RLI 286  20 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC 2015 Internet, the US Access Board recently released a proposed rule updating Section 508,11 which gives a good sense of the direction the government is heading. There is still a level of risk for inaccessible websites, and many organizations have already been sued for noncompliance under the ADA. Nevertheless, there are guidelines produced by university webmasters that can be used as touchstones for research library website accessibility, e.g., Web Accessibility at the U-M (http://hr.umich.edu/webaccess/). The University of Michigan guide states: “Accessibility means making your site available to the widest possible audience—which includes able-bodied users. It is helpful to think of accessibility as being like its sibling, usability. In fact, it is impossible to separate the two, and improving one improves the other.” Additionally, ARL has developed a Web Accessibility Toolkit (http://accessibility.arl.org/) that illuminates model policies and resources for a wide range of digital accessibility issues. (See sidebar for more about the ARL Web Accessibility Toolkit.) The ADA regulations serve as the locus where the staff of each library should start as they examine how effectively they are serving users and staff with disabilities. But if that is where the library stops, it fails to truly meet a goal of accessibility to all users. The library should reach above and beyond the letter of the law to achieve the true spirit of inclusiveness. Web Accessibility Toolkit for Research Libraries ARL maintains a Web Accessibility Toolkit for the ARL membership and the broader library community. The toolkit aims to: Promote the principles of accessibility, universal design, and digital inclusion. Help research libraries achieve digital accessibility. Connect research libraries with the tools, people, and examples they need to provide accessible digital content. The Web Accessibility Toolkit provides library leaders with model policies, licensing language, a community of practice, and other resources to establish effective, accountable plans for meeting legal and ethical obligations to create an accessible, inclusive environment. Try out the toolkit at http://accessibility.arl.org/. Send comments or questions to accessibility@arl.org. Library as Campus Leader A research library is at the crossroad of its various constituencies. The library typically will serve a wide range of researchers from the most entry-level to the most advanced, from youthful to elderly. These researchers will need to use information available in digital, paper, and even micro-formats, and the information may be in the form of words, data, images, maps, audio, video, and more. The library provides consultations, classroom instruction, high-tech equipment, physical and virtual environments, and numerous other services suited to the needs of their user populations. How is it possible for a library
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