to Read
- Information Access Policies
- Electronic, web and mobile accessibility
- Preservice and Continuing Education
- Skills development and job training
Vision
To be recognized nationally and internationally as the place that works with librarians, other educators, people with accessibility needs, families, and communities to advocate for accessibility and solve accessibility problems.
Mission
We work together with librarians, other educators, individuals with accessibility challenges and their families and communities to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to identify barriers to information access and accessibility and to remove these barriers. We serve as an educational and research lab that empowers learners to become accessibility leaders through innovative teaching, groundbreaking research, and transformative service and advocacy. We offer resources and professional development opportunities focused on Universal Design, Universal Design for Learning, and accessibility.
A Resource Guide for Equitable Access to Information for Blind, Visually Impaired,
and Print Disabled Students
An online resource guide containing print and digital materials, tools, and resources that can be used by individuals or organizations to prepare librarians, and other library staff, and faculty/instructors to serve BVIPD students.