Teach My Kid to Read is proud to partner with the Dyslexic Positive Libraries Initiative! The Dyslexic Positive Libraries Initiative was founded in Montpelier, Vermont by Emily A. Carley, M.Ed. Lic. PK-12 Literacy Specialist, Nicole Westbom, M.L.S., Children & Youth Librarian Specialist, and Susan Whitehead, M.L.S., Academic Librarian & dyslexic.
Mission
To make every United States public library dyslexic positive by removing barriers to literacy for neurodiverse patrons and building the cultural competency in libraries. Empower library workers to think like reading scientists and develop programming through a neurodiverse lens while providing practical, affordable, ready-to-go resources through collaborative relationships adaptable to meet every community’s needs. DPLI is explicitly dyslexic and neurodiverse positive and believes all can learn to read.
Our Founding Story
Libraries are for everyone! For some people this feels very obvious and for others the library community feels like a space in which they don’t yet belong. In March 2024, Emily Carley, M.Ed. VTHQT Lic. Specialized Literacy Professional PK-12, Public Education Literacy Specialist and Founder, The Literacy Spark along with Nicole Westbom, Children & Youth Librarian Specialist, and Susan Whitehead, Academic Librarian & Dyslexic, noticed a gap between dyslexic cultural competency, the lived experiences of neurodiverse people and evidence-based literacy in public libraries. The Dyslexic Positive Libraries Initiative was founded to engage and support library workers with affordable, practical and ready-to-use resources to become skilled allies to the dyslexic community and turn their libraries into Literacy Hubs so all can learn to read.
Resources
- Presentation: Making Your Library Dyslexic Positive, ALA ODLOS
- Toolkit: Library Storytime for Literacy Success
- Toolkit: Library Display
- Toolkit: Sign Advertising the BARD Audio & Braille App, Library of Congress
- Toolkit: Bookmarks
- Toolkit: Word Fill-In Activity
- Toolkit: Zine Scene Writing Club
- Toolkit: Middle Grade Vermont History Activity: Solving the Gilfeather Turnip Mystery
- Vermont Reading Legislation, Structured Literacy, and Resources
- GoodReads Book Lists
- Kit the Library Kitten
Presentations & Publications
Forthcoming: Carley, Emily, Westbom, Nicole, and Whitehead, Susan. 2027 April. Dyslexic Positive Libraries: Neuroinclusive Allyship for Literacy Success. Bloomsbury.
NLS 2026: Easy and Free: Steps Towards Becoming a Dyslexic Positive Library. National Conference, National Library Service for the Blind & Print Disabled, Library of Congress, 2026 September 8-10.
ALA ACRL 2026: Instructional Methods to Reach Neurodiverse Students. American Library Association ALA Annual Conference, Association of College & Research Libraries. 2026 June 25-29. Chicago, IL.
PLA 2026: Turn Your Library into a Dyslexic Positive Literacy Hub and Help Kids Learn to Read. Public Library Association PLA. 2026 June 3.
ALA ODLIS 2026: Making Your Library Dyslexic Positive: Becoming an Ally to Neurodiverse Kids Who Are Not Yet Proficient Readers. American Library Association ALA, Office of Disability, Literacy, and Outreach Services. 2026 January 20.
TMKTR 2025: How to Make Your Library Dyslexic Positive. Teach My Kid to Read TMKTR. 2025 October 6.
NYLS 2025: Creating Literacy Solutions for All Readers: Successful Models for Supporting Emergent, Dyslexic, and Other Striving Readers at Your Library. New York State Library NYSL. 2025 September 17.
Fall Festival: Literacy Learning for ALL. MOSAIC Fall Festival. 2025 September 13. Montpelier, VT.
ABC22/FOX44: Sakaniwa, Lily. 2025 August 14. Montpelier Library Welcomes all Readers with New Initiative. ABC22/FOX44.
The Bridge: Mello, Mary. 2025, July 31. A New Mission for Libraries: Supporting Children With Dyslexia. The Bridge.
CLIF: Carley, Emily. 2025, August 26-September 24. Making Space for All in Literacy, 4-Part CLIF Series. Children’s Literacy Foundation CLIF.
ALA 2025: Creating Dyslexic-Positive Libraries. American Library Association ALA Annual Conference. 2025 June 29. Philadelphia, PA.
ALA 2025: Creating Dyslexic-Positive Libraries: 8 Practical Ways to Decrease Discrimination and Increase Equitable Access to Information. American Library Association ALA Annual Conference. 2025 June 28. Philadelphia, PA.
VLA 2025: Welcoming the Dyslexic Community into Your Library. Vermont Library Association VLA Annual Conference. 2025 May 19. Killington, VT.
Literacy Support: Online Literacy Support Hours for Library Workers. 2024 March 20-25th.
VLA 2024: Creating Dyslexic-Positive Libraries. Vermont Library Association VLA Annual Conference. 2024 May 20. Killington, VT.