[nabs-l] University Libraries

Sun Feb 8 06:27:10 UTC 2015

Michael,

Excellent topic!

First for your specific situation, I suggest that you get the library staff 
or someone in dss to scan it for you.
Actually, I kind of agree with the librarian, its impossible to make all 
material accessible, but not because of copyright issues, but due to the 
volume of books and other material in a library. I mean its thousands if not 
a million in a large university library.
Also, the librarian is right about copyright. You cannot  copy a work with 
copyright on it still for everyone's use.
I think that is why your librarians said we cannot copy x or y because of 
copyright.

However, there is an exception. Because you have a disability, they can copy 
and produce the whole thing in alternate format for you.
As others said, the chafee ammendment allows it.

Another option that I've had to employ extensively is using the old 
fashioned human reader.
I suggest you do likewise if you cannot get it scanned.

Some rehab agencies pay for readers. I'd ask your vr counselor, if you have 
a case open, if they can pay for a reader for you.

Now, for your general question of library access.
It has been a mixed bag for me.
In general, I use the library extensively. I use it for study purposes, 
using the accessible computer to do homework and research, meeting others to 
study, just relaxing if I need a quiet place to stay a little while such as 
after class before my ride comes, and also for research purposes.
As you see, I use the library just as other students do but much of the time 
I'm not exactly using the library resources. I'm now taking electives at a 
community college called Nova as a shortened name standing for northern 
virginia community college.
But I went to George mason university, GMU, and Marymount university, MU,
for undergrad. I'll say some things first about my experience at all three 
places that relate to general use.
My experience has been like other students as far as I can tell.
All libraries have study rooms. I follow the procedures to get in them as 
other students which means I need a reservation at nova.
This has been a great place to study with groups as well as other class prep 
such as working on group presentations and projects.
I've also brought readers there to assist with access.
I've also made a lot of use of the computer and not just for research. I can 
check email, do personal internet surfing, and
check the college website for announcements. If you wonder why I do not just 
use my pc, well, because, the library was quieter, and in the dorm or living 
at home now, it can be noisier and distracting. I liked the quiet 
environment of the library.
I think we all can use the library for many reasons like everyone else.

Now as to specific research needs and completing work for papers.
That is a big topic. Where do I even begin.

I'll begin with librarians' assistance.
At MU they were not real helpful. They give me vague instructions to go to 
the right database, but no instruction about
searching the database. I don't recall Mu's catalog to find books being real 
accessible either.
I always asked librarians to find books and explained what I  needed. They 
got the books for me.
But not all books turned out to be relevant, and I do not know how much time 
they really spent searching.
Mu reference librarians were nice and approachable except for one. I just 
don't think they went out of their way to be helpful.
After explaining I needed more assistance and really wanted an appointment, 
I did get some assistance from  some reference associates and one librarian 
as I recall.

After getting material from reference staff, I then checked them out at 
circulation like everyone else.

At both the university settings and Nova, databases have been a huge 
obstacle. More on that at the end.

Now, at Nova, I'll mention the librarians too.
The librarians are good. They are patient, have excellent listening skills,
and really seem to want to help you. I am at a little disadvantage in that I 
cannot see the screen as they demonstrate how to research. But, to help me, 
they explain what they are doing or if its not busy, they may even leave the 
desk and show me on the accessible pc.
For retrieving books and other circulating items, they find it with me. They 
walk with me to the shelves and get the items.
If I'm with a reader, they seem to want them to fetch the material, but I 
think I'll talk to them and see if I can get them to still do it as I do not 
think its my reader's job to find it.

Some librarians are so helpful that they jot down things you need, and then 
look for it, and get back to you either in person or just emailing you the 
article or where to find it.

Now, here is the negative side. Some of this I've mentioned in other threads 
but it got little traffic.

Libraries are quite an inaccessible institution.
I cannot access any hard copy material which is most of the library 
collection.
No one will scan it for me, not that I've asked, but I know there is no one 
to do such a thing. Staff are stretched thin to serve the population that I 
cannot see them making time to scan anything.
The only  way I access circulating items is with a human reader.
I've had to pay readers out of pocket so fortunately my family is well off.
I did not use vr because they pay so low.
I try hard to determine whether an item is relevant so me and my reader do 
not waste too much time.
Using a reader has been challenging because of reliability issues and 
schedules.
All libraries have a wealth of scholarly books, periodicals, and reference 
material including encyclopedias.
I have to have another human with me to access it.

Nova even has lots of DVDS of documentaries and other educational things. 
I've used those on occasion if the story is fairly auditory.

Moving onto electronic material.
I've been rather disappointed. Electronic material has the potential to open 
doors, but seems like over half the time, the door is closed.
At all schools, no electronic books are accessible.
Nova uses adobe digital editions for most ebooks, and those are not 
accessible.

For databases, as I've complained in the past, its been my experience that 
many databases are not fully accessible.
Ebsco databases  are very problematic.
I cannot use the boolean operators to change the key word to say "Or" and 
not the default "And".
Additionally, many pdfs are either images or
text based but you cannot skim by paragraph with jaws.

Some general databases such as ProQuest and Jstor are accessible.
But specific subject matter databases are not.

Nova librarians work with me to find articles and we email them to myself.
They work with any student  when you make an appointment with them. For me, 
this has not only combatted the accessibility issues since they can click on 
things, but it goes faster because they can skim for relevant information. 
They also have expertise to know which key words to use.

After  getting them in the email, From there, I read them if they are 
accessible. If not, I can either use Openbook or a live reader.

The head of the Nova library is interested in accessibility. She is 
contacting ebsco on my behalf to see  if they can provide any guidance on 
using it with jaws or to get them to make it more accessible.
Our school has many ebsco databases, so I'm sure I'm not alone in my 
frustrations.
Specifically, I learned we have 36 ebsco databases at nova.

At Marymount, I tried to use academic search complete, another  ebsco 
databases, and
had the same issues I have now.

So, in summary, while I've received support from library staff, I feel I can 
only do so much at a library alone due to accessibility.
Whether its encountering an inaccessible ebook, unfriendly database, or 
print text,
such barriers have kept me from doing research alone. Of course, I've done 
it with a reader and found work arounds when needed. But its no easy 
endeavor.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Michael D Ausbun via nabs-l
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2015 6:54 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] University Libraries

Hello All:
Out of curiosity, what are your experiences dealing with the University 
Libraries? According to some of our librarians, at the University of Nevada, 
Reno, necessary accommodations ought to be made, in order to allow equal 
access to all books contained in the libraries. Thus, they believe they 
ought to be able to scan and process or receive already accessible formats 
of any given book. On the other hand, some librarians suggested that it is 
impossible, because it is a violation of copyright laws (which is 
technically true).
I am just curious, because in order to complete my thesis research, I need 
access to a book, which is not on Bookshare and I would rather not buy it, 
in the instance that the University already owns it.
Respectfully,
Michael Ausbun

Pledge, Kappa Sigma
Cofounder, University of Nevada, Reno Philosophy Club
Secretary, Nevada Association of Blind Students
Member, Honors College of the University of Nevada, Reno
Member, Speech and Debate at the University of Nevada, Reno

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net 