Gregory Mahaffey's
e-Portfolio:
Accessibility in Libraries
I am a master’s student in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of
Alabama. I have created this Outreach ePortfolio (O-eP) as part of my work for the CIS-650
course (Diversity Leadership in Information Organizations) taught by Dr. Bharat Mehra during Spring 2025.
Alabama. I have created this Outreach ePortfolio (O-eP) as part of my work for the CIS-650
course (Diversity Leadership in Information Organizations) taught by Dr. Bharat Mehra during Spring 2025.
In my O-eP, I analyze existing outreach information responses for the differently abled community in the High Plains Library District (HPLD) located in Weld County, Colorado.
I am a native Coloradan who has lived in both rural Weld County and urban Denver. I am the son of two worlds, with Hispanic heritage on my mother's side and ancestors from many countries in Europe on my father's. I am also friends to many neurodiverse individuals with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and have a provisional diagnosis for ADHD myself. My Spring 2024 semester held a rich education in library service to marginalized populations through LS-580 (Outreach to Diverse Populations) and with Dr. Mehra and LS-582 (Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Library Science) with Dr. Miriam Sweeney. Their approach of using critical theory to challenge the status quo motivated me to take this course. I want to further that sense of inclusion based on a philosophy of outreach, defined as "reaching out to those in need for the purpose of making a helpful difference" (Kurpius & Rozecki, 1992). Understanding and fulfilling the needs of the marginalized is a strategy needed to grow a patron base by dispelling feelings of exclusion.
I work as a library associate two member libraries of in the High Plains Library District: the Nantes Library (pictured) and the Platteville Public Library. I am studying HPLD's efforts toward accessibility for patrons with disabilities to synergize what I learn in this class with the LS-581 (Universal Design for Information Technologies) course I am also taking this semester with instructor Melissa Fortson. Within only one week of this course, I have learned how designing with accessibility in mind benefits other marginalized communities (Rosen, 2017). This again promotes openness and brings patron demographics that would otherwise feel unwelcome in the library. I am interested in furthering the HPLD's commitment to making a library for all.
Works Cited:
Kurpius, D. J., & Rozecki, T. (1992). outreach, advocacy, and consultation: a framework for prevention and intervention. Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, 26(3), 176–189.
Rosen, S. (2017). Accessibility for justice: accessibility as a tool for promoting justice in librarianship. In The Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2017/accessibility-for-justice/