Developing a Library Accessibility Plan: A Practical Guide for Librarians

by Rebecca M. Marrall

Overview

Developing a Library Accessibility Plan: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides library professionals with the knowledge, tools and templates, and practical examples necessary for developing a tailored and comprehensive accessibility plan for their institution.

Part One provides foundational knowledge about disability experiences in libraries, including an overview of existing legislation and a breakdown of the disability community in the United States. This part also names and defines the impact of different accessibility barriers within online, physical, and instructional settings for different populations.

Part Two outlines the initial stages of a developing a comprehensive plan for resolving accessibility issues. These chapters explore how to conduct an environmental scan of existing challenges, strategies for identifying potential partners in the resolution of these problems, and how to prioritize accessibility initiatives and projects.

Part Three provides several practical, real life examples of projects and initiatives drawn from the author's professional experiences. These case studies offer a summary of each accessibility project along the corresponding impact, finished by an analysis of "lessons learned" from the experience. A copy of all tools, templates, and other planning documents are available in the chapter itself.

The book will help readers understand how to inventory, prioritize, plan, implement, and assess a comprehensive improvement plan for electronic, physical, and instructional and/or programming-related accessibility issues within their library.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538131145
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/05/2020
Series:	Practical Guides for Librarians , #66
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	631 KB

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

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

Editorial Reviews

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

Highly recommend Developing a Library Accessibility Plan: A Practical Guide for Librarians for any library that is serious about creating spaces and services that are accessible for all people, especially those with disabilities.

Journal of the Medical Library Association

This book, a part of the Practical Guides for Librarians series provides definitions, plans for ways to resolve accessibility issues, and provides several examples of practical solutions. While the work could be read cover to cover, it is also useful to be used as a guide to specific challenges when circumstances require it…. This volume is helpful for a library that wants to begin to review their physical building and online presence for accessibility. The steps involved are well outlined and under­standable. Definitions, strategies, and additional resources are abundant in the book. The "how-to" chapters at the back are especially helpful after reviewing the initial sections which can make the job of meeting accessibility goals seem a little daunting. I think this is a very useful guide to help a library through the development of an accessibility plan.

Technical Services Quarterly

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

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

Highly recommend Developing a Library Accessibility Plan: A Practical Guide for Librarians for any library that is serious about creating spaces and services that are accessible for all people, especially those with disabilities.

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.

This book, a part of the Practical Guides for Librarians series provides definitions, plans for ways to resolve accessibility issues, and provides several examples of practical solutions. While the work could be read cover to cover, it is also useful to be used as a guide to specific challenges when circumstances require it.... This volume is helpful for a library that wants to begin to review their physical building and online presence for accessibility. The steps involved are well outlined and under­standable. Definitions, strategies, and additional resources are abundant in the book. The "how-to" chapters at the back are especially helpful after reviewing the initial sections which can make the job of meeting accessibility goals seem a little daunting. I think this is a very useful guide to help a library through the development of an accessibility plan.

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.

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.

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.

From the Publisher

03/01/2021

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 (director, technology and discovery svcs., Western Washington Univ. Libs.) 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. VERDICT 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.—Lydia Olszak, Bosler Memorial Lib., Carlisle, PA

Library Journal