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Assistant Library Dean Channels Experience Into Article |
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Deanna Lytle |
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Sep 5, 2003 |
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| Corey Seeman posed for a photo with some books on autism that will be ordered for Carlson Library. |
According to the Autism Society of America, 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of autism, a disorder that affects social interaction and communication skills. And in 1998, Corey Seeman’s son, Christopher, became one of them.
Since then, the family has read extensively on the subject. Through his own experience and readings, Seeman has become somewhat of an expert on autism. A year ago, he decided to use his knowledge to help libraries develop their collections to include books on autism. His article, “Sending Postcards From the Airport,” appeared in the July issue of Library Journal.
Seeman, assistant dean and assistant professor in University Libraries, said the title for the piece has to do with what people know about autism. “Think about going on a trip and trying to describe everything that would happen to you while at the airport,” he said. “We know little about autism; so with books on the subject, a person is trying to write about a journey when no one has all the answers.”
For the article itself, Seeman had to look through a plethora of books on autistic spectrum disorders in order to find the essentials for library collections. “In the last three years, publishers have released 200 books each year on the subject,” he said. “That is, 20 percent of the books on autism have been published in the past three years.” To select books for the article, Seeman studied book reviews, publishers’ lists and books he came across through his own experience. He also researched which books are the most common in libraries with the help of the WorldCat database.
Seeman began with 40 titles and narrowed the field down to 28 works. He classified them under four categories — general works, personal narratives, treatment guides and videos. Seeman also provides a summary of each book and video in the article.
The general works category includes books with information on autism and guides for families. “Libraries are often the first resource for people,” Seeman explained. For this reason, it was important to him to include general guides that can help people learn the basics about autism.
The next category, personal narratives, includes books from family members and those with autistic spectrum disorders. Seeman explained that sometimes librarians overlook these books because medical professionals do not write them. “But as a group, they become an important body of knowledge,” he said. “Through experience, people become experts.”
The final two categories, treatment guides and videos, primarily deal with helping those with autism. While these works can be useful, they don’t offer definitive treatment options. “Not everything works for every child,” Seeman said. “My son eats pizza and chicken nuggets, and he’s doing well. Does that mean it will work for everyone or that it even helps?”
One interesting thing that Seeman came across in his research is that the second most commonly held book on autism is incorrect by today’s standards. The Empty Fortress by Bruno Bettelheim theorized that unloving or "refrigerator" parents caused autism, Seeman wrote in his article. “That work is historically important, but it could be detrimental if someone read it today,” he said. Seeman is hoping that with awareness, librarians can guide people to other books.
Seeman plans to continue researching books on autistic spectrum disorders. He wants to study library collections and compare them to population and what books are considered out-of-date. Seeman also will look at the definition of professionals as it relates to authors of personal narratives. He will continue to review books on autism for the Library Journal, as well.
As for his son, Seeman says Christopher is doing great. “We’ve been able to expose him to a greater variety of therapists, and he’s been in good school situations. Christopher has an amazing memory for movies,” he said with a laugh.
Seeman also believes that the public perception of autistic spectrum disorders has improved with time. “Back when Christopher was diagnosed in 1998, all you did was think of ‘Rain Man.’ Now everyone knows someone who’s affected.”
To read “Sending Postcards From the Airport,” click here.
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