Assistive Technology in Special Libraries - Or Is There?
David Johnson, Column Editor
Assistive Technology in Special Libraries Or Is There?
Courtney Deines-Jones
Introduction
With this issue of Library Hi Tech News focused on reports from the Special Library Association (SLA)conference, it seems appropriate to address assistive technology (AT) in special libraries. A caveat: I am not now nor have I ever been a member of the SLA, and my knowledge and opinions of that organization are based on conversations with co-workers who are SLA members and a perusal of their literature and Web site.
If the SLA is involved in promoting services to people with disabilities, they keep this well hidden. There is no evidence of a division or committee related to AT, nor are there AT subcommittees to divisions and committees focusing on the Internet, Virtual Libraries, or other high-tech trends in librarianship. The Affirmative Action committee may consider issues of disability, but their stated mission is confined to improving the state of "minorities" in special librarianship. A tour to the SLA Web site (http://www.sla.org)reveals no books, conference sessions at the 1999 Minneapolis convention, or other items related to AT or services to people with disabilities. The Minneapolis convention exhibitor list indicates that it mirrors the American Library Association (ALA) in the scarcity of vendors promoting AT.
What Does This Mean?
To get some perspective on what this means, I asked several colleagues who work in special libraries and who are SLA members to suggest reasons why AT is not a high priority. Two themes came through their responses:
1)We don't need AT because we don't serve the general public; and
2)AT would be far too expensive a proposition for special libraries.
"We Don't Need It"
It is true that, for the most part, special libraries have less open public access than public or academic libraries. But all libraries that provide any service to walk-in patrons are places of public accommodation and must provide equal service to all their customers, regardless of disability. While it may not be practical, for example, to have a Braille printer at a 5,000-volume library, it would be no burden to ensure that the public access terminal can be reconfigured to display in large print. The alternative would be to have a staff member personally assist any visitor who could not use the terminal.
In addition to providing walk-in access, any library which provides services to the public via the Internet must support equal access. This means that Web site developers at virtual libraries must take AT into account when designing their pages,incorporating no-frames, text-only options for people who use screen readers or text-based displays into their designs. A familiarity with AT and access concerns is essential to all Internet developers.
Finally, proactive librarians must take into account future, as well as present, users of the library. This is especially true in corporate libraries. Employee understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has led to an increase in the number of people who stay on the job after developing disabilities. Applicant awareness combined with increased educational opportunities for people who have disabilities also has brought more qualified people with disabilities into the work force. These workers will require access to library resources. Because they are long-term, repeat customers, they also provide the opportunity for the library to work with or secure more personalized, unique AT solutions. For example, eye-gaze pointers which must be programmed for each individual user would be impractical in most public libraries, but could be an excellent way to provide independent access to computers for an employee who regularly uses a company library. Many AT-related job accommodation solutions can be applied to library situations.
"It's Not Worth It"
Saying it's not worth it raises the fact that the cost of AT is not necessarily prohibitive, and that special library managers would do well to consider the cost benefits of adding AT, as it broadens their potential work pool. According to the Job Accommodation Network (http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/), 80 percent of job accommodations cost less than $500. This includes computer software and hardware AT, much of which is entering the mainstream, with concurrent price drops.
Service By, Not To...
Special librarians and special library managers also may be well placed to hire qualified librarians and support staff members who have disabilities. In a traditional small library,it may be essential for each employee (or the only employee) to answer requests for information by telephone, to assist walk-in patrons, and to page books and materials, for example. These situations may make it more difficult for people with certain disabilities to enter these jobs. In special libraries, and especially virtual libraries, these issues are not a concern. If there are few telephone requests for information, the ability to hear is a less important job requirement. If there are no walk-in patrons, the sole computer terminal can have a specialized configuration.
Understanding AT can help library directors keep experienced workers on the job longer and can provide the opportunity for savvy managers to hire librarians who are good performers and who, according to surveys reported by the Job Accommodation Network and the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD), have similar absentee rates to and much lower turnover rates than people without disabilities. The cost is minimal when compared with the cost of rehiring and training new personnel, and library employers often can receive equipment or technical assistance from state vocational agencies.
ARE SPECIAL LIBRARIES REALLY BEHIND THE CURVE?
All libraries would do better to examine their employment practices to assess their commitment to hiring qualified librarians who have disabilities. The American Library Association (ALA) Spectrum Initiative, like (it would seem) the SLA diversity initiatives, focuses on racial and ethnic minorities. The ALA conferences are traditionally devoid of AT vendors. And library schools in general are not promoting their programs within the disability community.
SLA could learn, however,from ALA efforts. ALA currently has at least five committees and programs devoted to services to people with disabilities, ranging from services to the"impaired elderly" to programs promoting literacy among children with learning disabilities. At the June 1999 ALA conference, there were four programs (plus numerous meetings) devoted to universal access both nationally and internationally. A core of librarians finalized standards for services to people with mental retardation at the conference and submitted them for approval by ALA. Information on making exhibit booths and computer displays accessible to attendees with disabilities was distributed to all exhibitors. These are measures that are ongoing and that have increased awareness of the potential of AT within the professional community even over the last five years. Hopefully,the days of "We don't need it" and "It's not worth it" are waning.
ONE OTHER BIT OF GOOD NEWS
The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) is working with the ADA Assembly, which has representatives drawn from across ALA divisions and roundtables, spearheading a drive to initiate a scholarship fund for library school students who have disabilities. This scholarship should help promote librarianship and future employment of librarians with disabilities, thus raising membership in both ALA and SLA, and making AT more visible and accepted among young librarians. People with an interest in the scholarship initiative can contact ADA Assembly outgoing chair Rhea Rubin at 5860 Heron Street,Oakland, CA 94618-2628.
Courtney Deines-Jones is Library and Information Technology Program Manager, KRA Corporation, Silver Spring, Maryland. She is the former editor of this column. cdeinesj@kra.com
David Johnsonis an Abstractor/ Information Specialist at the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC). Readers with questions, comments, or suggestions may e-mail him at jdivad@aol.com
