Accessibility of digital special collections using screen readers
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831211266609 |
| Date | 31 August 2012 |
| Pages | 457-471 |
| Published date | 31 August 2012 |
| Author | Kristina L. Southwell,Jacquelyn Slater |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
REGULAR PAPER
Accessibility of digital special
collections using screen readers
Kristina L. Southwell and Jacquelyn Slater
Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries, Norman,
Oklahoma, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discover whether digitized materials from special
collections libraries can be accessed using screen reader technology.
Design/methodology/approach – The researchers looked at 69 US academic library web sites
from the ARL in 2011 to determine whether textual materials sampled from their digitized special
collections were readable with screen reader technology.
Findings – The researchers found that 42 percent of the sampled digital collection items are
screen-readable, while 58 percent are not readable.
Research limitations/implications – Screen readers are not evaluated against one another for
effectiveness with digital collections. Library web site pathways to digital special collections were not
evaluated with screen readers.
Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the accessibility of digitized special collections
materials to persons using a screen reader.
Keywords Accessibility,Disabilities, Screen readers, Digitalcollections, Special collections,
Manuscripts,University libraries, Digital libraries
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Digital special collections are quickly becoming one of the most popular resources
offered by academic libraries today. Users who are accustomed to accessing electronic
information for so many aspects of daily life demand this digital content, so it is no
surprise that special collections libraries feel pressured to digitize as much material as
possible. These projects have benefits for both users and libraries. Primarily, they
allow users to find and view manuscript collections that once were accessible only by
visiting the holding institution. This has opened the field of research in primary
sources to new groups of patrons who might never have considered using them,
including high school students and the general public, as well as patrons who are
physically unable to make an on-site visit to the library. Libraries have benefited from
electronic access to their collections by the reduction of damage to collections normally
caused by repeated handling and photocopying. The increased digital presence of
special collections has not, however, translated to uniform access for all users. Patrons
with visual disabilities can encounter significant challenges when accessing these
materials online. Although this issue has been recognized in the literature for over a
decade it is not clear that libraries have taken sufficient steps to ensure all dig ital
content on their web sites is accessible to all users.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Accessibility of
digital special
collections
457
Received March 2012
Revised March 2012
Accepted April 2012
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 30 No. 3, 2012
pp. 457-471
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378831211266609
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