Working Together to Improve Accessibility: Consortial E-Resource Accessibility and Advocacy

Abstract

In 2015, the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Libraries formed the BTAA Library E-Resource Accessibility Group. This group, which consists of members from each Big Ten library and the BTAA Library Initiatives staff, was charged with creating boilerplate accessibility license language for vendor contracts, as well as collectively funding high level accessibility testing of e-resources and posting these publicly for all libraries and users. Since the creation of the group, about 50 databases have been tested and accessibility license language has been created that can be used and adapted by anyone. In 2019, the group welcomed another consortia, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL), to be partners in this work, renaming themselves the Library Accessibility Alliance. This paper examines the mission, accomplishments, and new partnership in more depth while also discussing the need for focused efforts to help ensure accessible e-resources.     

Connecting Print Patrons to Electronic Holdings with Shelf Dummies

Abstract

After a two-year renovation, the Kent State University Music Library reopened as the Performing Arts Library. Before the closure, some serials were sent to the depository or reclassified within the library. In order to assist patrons browsing print journals or searching for articles in the stacks, library staff created shelf dummies detailing print and electronic holdings information as well as indexing for each title. Patron feedback has been positive, and the project has helped both library staff and patrons better understand accessibility and location of journals.     

A New Direction for Library Technical Services: Using Metadata Skills to Improve User Accessibility

Abstract

An increased awareness about the importance of resource accessibility for all library users has set the stage for transforming traditional cataloger roles into a new realm of possibility. The Acquisitions & Discovery (A&D) and the User Experience (UX) departments of North Carolina State University Libraries have formed a partnership to explore the benefits of working together amidst this climate of innovation and change. A pilot project was created to develop a workflow through which technical services staff can use their metadata skills to help resolve accessibility issues found on the Libraries’ main website. By performing this work, staff can grow in technical expertise, enhance the quality of metadata in web content, and build mutually beneficial partnerships within the library community.     

Digital Accessibility as a Core Competency for E-Resources Librarians

Abstract

This article will outline the electronic resources life cycle and identify key elements involved in e-resource management that exhibit potential for growth in terms of accessibility remediation. The aim of the article is to convey an understanding of the importance of digital accessibility to electronic resources librarians and the role they may play in making digital collections more available to users with impairments.     

License Mapping for ERM Systems: Existing Practices and Initiatives for Support

In the process of analyzing and/or mapping license agreements into their electronic resource management (ERM) systems or in developing services to support the license mapping process, library professionals were interviewed to provide a status report of license mapping in academic libraries. Areas discussed include existing practices, challenges, and support for and benefits of the mapping process. These conversations from the trenches should help professionals in the early stages of ERM implementation better conceptualize resource needs and effective practices for license mapping.     

Using a Standard License for Individual Electronic Journal Purchases

Abstract

This article describes a pilot project in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries in which a standard library license (based directly on the CLIR/NERL/NELINET license) was sent to publishers of individual electronic journals as the initial step in arranging for e-journal access, rather than working first with the publisher's own license. Serials Review 2003; 29:302–304.     

SR visits: bringing electronic access to the census bureau library

Abstract

The United States Census Bureau Library, acting on a study commissioned in 2002, has undertaken to improve electronic access for their patrons. The library provides e-journal and database access. The staff relies on usage statistics from these resources to sharpen the focus of the collection. Through an aggressive outreach program Census Bureau employees learn about these new products and services. Future plans include adding more e-journals, an open OPAC, and a new library building.     

Developing a Freely Accessible/Open Access Resource Management Policy at Duke University Libraries: A Case Study

Abstract

Freely accessible and open access resources present unique challenges for librarians working with electronic resources. Due to the fact that many of these resources lack high-quality metadata or the technical support provided by traditional publishers, making them discoverable and maintaining access over time can be tricky. Creating a policy allows for a systematic approach to the management of freely accessible/open access (OA) resources, alleviating problems surrounding lack of staff time or expertise. Many of these resources are already important parts of collections and will only continue to grow in importance. Freely accessible/OA resources allow for a more diverse representation of content, both by subject and format type, and allow a wider array of authors to have their work appear in library collections. This case study will provide a review of freely accessible/OA policies in other libraries, describe why these resources are important to add to our collections, discuss challenges libraries face with managing these resources, and explain how Duke University Libraries is addressing some of these challenges through the development of a policy.     

The Center for Intellectual Property Handbook,edited by Kimberly Bonner and the staff of the Center for Intellectual Property. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers,Inc., 2006. 257 p. $85.00. ISBN: 1-55570-561-8 (paperback)

Abstract

For the acquisition of periodicals and indexes, the selector role of subject specialists and reference librarians has been transformed by electronic access. In the past these librarians made independent recommendations for new periodicals, indexes, and abstracts by using traditional selection criteria (e.g., relevance, quality, and cost). With electronic resources, considerations such as licensing negotiations, consortial agreements, and technical issues have complicated the decision-making process and have sometimes removed it from individual librarians or even individual libraries. The author discusses the opportunities for individual librarians, particularly in public service roles, to participate in serials collection management decisions and provides a case study of business periodicals collection management in an academic library. Serials Review 2002; 28:283–286.     

Small Press Billboard

Abstract

We have one report this issue which is, not surprisingly, on the topic of electronic serials. This institute, which reached full capacity, covered both theoretical and practical considerations for dealing with the influx of electronic serials. Many of us are barely coping with the need to plan and implement access to the vast amount of electronic information publishers have now mounted. We are faced with many new decisions about cataloging, vendor selection, license agreements, and consortial arrangements. The institute was planned as a basic course on electronic serials and addressed many of these topics froma wide range of viewpoints. Due to the popularity and success of this institute it will be repeated in April, 1998, in St. Louis.     

Managing Perpetual Access

ABSTRACT

Libraries are committed to long-term access to the scholarly record in published journals. The transition from print to online format has presented numerous challenges for libraries. While many publishers provide some form of post-cancellation or perpetual access to subscribed journals, libraries sometimes find it difficult to ensure that access is available to users. Language regarding perpetual access can be vague in the license agreements libraries sign with publishers. Even when perpetual access is available, libraries may lack the staff, tools, or workflows needed to review and confirm access. Examples of how libraries have addressed these challenges are provided.     

The Role of an Electronic Resources Librarian in Procuring Accessible Online Resources

Abstract

Per the 2019 NASIG Core Competencies for electronic resources librarians (ERL), ERLs “work with concepts and methods that are very much in flux … [they are] knowledgeable about the legal framework within which libraries and information agencies operate… [including] laws relating to… equal rights (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act)”. However, the Core Competencies do not define the level to which an ERL is responsible for determining the accessibility of an electronic resource. This article aims to create a better understanding of the steps an ERL can take to develop an accessibility statement pertaining to procuring accessible content. This article synthesizes key laws and policies that ERLs should be aware of in order to draft an accessibility procurement statement for their institution. It will also discuss licensing strategies, documentation collection, and conducting potential audits of electronic purchases.     

The SR Periodicals Miscellany

Abstract

Libraries play a crucial role in identifying, organizing, classifying, and delivering access to useful information at the point of need including information that is otherwise freely available online. A new classification system for free electronic resources called Scholarship, Persistence, Entity, Compatibility, and Convenience (SPECC) can help library personnel determine whether specific free electronic resources should be made available through their libraries. SPECC is not intended to be used as the only means of evaluating free electronic resources for collection development purposes, but SPECC does broadly categorize most free electronic resources and can save time and money.     

Electronic Journal Forum: Update on CONSER Summit Recommendations

Abstract

The CONSER Summit, held in March 2004, was a meeting of representatives from all library service areas, the serials industry, and standards communities. It was organized as an opportunity for the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) to shape strategies on the provision and sharing of metadata for electronic resources. This column is an update on actions taken on some of the summit recommendations     

Archiving and perpetual access for web-based journals: A look at the issues and how five e-journal providers are addressing them

Abstract

From the spring of 2002 to early 2004, Innovative Interfaces, Inc. worked with several libraries in a development partnership to create an electronic resource management (ERM) system. The new ERM system is designed to track licensing and purchasing information about electronic resources, define relationships among aggregators, publishers, or vendors and the resources they provide, and to selectively display information in the Web OPAC for public services staff and patrons.     

Serials and the OCLC Acquisitions Subsystem

Abstract

Academic library consortia, faced with requirements of assessment and accountability, are increasingly pressured to measure the impact of their networked electronic services. Studies on usage of electronic library resources and electronic journals, in particular, proliferate; relatively few focus on the academic library consortium. This paper gives an overview of one assessment tool, MINES for Libraries®, as implemented in the Scholars Portal service of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL). The novel contributions of this study are twofold: firstly, the creation of peer groups within an academic consortium for comparison purposes, and secondly, the use of regression analysis to explore the correlation between usage and three separate variables outside the MINES survey — library print holdings, library acquisitions budget, and sponsored research revenue.     

Effectively Evaluating the Accessibility of Electronic Monographs Using VPATs and Other Resources at the College of Staten Island Library- CUNY

Abstract

This study, building upon previous research work at the College of Staten Island (CSI) library, attempts to evaluate the accessibility of select digital monograph platforms and file formats utilized at the City University of New York (CUNY). The usability of CSI library’s locally developed ER-ACT tool to assist librarians with limited technical knowledge to review VPATs and to perform simple testing was also evaluated with challenges and successes reported. It was determined that the use of color-coded results in this study can help identify serious accessibility issues within ebooks and to communicate the results within libraries to assist with collection development decision-making. The study also includes a review of new court rulings related to accessibility issues in higher education and discusses where accessibility staffing reports in terms of job roles and duties held by university professionals. The testing of the accessibility of library ebooks, with various accessibility tools, are reviewed within the context of Section 508 revisions and new VPAT standards.