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The Skokie Public Library, Youth Services Department, is the 2006 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award.

The Youth Services Department partnered with the Niles Township District of Special Education to form a Youth Services Special Needs Advisory Council to educate library staff about children with special needs, offer programs for the children and their families, present disabilities awareness programs for the general public, and bring students in special education classes to the library. The project was funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant titled “Come On In: The Library Is a Special Place for Children with Disabilities.” The funds from the grant also provided for the addition of assistive equipment to enable all children access to library resources.

“‘Come On In! The Library is a Special Place for Children with Disabilities’ was started in December 2004 and continues to provide a remarkable array of adapted services for its target population,” stated Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA award committee chair. “It is an outstanding example of the value of library and community agency partnerships developed to assure that everyone benefits from available library services.”