United Kingdom

Neurodiversity is increasingly recognised as a natural variation in human cognition, encompassing conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Neurodivergent individuals possess unique strengths and face distinct challenges in academic environments. As a librarian with ADHD, I have experienced at firsthand the barriers and frustrations that neurodivergent students and staff can encounter when navigating academic libraries. This presentation will draw upon those personal experiences and wider research to explore how libraries can create more inclusive and supportive environments for neurodivergent users by tailoring digital resources and training to their specific needs.

The panel discussion will begin by sharing personal experiences of being neurodivergent within the workplace, examining the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in academic libraries, such as information overload, sensory sensitivities, and difficulties navigating complex systems. It will then highlight the opportunities for libraries to provide targeted support through a range of digital resources and training initiatives. These could include curated collections of accessible tools and resources, online tutorials and guides with alternative formats, assistive technologies, and self-paced online courses. The presentation will also emphasise the importance of fostering a neurodiversity-affirming culture in libraries through staff training, inclusive design practices, and the development of peer-to-peer support networks, such as buddy schemes.

This presentation will support library staff in creating a more inclusive and supportive library environment for all users. It will also contribute to the ongoing conversation about neurodiversity and inclusivity in higher education, aligning with the UKSG conference’s commitment to diversity and the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication.

UKSG Annual Conference 2025

Empowering Neurodivergent Staff, Learners and
Researchers: The Library as a Partner in Success

This  conference will explore the intersection of technology and service, the lessons learned through the past extraordinary year, and the value of change management. In light of the challenging times, we are coming together virtually to share our work under the theme 'Leading with Innovation, Stronger through Collaboration'.

The UC Libraries Forum will serve as an opportunity for UC library colleagues to meet virtually, share, learn and find opportunities for new collaborations and projects across the UC system. Presentations and conversation will note existing collaborations and spark ideas for new ones. This forum builds on and extends the scope of UC DLFx 2018 and 2019 beyond digital initiatives to all library employees to include themes such as research data, scholarly communications, the current-COVID academic library and others.




This event requires a registration to attend. To register, please click [here](https://ucl2021registration.paperform.co/) if you have not aleady done so.

Please register for UCLF 2021 to be able to enter the conference on Underline.io. Attendance is free, but registration is required.  We will contact you when the complete information about the conference and schedule becomes available. You would then need to login to Underline.io to be able to see the full content and build out your schedule. In case you do not have an Underline account, please create one. Thank you. 


UC Libraries Forum: Leading with Innovation, Stronger through Collaboration

This  conference will explore the intersection of technology and service, the lessons learned through the past extraordinary year, and the value of change management. In light of the challenging times, we are coming together virtually to share our work under the theme 'Leading with Innovation, Stronger through Collaboration'.

The UC Libraries Forum will serve as an opportunity for UC library colleagues to meet virtually, share, learn and find opportunities for new collaborations and projects across the UC system. Presentations and conversation will note existing collaborations and spark ideas for new ones. This forum builds on and extends the scope of UC DLFx 2018 and 2019 beyond digital initiatives to all library employees to include themes such as research data, scholarly communications, the current-COVID academic library and others.

panel

The UKSG Annual Conference is a major event in the scholarly communications calendar which attracts delegates each year from around the world - librarians, publishers, content providers, consultants and intermediaries.

Charlie Rapple - Chair of UKSG will officially open the 2025 conference in Brighton.

Opening of the Conference

Inspired by colleagues’ work to embed the principles of DORA but frustrated by the snail-like pace at our own institution, we embarked on a plan of small workshops to Do DORAif/where we could. What developed over the next 12 months was in the spirit of our original plan but far beyond what we had envisaged. This breakout will discuss the ways in which circumstance actually embedded, promoted and advocated for DORA with a shoestring budget and time where available. We will discuss practical promotion, guerrilla good-practice, unexpected outcomes and embracing flexible opportunities when it comes to Doing DORA.

Doing DORA: A small-scale project to upscale research culture and research integrity

We will talk about the development of the Metadata Team at the University of Leeds. Over the last seven years the team has evolved from a traditional, book-in-hand Cataloguing Team to a forward thinking, dynamic Metadata & Discovery Team. We are now involved in myriad projects ranging from internal Special Collections cataloguing to the development of international linked data and BIBFRAME partnerships. 

We will cover five key areas that have contributed to this development. We will share techniques, approaches and examples from the last few years that illustrate the value and importance of a people-centric approach to metadata and discovery.

From Cataloguing to Discovery: a journey of innovation and resilience

Just as independent bookshops survive through online partnerships and customer loyalty, could learned society publishing thrive through similar collaborative approaches? This session presents new global evidence from Research Consulting and CCC on how society publishers are navigating industry transformation. We’ll examine changing publication patterns, revenue trends, and how libraries, vendors and partners can help societies maintain their independence while accessing world-class publishing capabilities. Learn how embracing “irrational” choices in scholarly communications could help preserve the diversity of academic publishing.

Bridge Over Troubled Water: Supporting Society Publishers in Turbulent Times

How do we evidence the impact of inclusive library collections on the university community? How do we convince university leadership that the value-added potential of the library is worth the investment?

Raising the grade and closing the gap? Exploring the link between inclusive library collections and student success

PGRs are some of the most excited and driven researchers, eager to engage with open access and open research. However, they are also incredibly influenced by the environment in which they find themselves, particularly by their research supervisor’s own behaviours and opinions around open research. Their status as students often limits their access to tools and support available to employed researchers. Equally, their status as researchers can lead to the assumption that they already understand the research and publishing landscape. What can libraries do to support PGRs in becoming ethical and open researchers? Are the one-shot training courses, often voluntary, enough? This talk will discuss barriers and strategies around support for PGRs as they embark on their research careers.

Supporting postgraduate research students in scholarly communications and open research

With a high percentage of students with a declared disability the Open University has been working with publishers and academic teams to produce accessible course content since 2008. This has been advanced through accessibility testing, enhancements in pedagogy and the use of assistive technologies and content conversions.

The OU library recently concluded an internal research project on the student experience of library converted materials. The research sheds light on the accessibility preferences of students with a declared disability.

In this workshop we aim to guide attendees through the research findings contextualised by an overview of the various accessibility processes at the OU. With the aim of facilitating a group discussing around the following questions:

How best do we ensure the student voice is kept central to discussions about accessibility?

How best can we empower students to reach accessible content? What does accessibility best practice look like from publishers? What format should be prioritised?

OU Library support to help students study online

This talk provides an overview of some of the sector-specific challenges facing marginalised researchers in the UK and highlights the work universities and funders are doing to begin tackling these obstacles. Approaching the issue from a research culture perspective, this session focuses on data collected from staff surveys, HR records, and funding databases at University of Leeds to outline the challenges facing marginalised researchers. While these data do not provide an exhaustive list of challenges, they provide early insights into the deep-rooted systemic inequities in the research sector as well as opportunities for making a more inclusive, supportive, and equitable research culture.

Challenges and Opportunities: Building an Equitable Research Culture for Marginalised Researchers

Research metrics are widely used in recruitment and promotion decisions but reliance on these metrics has led to unintended consequences, including gender disparities within the academic landscape. It is well documented that women in research, particularly those in early to mid-career stages, often face challenges such as lower publication rates and fewer citations than their male counterparts, while remaining underrepresented in senior positions. However, the underlying causes of these discrepancies remain unclear; this project proposes an investigation into the relationship between research culture, gender, and career outcomes, aiming to identify scalable metrics that can better support gender equity in research.

Metrics that Matter: Identifying and Testing Scalable Metrics for a Gender Equitable Research Culture

The panel discussion, titled “Stopping Short of the Goal: Is Open Access Really Fulfilling Its Promise to the Public?” will delve into whether Open Access truly serves the public interest as it often said to be aiming to.

While Open Access is often described as making taxpayer-funded research freely accessible, the conversation will explore if access is sufficient, or if the concept falls short by not addressing the accessibility of information in a way that the general public can understand and apply in their lives. And if it is insufficient, what should be done to support this part of the mission of OA. Is the purpose of Open Access solely to facilitate academic exchange, or should it be evolving to bridge the gap between researchers and the public, increasing public engagement and understanding of scientific findings? This panel will tackle these complex questions and discuss if there’s a need to differentiate between Open Access and science communication, assessing the distinct but complementary roles both play in disseminating trusted, comprehensible information.

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