9.6 How to say it electronically

Electronic communications have revolutionized the information sector, and have endless potential for empowering and entertaining people cheaply and efficiently. They are still not the only game in town, though. Many of your target audiences don’t have a computer at home, or don’t use it to access information. On the other hand, some of the people you are trying to reach never use any other information source. Similarly, some people find information kiosks fascinating, while others avoid them whenever there is an alternative available.

To make sure that you reach everyone, public libraries should use a range of formats for every general communication. As always, the more you know about the preferences of the people you are trying to reach, the more accurately you will be able to meet their needs. The golden rule is always to offer several sources of information: for example, booking forms should be available both in print and online (with telephone booking available, too).

That said, people with disabilities and older people use the internet far more than you might think. According to the Irish Times, over 20% of all adult internet users in 2008 were aged 50 and older, and they used online services just as much as 18-34 year olds. Research in the US shows that people with disabilities use computers more than non-disabled people do.

Meanwhile, people over 50 in account for 40-70% of all users of e-book readers in the US, mainly because of the facility of changing the print size – a great argument for using large print as standard! This also has implications for the development of e-borrowing services. The range of borrowable formats – e-books, audiobooks and more – suggests that related web-based services should meet the highest standards for accessibility and easy use.

General information

The IT Accessibility Guidelines produced by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design outline the standards that public libraries and other statutory services should reach. The guidance, which conforms to international standards, is available to download through the NDA website; click on the ‘Accessibility’ button and then ‘ICT accessibility’ on the next screen). The guidelines cover all electronic communications, from creating accessible HTML to where to put information kiosks.

Another useful source of support is WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind). This is an NGO based in the US which aims to ‘expand the web’s potential for people with disabilities’. The WebAIM website contains a huge range of articles, tools and step-by-step instructions relating to making websites and their contents accessible to all. Meanwhile, the website Accessible Net contains literally hundreds of articles about internet accessibility.