Neurodivergence in academic libraries: A review of findings, recommendations, and remaining gaps in practice and research

Abstract

Many academic libraries aim to improve services for and interactions with patrons and stakeholders who are neurodivergent, that is, those who have neurocognitive functions that differ from what is considered normal. To support this aim, numerous scholarly works have focused on neurodivergence in academic libraries, but such works have yet to be reviewed and synthesized to guide future practice and research. Therefore, a scoping review of 47 relevant scholarly publications was conducted to identify the main topics, recommendations for practice, and remaining knowledge gaps. Existing research on the topic has concerned itself with neurodivergent staff, users, and their respective needs and experiences with library services and library spaces. Recommendations are identified to better meet the needs of stakeholders—both neurodivergent and neurotypical—by improving accessibility and tailoring library instruction and services, for example, in customizing library spaces, integrating universal design for learning into library instruction, and providing social support for neurodivergent students. Gaps remain around conditions other than autism and around how intersectional demographic factors affect library accessibility for neurodivergent users. Following these results, we suggest possible directions for future research.