Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 160
•
Trim: 8½ x 11
978-1-5381-3113-8 • Paperback • August 2020 • $65.00 • (£50.00)
978-1-5381-3114-5 • eBook • August 2020 • $61.50 • (£47.00)
Rebecca M. Marrall is the director of technology and discovery services and an Associate Professor at Western Washington University Libraries. Her research interests are inclusive learning spaces; user experience in libraries; and accessibility practices in library spaces. She co-edited the open access text, The Research Process: Strategies for Undergraduate Students.
Acknowledgements
Preface
Section One: Accessibility in Libraries
Chapter One: Disability Experiences in Libraries: Definitions, Demographics, Theory, and Legislation
Chapter Two: Electronic Accessibility
Chapter Three: Physical Accessibility
Chapter Four: Accessibility for Instruction, Programming, and Outreach
Section Two: Building an Accessibility Plan for Your Library
Chapter Five: Creating an Accessibility Plan
Chapter Six: Where to Start When Developing an Accessibility Plan
Chapter Seven: Building Consensus and Support within the Organization through Employee Professional Development
Chapter Eight: Crafting Community Partnerships for Enhanced Accessibility
Section Three: Case Studies in Accessibility Efforts
Chapter Nine: Deploying a Document Conversion Service for Patrons with Disabilities
Chapter Ten: Conducting an Electronic Accessibility Audit To Improve Library Web Presences
Chapter Eleven: Building Employee Knowledge through Voluntary Product Assessment Template Workshops
Chapter Twelve: Creating an Accessibility Response Plan for Employees
Chapter Thirteen: Raising Library Employee Awareness of Mental Health Issues
Chapter Fourteen: Service Animals in Libraries: Developing a Response Plan
Bibliography
Librarians have a professional and legal obligation to ensure that library collections, buildings, programs, and services are accessible to patrons with disabilities. Many of these patrons require specific accommodations to use libraries effectively. The latest volume in the Practical Guides for Librarians series instructs librarians in planning, implementing, and assessing a customized accessibility plan. Marrall provides an overview of disability legislation and introduces readers to the major categories of disability and the adaptive techniques and technologies used to improve accessibility. Readers will learn how to assess barriers related to entrances, floor plans, electronic resources, programming, outreach, and more, as well as how to devise an accessibility plan to prioritize and then eradicate barriers. Marrall offers tools to track and evaluate results efficiently and explains how to gain the support of community and institutional partners and staff to remove barriers. The guide concludes with case studies describing how other libraries have approached accessibility issues. Libraries with limited staff and funds may have difficulty incorporating many of the suggestions without considerable assistance from community partners, but larger libraries will find a practical map for improving accessibility.
— Library Journal
Marrall provides a comprehensive guide for understanding, improving, and advocating for greater accessibility in libraries, which can be a complex and overwhelming undertaking at times. The book offers an overview of the various aspects of accessibility in libraries, both electronic and physical, and presents readers with tips and strategies for implementing a library accessibility plan that centers people with disabilities in the process.— Lauren Kehoe, Accessibility and Accommodations Librarian, NYU Libraries
Libraries looking to develop accessibility plans will benefit from this guide, which contains foundational information about library accessibility and many practical resources, tips and tools to help advance and improve accessibility. Kudos to Rebecca Marrall for authoring a much-needed text on accessibility in the practical guides for librarians series.— Heidi M. Schroeder, Accessibility Coordinator, Michigan State University Libraries
This book is a helpful resource for those who know they have to improve their library's accessibility but aren't sure where to start. It takes users through the key concepts of library accessibility starting with the basics to ensure that a whole range of common questions are answered.— Carli Spina, Head of Research & Instructional Services, Associate Professor, Gladys Marcus Library, Fashion Institute of Technology