How to make an electronic library accessible
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-07-2017-0143 |
| Pages | 620-632 |
| Date | 06 August 2018 |
| Published date | 06 August 2018 |
| Author | Rita Kosztyánné Mátrai |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
How to make an electronic
library accessible
Rita Kosztyánné Mátrai
Department of Information Sciences, Eotvos Lorand University,
Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to identify important principles which should be applied to
electroniclibrary websites to make them usable for all people.
Design/methodology/approach –The goal of this paper was to makethe simplified user interface of
Hungarian Electronic Library (VMEK) more accessible and usable by leveraging the latest technologies,
standards and recommendations. Vision-impaired and motor-disabled people were also involved in
brainstormingand collecting ideas during the designphase and in testing the implemented website.
Findings –This paper showed that the perspicuityof the Web page is greatly improved by semantically
correct HTMLcodes, clearly defined links and alt attributes, hotkeys and typographicprinciples.
Practical implications –The paper presentsthe design principles of electronic library Web pageswhich
can be applied by Web developers and content managers. The paper identifies design principles, which
improve the perspicuity of user interfaces to a great extent (especially in the case of blind users); draws
attention to the typographic principles, which promote reading and understanding documents; and
recommendsguidelines for developing electronic libraryhome pages and managing the content of thesehome
pages.
Originality/value –This paper bridges the gap betweenthe information and library science field and the
Web accessibility and usability field. Based on brainstorming results where people with various kinds of
disabilities were involved, the paper gives 11 recommendations which should be taken into account while
designingand developing electronic library websites to ensure equalaccess to their services and documents.
Keywords Electronic libraries, Web accessibility, Disabled people, Website usability
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Need for the study
Libraries and librarians play an important role in the preservation of cultural heritage, and
this now routinely entails digitizing and converting documents into several formats
(Kosztyánné Mátrai, 2016). The original aim of digitization was to save costs and protect
paper documents, especially rare and valuable books (Jephcott, 1998). Electronic libraries
must ensure that these materialsare safely stored, are convertible into other formats and are
able to adapt to new technologiesand data carriers. Pant (2015, p. 897) argues that:
in the web environment, the challenge for libraries is to provide access to quality content in
electronic form, promoting better visibility for their print resources, and offering various value-
added electronic services.
One major advantage of electronic documents is that they are non-stationary and
people can therefore access them from any location. A well-designed, accessible
electronic library provides an excellent opportunity to ensure equal access to these
documents, browse according to themes and seek information based on specificcriteria.
EL
36,4
620
Received5 July 2017
Revised11 October 2017
Accepted17 November 2017
TheElectronic Library
Vol.36 No. 4, 2018
pp. 620-632
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-07-2017-0143
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