Accessibility, Technology, and Librarianship (Library Technology Reports)

This issue of Library Technology Reports (vol. 54, no. 4) looks into the wide definition of accessibility for library patrons within the area of instruction. This topic is discussed in some depth in schools of library science as well as in faculty development and instructional design. This report will encourage readers to think more critically about the technologies that faculty and staff use to address the needs of all patrons served. This report will also aid in identifying and using new methods for addressing the needs of all patrons through a wide range of modalities (closed-captioning, transcription, video, text to speech, image to text, etc.).

This contributed work will examine accessibility, technology, and librarianship across a wide spectrum. Ida Mae Craddock will discuss using virtual reality and Google Expeditions with second language learners. Helen Turner and Patrick Lee Lucas will delve into universal design and providing equitable access to students in the University of Kentucky's College of Design. George Shaw will investigate instruction and access for students taking an online computer programming course. Robert Browder will discuss how to make library materials accessible to readers through PDF scanning. Stacy Brown will discuss the impact of littleBits with students at the K–12 level in libraries. Aisha S. Haynes will examine Quality Matters accessibility measures, online instruction, library partnerships, and professional development. Stacy Hammer will complete the report with a look into the differentiation of instruction in libraries and how technology can be used with students in the K–12 setting.

Heather Moorefield-Lang is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina in the School of Library and Information Science. Her research is focused on emerging technologies and their use in education and libraries. Her current research focuses on makerspaces and their integrated technologies in libraries of all types and levels.