Library and Information Science Commons^™

Accessibility Services Roundtable Unconference Proceedings 2016, Lacuny Accessibility Services Roundtable, Robin Brown

Events

A group of 16, mostly librarians, met in the Archives Reading Room of City College Library on Friday, June 17, 2016. The format of our meeting was an unconference, which means the conversations were driven by the concerns of the participants. I have no doubt that anyone who reads this document will come away with different impressions. The ideas that jumped out at me include learning a lot more about universal design for learning. Be aware that phones can be used in the classroom as assistive technology. Consider doing a usability study of library resources in concert with students with …

Adopting Universal Design In Libraries: Collaborating For Student Success, Stefanie Havelka, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

Faculty grapple with resources such as skill (experience with accessible features and devices), time (teaching students how to navigate software and devices in the library), and expense (software, hardware, eBooks, databases). This presentation will provide an overview of accessible features in library research databases, computer technology, mobile devices, and apps. The presenters will report on their collaboration with Lehman College’s Access and Technology Center (ATC) and Student Disability Services to share how to better approach issues and challenges in order to more successfully support students’ access needs. We will also consider the following questions:

• As librarians and faculty, how can …

When Open Isn't Accessible, Anne Larrivee, Nazely Kurkjian, Andrea Macargel, Amanda Baker

Library Scholarship

A poster describing how to evaluate, create, and locate open educational resources that are accessible.

Accessibility: Electronic And Information Technologies (Eit), Wendy Walker, Teressa M. Keenan

Mansfield Library Faculty Publications

In 2014, the President of the University of Montana (UM) signed a resolution agreement with the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights regarding the accessibility of electronic and information technology (EIT) at UM. Since that time, we have been learning about accessibility and accessible technologies and have investigated the accessibility of EIT-based services at the Mansfield Library. We will share what we have learned about EIT accessibility; key results from our assessment of CONTENTdm; and a new cataloging initiative that improves the discoverability of accessible materials in library collections.

Mobile Web Site Ease Of Use: An Analysis Of Orbis Cascade Alliance Member Web Sites, Zebulin Evelhoch

Library Scholarship

This paper analyzes 37 Orbis Cascade Alliance members’ websites to determine ease of use across mobile devices. Based on that analysis and a literature review, guidance is provided on how libraries’ mobile websites may be improved. Websites were examined to determine ease of locating frequently accessed resources on mobile devices that were identified in the literature: contact information, hours, databases, library accounts, and search boxes. Scalability of websites on mobile devices was also evaluated and was found to be non-existent in nearly a quarter of examined libraries. Areas for consideration and improvement are presented across Orbis Cascade Alliance libraries that …

Accessibility Of Vendor-Created Video Tutorials For People With Disabilities, Joanne Oud

Library Publications

Many video, screencast, webinar, or interactive tutorials are created and provided by vendors for use by libraries to instruct users in database searching. This study investigates whether these vendor-created database tutorials are accessible for people with disabilities to see whether librarians can use these tutorials instead of creating them in-house. Findings on accessibility were mixed. Positive accessibility features and common accessibility problems are described, with recommendations on how to maximize accessibility.

Collaboration Between The Library And Office Of Student Disability Services: Document Accessibility In Higher Education, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

Purpose – The paper aims to discuss the relationship between interdepartmental stakeholders in higher education and the information identified as a result of collaborations. It proposes that collaborations can help clarify issues to then advocate for them.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a naturalistic case study design, gathering direct and participant observation of interdepartmental collaborations including 1 Student Share, 12 one-hour collaborative sessions and 1 Accessibility Conference.

Findings – The paper provides observed insight about student needs to have documents that are accessible for assistive technologies to recognize and read how change is brought about during internal brand building. …

The Brief Wondrous Life Of The Syracuse Kindle, Melinda Dermody, Suzanne Preate, Nancy Turner, Scott Warren

Suzanne Preate

In the fall 2009 semester, the Syracuse University Library launched a pilot program to test two Kindle DX e-book readers as content delivery devices. The pilot objectives included exploring additional options for access to curricular resources that are cost-prohibitive and frequently requested by library users, testing a new technology, i.e., Kindle DX, for delivery of ebooks, gauging user reactions to e-book readers, and using Kindle statistics and user feedback to develop or modify services and technologies. Through the pilot, the Library gained practical experience with a new technology and attempted to determine whether an e-book reader loan program would interest …

Do You Hear What I See? Assessing Accessibility Of Digital Commons And Contentdm, Wendy Walker, Teressa M. Keenan

Mansfield Library Faculty Publications

This article discusses the accessibility of two content management systems, Berkeley Electronic Press’ Digital Commons and OCLC’s CONTENTdm, widely used in libraries to host institutional repository and digital collections content. Based on observations by a visually-impaired student who used the JAWS screen reader to view the design and display of digital objects in both systems, we provide a general overview of the accessibility of each system. We discuss potential suggestions for accessibility-related improvements, and we offer ideas for library administrators of these systems about how to maximize the back-end configurations for accessibility.

Apps And Technology Share - A Student Disability Services And Library Collaboration, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

The Library and Office of Student Disability Services at Lehman College provide a collaborative presentation on engaging students in sharing apps and technology they use in higher education to support their educational needs for a successful academic career. Presented at the 6th Annual CUNY Accessibility Conference, Student Success in the Digital Age, May 1st, 2015, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City.

Assessing The Accuracy Of Vendor-Supplied Accessibility Documentation, Laura Delancey

DLTS Faculty Publications

Purpose

Design/methodology/approach

Findings

Accessing Academic Library Services By Distance Learners, Samuel Owusu-Ansah, Chris K. Bubuama

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study seeks to investigate the accessibility of academic library services to distance learners, with specific reference to University of Ghana Library System (UGLS). A survey was conducted and one hundred and thirty eight (138) Level 400 distance learning students. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) is used to analyze the completed questionnaire.

The results revealed that a greater proportion of the respondents were not aware of the library services because they were not available on the UGLS. Distance learners had no remote access to library electronic resources and other databases and therefore did not strongly agree to …

Making Journals Accessible Front & Back: Examining Open Journal Systems At Csu Northridge, Laurie Borchard, Michael Biondo, Stephen Kutay, David Morck

Michael Biondo

Transmedial Documentation For Non-Visual Image Access, Melody J. Mccotter

Proceedings from the Document Academy

In my doctoral studies on information accessibility for the individual who is blind or visually impaired, I’ve been exploring the ways we can make image documents more accessible. This requires using an alternative sensory modality, and translating the document into a different format. The questions that arise when we consider this process are many, but among them are:

• Is it the same document once we’ve converted it to an audio narrative about the work, or a 3D topographic map of an artwork, or a musical interpretation?
• If it is not the same document, how truthful can the “trans-medial” translation be …

Design With Diversity In Mind: Online Information Literacy Instruction For Nontraditional Students, Holly Mabry, Natalie E. Bishop

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Web-based, online learning options through Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, and other learning management systems are increasingly popular for students and library patrons who are unable to attend traditional face-to-face courses on a college campus due to geographical, financial, or family obligations. Librarians are also retooling their information literacy courses to adapt to the rapidly evolving online learning environment. Just like in a physical classroom or library that provides assistive technology and interpreters, online information must be accessible for a variety of backgrounds and abilities. Inaccessible online courses that aren't developed with plain language, good color contrast, captions or alternative text formats, …

From Disability To Usability In Online Instruction, Susan David Demaine

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article is a primer on the work needed to ensure accessibility in online instruction. It discusses different disabilities, reviews relevant laws and standards, and explores the relationship between accessibility and the principles of universal design. The article introduces a number of best practices for creating accessibility in online instruction.

Readcube Desktop, Michael J. Hughes

Library Faculty Research

ReadCube Desktop is a free-to-download file and reference manager that competes with Papers, Mendeley, and Zotero, among others. Many of its predecessors’ features are replicated in a sleek and lightweight interface from which researchers can manage PDFs, search Google Scholar and PubMed, and annotate documents. But ReadCube is distinguished by its ability to enhance eligible papers with clickable in-line references, a figure browser, and other ways to engage with formerly static PDFs. In attempting to simplify research management, however, ReadCube overcompensates, removing a feature for each it adds. The lack of collaboration features, in particular, makes ReadCube a program ill-suited …

Accessibility: Opening Windows To Digital Collections, Wendy Walker, Teressa M. Keenan

Mansfield Library Faculty Publications

Accessibility is a growing concern for universities and academic libraries as they create and provide more digital resources for their communities. The development of best practices for accessible web pages and documents is well underway. To date, no in-depth study of digital content management systems has been done. This poster summarizes the authors' initial research into the accessibility provided to visually-impaired users by two of the most used digital collections platforms in libraries: CONTENTdm and Digital Commons.

An accessible transcript of the poster content is available below.

Scholarly Communications And The Role Of The Liberal Arts College Library, Diane J. Graves

Library Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Disability And Accessibility In The Library And Information Science Literature: A Content Analysis, Heather Hill

FIMS Publications

The library profession is often a strong and vocal proponent of increased access for persons with disabilities. With the profession's long-standing interest in the subject of services to persons with disabilities come questions that get to how the profession perceives the phenomenon. How is library and information science (LIS), as a field, conceptualizing disability and accessibility? The space for examining this question is a content analysis of the LIS literature. The literature provides a fertile ground for study as it reflects the profession's approaches to, and perceptions of, a topic. This research identifies the major issues and trends in the …

Open Archives Initiative Protocol For Metadata Harvesting, Dublin Core And Accessibility In The Oaister Repository, Michael Peake

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines the use of Dublin Core as a minimum metadata standard for Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting in terms of its impact on end user experience in the OAIster repository. Specifically the study looked at the use of controlled vocabulary searches versus non-controlled vocabulary searches, as well as the impact of Dublin Core on the granularity and consistency records. Searches were performed in OAIster using Library of Congress Subject Headings and Name Authority Files, as well as non-controlled vocabulary searches for the same terms. The study concluded that controlled vocabulary searches are good for retrieving relevant …

Government Information For Your Mobile Phone, Rebecca Arzola, Debbie Rabina

Publications and Research

A tasting menu of selected apps, created by U.S. government agencies, that provides information accessible from your mobile phone.

How Well Do Ontario Library Web Sites Meet New Accessibility Requirements?, Joanne Oud

Library Publications

New changes to Ontario law will require library web sites to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). This study evaluates 64 Ontario university, college, and public library web sites to see how well they comply with WCAG 2.0 guidelines at present. An average of 14.75 accessibility problems were found per web page. The most common problems included invalid html, poor color contrast, incorrect form controls and labels, missing alt text, bad link text, improper use of headings, using html to format pages, using absolute units of measure, and issues with tables and embedded objects.

'Predicting' The Future Of Library Opac: Assistive Technologies For Everyone, Danielle Lee-Muma

Danielle K.L. Lee-Muma

Word prediction, unlike the broader area of predictive text which can include T9 language for cellphones without full keyboards, is intended to make typing easier in augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with cognitive and physical impediments (Garay-Vitoria and Abascal 2006, pg 188). While word prediction is intended for AAC, it has potential to alleviate or eliminate the disconnection between library patrons and the Library of Congress Subject Headings used by librarians in cataloguing. Library users often use keywords instead of subject headings because they do not understand the use and syntax of the Library of Congress Subject Headings. By …

Breaking Down Barriers: Accessibility In The Wild West Of E-Resources, Danielle Lee-Muma

Danielle K.L. Lee-Muma

E-resources can be extremely useful for patrons who have a visual or hearing impediment because electronic materials can be accessed from home and many of them have a form of accessibility embedded in them. The problem lies in discovering what accessible features are available in each resource and how to make the most of them. Every e-resource has a different layout and set of functions. Come see the quickest, easiest, most inexpensive and time-effective ways of making e-resources available to patrons who have a visual or hearing impediment.

Library Services For Persons With Disabilities: 20th Anniversary Update, Christine Willis

Christine Willis

From Learning Objectives To Multi-Media Tutorials, Terri L. Holtze

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2008

Participants will get hands-on experience with tutorial creation. This workshop will guide participants through the process of developing learning objectives and a theme, writing content, and planning a storyboard. There will also be opportunities to learn techniques for finding free images to use and/or modify for your tutorials and to discover development software that can help create simple to complex multi-media tutorials.

Interactive Session

The Brief Wondrous Life Of The Syracuse Kindle, Melinda Dermody, Suzanne Preate, Nancy Turner, Scott Warren

Libraries' and Librarians' Publications

In the fall 2009 semester, the Syracuse University Library launched a pilot program to test two Kindle DX e-book readers as content delivery devices. The pilot objectives included exploring additional options for access to curricular resources that are cost-prohibitive and frequently requested by library users, testing a new technology, i.e., Kindle DX, for delivery of ebooks, gauging user reactions to e-book readers, and using Kindle statistics and user feedback to develop or modify services and technologies. Through the pilot, the Library gained practical experience with a new technology and attempted to determine whether an e-book reader loan program would interest …