ARL; Transforming Libraries/Disabilities

[GraceAnne A. DeCandido]

January 3, 1999

Dear colleagues and friends,
Happy new year! I am about to embark on a six-
week project for the Association of Research 
Libraries, writing another in their “Transforming 
Libraries” series. This one focuses on service to 
people with disabilities. “Transforming Libraries” 
attempts to take a snapshot of where academic 
libraries are at a particular point in time: in this 
one, we are trying to come to grips with a number 
of questions about assistive technology.

 We want to know: what kinds of equipment are 
college and university libraries using for their 
computer setups and screens? Are they designing 
equipment themselves? What kinds of vendors are 
they using? How are they locating specialized 
equipment? How are they getting funding for these 
specialized needs?

Are they addressing all kinds of needs, or are they 
prioritizing based on specific needs on their own 
campus?  Where and how are they getting 
information about their specific needs? Are they 
working with groups on campus? How are they 
letting people know what special arrangements are 
or can be made available?

I would be interested in comments in response to 
these questions and others; and I am particularly 
interested in interviewing librarians who are 
responding to these kinds of questions on their 
own campuses. I would also like, if possible, to 
interview students with disabilities who are using 
their college libraries and finding them responsive 
to their particular needs. These interviews can be 
conducted via e-mail or telephone. I will also be 
interviewing people at the American Library 
Association Midwinter meeting in Philadelphia Jan 
29-Feb 3, 1999.

I am building on some basic information available 
from a 95-96 ARL survey (Results of the entire 
survey are at 
<ftp://www.arl.org/stat/innovate/innov96.txt> The 
survey is described
briefly at <http://www.arl.org/stats/specproj/> and 
you can get the raw
data there as well). My own credentials and c.v. are 
available on my web site, see URL in my sig file, 
below.

Please feel free to post this message to other lists 
where there may be interest. Thanks very much.
Best,
GraceAnne

GraceAnne A. DeCandido
Blue Roses Editorial and Web Consulting
350 E. 236th St.
Bronx, NY 10470-2104
voice: 718/994-7794  * fax: 718/994-9851
E-mail ladyhawk at well.com
http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/gadhome.html