***BEFORE YOU REGISTER FOR THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR PLEASE REVIEW IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION BELOW***
Sensory storytimes: most of us know the term, and many public libraries in the United States now offer them. These adaptive storytimes are typically inclusive of all, but particularly welcoming for autistic children, allowing valuable opportunities to play, learn, and build connections in a supportive environment. As librarians, many of us understand “sensory storytimes” to be especially designed for autistic children. But, do parents and caregivers have that same understanding? If it is not clearly outlined, this messaging—along with our target participant group—may be missed.
Results from a recent study suggest that even with careful consideration of event details, our messaging may miss the mark, leaving out potential participants who would benefit from these storytimes. In this webinar, we’ll briefly discuss best practices in delivering sensory storytimes; then, we’ll focus on messaging, examining common errors to avoid, and providing examples of messaging that ensures autistic children and their families feel invited and included even before they enter the library.
Topics explored include what language to use to refer to your target audience, how to handle and describe registration, and what details to share about the program itself. Meeting your unique community’s needs is critical, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Recorded live on April 29, 2026.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the need for autism-community input in designing and describing sensory storytimes;
- Evaluate common mistakes in sensory storytime marketing approaches, identifying strategies for improvement; and
- Create a public-facing description of their own library’s sensory storytime program that specifically welcomes autistic children and their families or caregivers.
Who Should Attend
This on-demand webinar is intended for children’s and youth librarians, program planning librarians, and librarians who develop marketing materials. However, all public library staff will benefit, as autistic children and their families or caregivers must feel welcome at all stages of program attendance, from reading about the program online, to entering a library's doors, to attending the storytime itself.
Panelists
Dr. Amelia Anderson is an assistant professor of library science at The University of South Florida’s School of Information. Dr. Anderson is the author of Library Programming for Autistic Children and Teens, 2nd Edition, published by ALA Editions, and she received the 2024 ALISE/Connie Van Fleet Award for Research Excellence in Public Library Services to Adults. She recently served as the managing principal investigator on the IMLS planning grant Accessibility in Making (LG-246292-OLS-20), which identified opportunities in public library makerspaces for patrons with disabilities. She has extensive experience on the topics of neurodiversity, disability, and libraries through her work as a public librarian, library researcher, and educator. She earned her Ph.D. and MLIS from Florida State University, and she previously worked as a librarian for the Orange County Library System and the Hernando County Public Library.
Important Registration Information
Log into or create your ALA eLearning account
An ALA eLearning account is required to register. Don’t have an account? Create one for free by going to the “Log in” menu located at the top right corner of your screen. No membership is required to create the account. If you encounter any issues registering for this webinar, then please email ce@ala.org for assistance.
Redeem your signup code to complete your registration
Once you’ve registered for this on-demand webinar, a signup code will be added to your ALA eLearning account and emailed to you. Find the signup code on your signup code page, then redeem it on your account’s dashboard to complete your enrollment in this on-demand webinar.
- Need to purchase registration on behalf of a colleague?
- Need to register a group of 3 or more?
- Need to register with a purchase order?
Review the ALA eLearning FAQ if you need more information.
Accommodations
This on-demand webinar is closed captioned in English (United States).
If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your access to this on-demand webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) prior to registering so we can attempt to provide appropriate accommodations.
Tech Requirements
To play this on-demand webinar you should use a browser with native HTML5 support. Please use the most up-to-date version available of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. A fast Internet connection and computer is recommended.
Contact
This webinar is presented by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
If you have questions or problems accessing a recording, send a message to plawebinars@ala.org or call 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).
