A critical policy analysis of dysconscious ableism in public library policies

This study examines how public library policies construct understandings of disability and perpetuate systemic exclusion through the operation of dysconscious ableism. Utilizing critical policy analysis (CPA) and critical disability studies (CDS), the research interrogates the taken-for-granted assumptions embedded in library governance that often go unexamined in Library and Information Studies (LIS) literature. The methodology involved an environmental scan and a critical policy analysis of 52 policy documents collected from urban and suburban library systems. To produce a more honest account of these institutional discourses, the study also employed counter storytelling to analyze high-interest policy types, including patron conduct, materials selection, and facility use. Significant research findings demonstrate that public library policies frequently reflect dysconscious ableism by constructing disability as a deficit, abnormality, or inconvenience. The analysis reveals a discourse of disruptiveness, where vague and subjective terms like “disruptive behavior” allow for the punitive interpretation and penalization of harmless disability manifestations. Moreover, the findings show that policies often reinforce the status quo by prioritizing non-disabled comfort and omitting explicit requirements for accessibility in gift acceptance, exhibition guidelines, and digital resource selection criteria. This research contributes to LIS by introducing dysconscious ableism as a vital framework for analyzing institutional exclusion, and for practitioners and scholars aiming to dismantle systemic barriers and to foster equitable access within public library policies. The study found misalignment between local policies and the ALA’s inclusive expectations, revealing a lack of attention to accessible formats, diverse perspectives, and equity. This paper advocates for a fundamental shift in public librarianship. By centering the lived experiences of disabled patrons—adhering to the “Nothing About Us Without Us” principle—and revising exclusionary policies, libraries can begin to disrupt dysconscious ableism.