[nabs-l] academic library access

[Vejas Vasiliauskas]

Hi,
If=20you=20have=20a=20Bookshare=20account,=20you=20could=20try=20looking=20=
for=20the=20
book=20there.=20=20If=20you're=20working=20on=20a=20research=20paper=20of=20=
some=20kind,=20
Bookshare=20usually=20has=20some=20good=20books=20on=20the=20topic=20you're=
=20
researching.
I=20never=20used=20the=20databases=20in=20high=20school;=20do=20you=20find=
=20using=20them=20
helpful?
Vejas


-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Ashley=20Bramlett=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Sat,=209=20Jan=202016=2016:22:05=20-0500
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20academic=20library=20access

Hi=20all,

I=E2=80=99d=20like=20to=20hear=20about=20the=20level=20of=20support=20and=20=
accessibility=20
of=20your=20library=20and=20the=20resources=20it=20has.
I=E2=80=99ve=20written=20about=20my=20struggles=20before.=20=20The=20gist=20=
is=20that=20many=20
library=20databases=20have=20access=20issues.=20=20The=20ebsco=20ones=20are=
=20the=20
worst.=20=20Its=20hard=20to=20open=20the=20pull=20down=20list=20of=20option=
s,=20but=20I=20
think=20I=20finally=20did=20open=20them=20with=20spacebar.=20=20I=20find=20=
that=20
databases=20run=20through=20Oxford=20and=20proquest=20are=20generally=20use=
r=20
friendly=20and=20accessible.=20=20Jstor=20is=20fairly=20decent,=20but=20see=
ms=20like=20
most=20articles=20are=20image=20pdfs=20or=20display=20on=20the=20screen=20a=
s=20images.=20=20
I=20kept=20wondering=20why=20jaws=20was=20saying=20graphic=20and=20the=20ne=
xt=20line=20
said=20page=201=20of=205=20or=20however=20many=20pages=20it=20was;=20then=20=
it=20occurred=20
to=20me=20that=20the=20text=20must=20be=20an=20image;=20so=20I=20found=20th=
e=20pdf=20link=20to=20
download=20it.
The=20pdf=20was=20an=20image=20too,=20so=20I=20had=20to=20convert=20it.

Generally,=20when=20I=20was=20in=20the=20university=20setting,=20I=20got=20=
support=20
from=20the=20reference=20desk.=20=20They=20retrieved=20books=20for=20me=20a=
nd=20other=20
students=20had=20to=20find=20them=20by=20call=20number.=20=20I=20got=20pret=
ty=20much=20the=20
same=20support=20as=20other=20students.=20=20I=20was=20on=20my=20own=20with=
=20access=20
barriers.=20=20Sometimes,=20I=20was=20able=20to=20get=20a=20library=20assis=
tant=20to=20
sit=20down=20with=20me=20and=20look=20at=20the=20database=20and=20then=20em=
ail=20me=20
relevant=20articles.=20=20This=20worked=20much=20faster=20than=20jaws.

Now,=20to=20learn=20more,=20I=E2=80=99m=20taking=20classes=20at=20Northern=
=20virginia=20
community=20college,=20nova,=20while=20looking=20for=20work.

Many=20Nova=20reference=20staff=20are=20great=20and=20in=20fact=20go=20the=
=20extra=20
mile.=20=20They=20explain=20well=20how=20to=20search=20databases.=20=20Othe=
rs=20seem=20to=20
struggle=20how=20to=20verbalize=20things.=20=20Normally,=20they=20demo=20th=
e=20task=20
and=20have=20the=20information=20seeker=20watch=20what=20they=20are=20doing=