accessibility Archives | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Criticizes Firing of Register of Copyrights

May 12, 2025

ALA is dismayed at the unlawful dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, who has led the US Copyright Office since October 2020 with integrity, intelligence, and an understanding of intellectual property issues. Before her appointment as registrar, Perlmutter’s work with the library community on the US implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty demonstrated a commitment … Continue reading ALA Criticizes Firing of Register of Copyrights →

Crip Time in the Library

By Brea McQueen | May 1, 2025

At this point in the year, almost everyone on campus seems to be thinking about the end of the term. But this span of time doesn’t necessarily look or feel the same to everyone. Some of us who have disabilities move through time a little differently, experiencing it as particularly nebulous and abstract. I am … Continue reading Crip Time in the Library →

In Living Color

By Cass Balzer | January 2, 2025

In recent years, libraries of all sizes have begun adding color-corrective glasses to their Library of Things collections. Made possible primarily through partnerships with manufacturers, patrons can test these glasses out before committing to purchasing their own pair. Removing barriers Color blindness, also known as color vision deficiency, affects about 350 million people worldwide, primarily … Continue reading In Living Color →

Call Number Podcast: Small Libraries, Big Ideas

November 11, 2024

At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect. Both libraries have received … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Small Libraries, Big Ideas →

A young patron at Joeten-Kiyu Public Library in Susupe, Northern Mariana Islands plays in the library's new Sensory Corner

Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later

By Alison Marcotte | November 1, 2024

During the first round of funding, 240 small and rural libraries, located within towns with populations of under 25,000 people, received awards of $10,000 or $20,000 to improve the accessibility of their facilities, services, and programs. American Libraries spoke with five libraries that participated in the program’s inaugural year about their projects’ impact on those … Continue reading Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later →

10 Tips toward Accessibility

By Elisabeth B. White | November 1, 2024

The guidelines include three principles that instructors must provide via multiple means: engagement (the “why” of learning), representation (the “what” of learning), and action and expression (the “how” of learning). The guidelines are an excellent reference for planning library instruction sessions that can reach learners regardless of disability, learning styles, and preferences. However, to create … Continue reading 10 Tips toward Accessibility →

Improving Inclusivity

By Rachel Rosenberg | November 1, 2024

The Inclusive Organization: Real Solutions, Impactful Change, and Meaningful Diversity By Netta Jenkins Jenkins, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) executive, has worked with organizations of all sizes. Here she draws on her lived experiences and years of accumulated knowledge to suggest actionable ways that employees can improve their workplaces. The book shows readers how … Continue reading Improving Inclusivity →

Beyond ADA Compliance

By Amy Holland | March 1, 2024

In 2020, staff members at Irondequoit Public Library (IPL) in Rochester, New York, began rethinking our approach to accessibility and inclusion. With reduced hours and services during the COVID- 19 pandemic, we had an opportunity to reenvision how we wanted to welcome patrons back. ADA guidelines provide for a minimum standard of service, but we … Continue reading Beyond ADA Compliance →

Care and Consideration

By Bobbi L. Newman | September 1, 2023

Physical space. All library staffers should have an ergonomic work station. If you have access to an external ergonomics evaluation, arrange for your library to have one. Be prepared to purchase the equipment and furnishings necessary to meet the resulting recommendations. Ideally, this would come from the library budget, but you may need to consider … Continue reading Care and Consideration →

Alyssa Hanson (right) and Melody Dworak speaking at the "Accessible Digital Libraries: Navigating Audiobook Apps with Low-Vision Patrons" session at the 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago June 26.

Accessible Audiobooks in a Post-CD World

By Greg Landgraf | June 26, 2023

Iowa City Public Library is now purchasing books on CD by request only, and by FY25 it plans to phase out its CD formats. Librarian Melody Dworak and Web Specialist Alyssa Hanson shared what they have learned about providing app-based audiobook service in the session “Accessible Digital Libraries: Navigating Audiobook Apps with Low-Vision Patrons” at … Continue reading Accessible Audiobooks in a Post-CD World →

Listen and Learn

By Jackie Kruzie | June 1, 2023

An estimated 4 million Americans cannot communicate using speech and rely on other forms of communication like AAC. These modalities may include gestures, sounds, written communication, pictures, photographs, body language, sign language, communication boards, and speech-generating technology devices. For my daughter, we chose to purchase a small tablet and designate it as her talker, a … Continue reading Listen and Learn →

Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space

September 12, 2022

As any library staffer who has gone through a building renovation knows, significant behind-the-scenes work goes into updating or overhauling a facility. From working with architects to communicating with committees to soliciting community feedback, rethinking a library doesn’t happen overnight. On Episode 75, the podcast team focuses on library design and architecture. First, American Libraries … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space →

Latest Library Links

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Matt Witkos and Kallista Cory write: “Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, Michigan, gained national attention for facing tension over books featuring LGBTQ+ topics. And it faced potential closure because of a lack of funding. It took three separate millage votes for funding to finally be renewed. Now the local community spot is closed” temporarily after five of eight staff members resigned last week. “The five shared with FOX 17 that they felt limited by the board in doing the jobs they were hired to do.” The majority of residents who attended the library’s board meeting May 12 expressed support for the staff.

WXMI-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), May 9, May 13; Holland (Mich.) Sentinel, Nov. 8, 2023
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Lolita C. Baldor writes: “The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on May 9. It follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the military academies [and schools]. The memo says that educational materials at the libraries ‘promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the department’s core mission.’ By May 21, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to cull that initial list.”

Associated Press, May 9; Apr. 1; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and American Association of School Librarians, Feb. 14
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Anne Ford writes: “With total earnings of $426,600, Adriana Harmeyer, archives and special collections assistant professor and archivist for university history at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the winningest library professional ever to have appeared on Jeopardy! On May 14, she seeks to further cement that title, as she aims for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament. Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters.”

American Libraries Trend, May 12
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Leslie Burger writes: “We have all been impacted in both anticipated and unpredictable ways following the sweeping changes in Washington, D.C., since the January inauguration. ALA has always done its best to avoid partisan politics, choosing instead to work across the aisle to develop partnerships and relationships with individuals and organizations that share our values and support the important work of libraries. Libraries are inherently nonpartisan institutions. But this time a different approach may be needed.”

American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Apr. 8
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On May 12, ALA President Cindy Hohl released a statement criticizing President Trump’s May 10 dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. Perlmutter was fired two days after the Trump administration fired Carla Hayden, head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office. Perlmutter’s termination came shortly after her office issued a report questioning the legality of training artificial intelligence systems on copyrighted works. According to Wired, Paul Perkins, who claimed he was new acting director of the Copyright Office, and Brian Nieves, who identified himself as the new deputy librarian, attempted to enter the Copyright Office May 12, but left after a discussion with Capitol Police.

AL: The Scoop, May 12; Associated Press, May 11; Politico, May 10; United States Copyright Office, May; Wired, May 12
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Chase Ollis writes: “The 2025 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award are 10 standout librarians. They include a bookmobile librarian serving a community in crisis, a school librarian bridging gaps for low-income students, a youth detention facility librarian creating a more inviting and inclusive space, and other notable community figures. ALA presented the awards on January 24 as part of the LibLearnX conference in Phoenix (watch a video of the ceremony). Among the recipients were four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians, each nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and impact.”

American Libraries feature, May
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ALA, along with other members of the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband Coalition, expressed strong disappointment following the Senate’s passage of S.J. Res. 7, a Congressional Review Act joint resolution that overturns the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to allow E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspot lending by schools and libraries. The resolution now heads to the House of Representatives. If enacted, it would eliminate a critical tool that community anchor institutions use to provide broadband access to students and library patrons who rely on hotspots for education, employment, and health care. Over 800 school and library districts have requested approximately 200,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to loan out this year to students and library patrons.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 8, July 18, 2024; Universal Service Administrative Company

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