Northfield Library Creates A Social Story As A Guide for Visiting the Library

By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net

The Northfield Library this month published a Social Story on its website to serve as a guide for those new to the library and the space. Library Director Natalie Draper said these social stories have been common in libraries, and the staff in Northfield had been looking to create one for some time. 

“Libraries are thought to be very quiet places and sometimes they are really not. And it’s hard to know if, especially if, I mean, for anybody it might be hard to know how to behave in a certain place, but if you have a harder time picking up on different cues, like having a story that helps you get comfortable and familiar with the space and what the expectations are there before you go can be really helpful.”  – Natalie Draper, Northfield Library Director on KYMN In The Morning 

Social stories consist of descriptive and direct language with visual aids to help individuals, particularly those with autism, navigate social spaces and interactions.


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The first slide of the Social Story.

“So this is a way that– so the illustrations in this, which are typically social stories are very literal visual depictions of the experience.” – Natalie Draper, Northfield Library Director on KYMN In The Morning 

The guide is also a tribute to Tonya Yarmakov, to whom the library was like a second home, and her family was looking to make a tribute in her memory. Yarmakov went missing last year. Throughout the story, she serves as a tour guide of the library, with illustrations done by Rocky Casillas Aguirre.  

The social story can be found under the “services” tab, and then click the “accessibility” button on the library’s website: mynpl.org  

The project was made possible by donations to the library.


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