Description of the Activity undertaken
For my professional development activity, I chose to analyse a professional literature article on neurodivergence in academic libraries. This article seeks to review and analyse 47 relevant scholarly publications on how academic libraries can improve services for and interactions with neurodivergent patrons and stakeholders.
What did I learn?
I learned from the article that there is a general lack of awareness about neurodivergence and neurodivergent users amongst the library staff. Catherina Oschner (2025) states
that this stems from a lack of understanding and or empathy from the staff towards these users.
Catherina Oschner (2025)
How was the activity relevant to your professional practice working with children and/or young adults?
Analysing this professional literature article helps me to expand my understanding of the barriers neurodivergent children and young adults may face in the library environment. Etain Quigley and Tara Gallagher (2026) talked
about how neurodivergent students can face a range of challenges from stigmatisation to inadequate support from institutions.
Etain Quigley and Tara Gallagher (2026)
By learning of the challenges that these users face and understanding the gaps of where the services are failing to provide, I can step up with this knowledge and attempt to effect change in the library environment.
What gaps in your knowledge were revealed and how might you fill those gaps?
I did not know that most libraries are challenging for neurodiverse users as they the libraries do not account for neurodiverse behaviour or communication models which are different from neurotypical models. Clare Camp and Jayne Finlay (2025) expressed
expressed how the expectation of neurotypical behaviour affects neurodiverse individual where they are driven to consciously and unconsciously modify their behaviour in the form of ‘masking’
Clare Camp and Jayne Finlay (2025)
Despite this, neurodiverse patrons often suffer from sensory overload in the library environment when they are trying to study and work.
The way I can expand my knowledge is by educating myself. Jessica Hinson-Williams (2024) advised that
effecting true change in the library environment can only come from a deep reflection and introspection of librarianship.
Jessica Hinson-Williams (2024)
By this reflection, we can identify the values and norms of this profession and how these norms could blind us in effecting true change for neurodiverse people.
Discussion of the relevance of Professional Development Activity to topic.
The way I interpreted the topic of diversity is through the lens of the neurodivergent communities that use libraries. From this, I was curious as to what professional literature was out there talking about how neurodivergent users were being treated by libraries
By analysing this article on neurodivergence in academic libraries, I can learn a new diverse topic that can further my understanding of children who are neurodiverse and face obstacles that could impede their development. Derek France (2023) demonstrated
that when neurodiverse students were given a voice, they were able to change the environment of the library to be more inclusive.
Derek France (2023)
This ultimately allowed students to feel safe enough to unmask and experience the library in their own way.
References
Camp, C., & Finlay, J. (2025). The experiences of neurodivergent Library and Information Science [LIS] professionals working in academic libraries – a case study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 51(5), Article 103115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2025.103115
France, D. (2023). Supporting Neurodiversity: “Neurodiversity recognises differences are not deficits”. Derek France shares information and personal experiences about supporting neurodiversity in a school library. School Librarian, 71(4), 10. https://primo.csu.edu.au/permalink/61CSU_INST/q3scnc/cdi_gale_lrcgauss_A775549409
Jessica Hinson-Williams. (2024). Autistic Students and Academic Library Research: Recommendations for a Neurodiversity-Informed Approach. In the Library with the Lead Pipe.https://primo.csu.edu.au/permalink/61CSU_INST/q3scnc/cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_caf8134740304aa6be664e1d72d53c60
Quigley, E., & Gallagher, T. (2026). Neurodiversity and higher education: double masking by neurodivergent students. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 41(2), 286–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2025.2511369
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