Blog's Stats Gadget

I have added the Blog's Stats gadget. This gadget will display the number of page views to our blog. This will give us the ability to see the number of pages that have been viewed at a glance.

Translate Gadget

I have added the Translate Gadget for those who speak other languages. With this gadget viewers can read our blog in various of languages.

"Followers" Gadget

I've added the "Followers" gadget because I think it's important to know how many people are reading the blog. If we were advertising and making money from our blog, this would be valuable information. Also, if the blog gets popular, a higher number might entice others to follow the blog.👩💭

Contact Form Gadget

(Harald Geiser)

To our blog, I added the Contact Form which I titled "Contact Us Here!" In choosing this gadget, I had the intention to create more conversation and consequently more connection for a community that often feels isolated or excluded. Through this gadget, individuals could contact our blog asking additional questions about our sources and posts but in a more private manner that does not entail publicly posting a response.

Mobile Technology and Libraries: Mobile Assistive Technology Software

Libraries have endeavored to meet the changing Internet technology demands of their patrons. Over the last decade or so, mobile technologies have increased in presence in the library. Many libraries offer free Wi-Fi and loan e-readers, tablets, and laptops. 

In an article for Library Journal, Lisa Carlucci Thomas writes that 34 percent of public libraries and 44 percent of academic libraries offered some kind of mobile services to patrons, according to a 2010 survey (2012). Of the available services, text message reference services, text message notifications, mobile-friendly online catalogs, and mobile-friendly websites were the top library mobile technologies available (Thomas, 2012). As library patrons have become more adept at using mobile devices, the demands for responsive communication and self-service features have also increased.

Patrons with disabilities may find taking advantage of mobile technologies a challenge. Many of the assistive technologies for computer use and Internet browsing presented in videos I referenced in Assistive Technologies and the Digital Divide and Assistive Technology and Libraries: The Need for Marketing and Staff Education are desktop and laptop based.

That being said, most iOS and Android devices come with some built-in accessibility features. These include text-to-speech functions, speech-to-text (dictation) functions, features that address attention-deficit issues, and features that address some motor-skill issues (The Understood Team).

Many mobile devices also come with a virtual/smart assistant, such as Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant, with varying levels of utility.

Additional free software that libraries can download for free to use on their loanable mobile devices include:

1. Google TalkBack by Google

“Google TalkBack is an accessibility app that aids users with vision impairments in the use of their Android devices. It speaks information on the screen and provides speech and vibration feedback to user actions,” (NLS). Available from the Google Play Store.

2. VoiceOver by Apple

“VoiceOver allows users to access information on the screen of their iOS device through speech and braille output. With specific gestures, users can control VoiceOver to perform certain tasks, and it can also echo text input. Users who also use a braille display can connect that display via Bluetooth to read VoiceOver output through braille,” (NLS). Free with most iOS devices.

References

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) (2017). Assistive Technology Products for Information Access. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://www.loc.gov/nls/resources/blindness-and-vision-impairment/devices-aids/assistive-technology-products-information-access/#_Toc450576122

Thomas, L. C. (2012). Mobile Libraries 2012. Library Journal, 137(2), 26-28.

The Understood Team (n.d.). Assistive Technology That's Built Into Mobile Devices. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/assistive-technologies-basics/assistive-technology-thats-built-into-mobile-devices

Assistive Technology and Libraries: The Need for Marketing and Staff Education

In a previous blog post, Assistive Technologies and the Digital Divide, I discussed the importance assistive technologies as a way to bridge the digital divide. Assistive technology, within the library setting, can be defined as “systems, devices, and software specifically designed to make library materials and services more accessible to people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities” (Reitz).

Some assistive technologies that have been in libraries for a while with which you be familiar with include large print books, magnifiers, Braille materials, audiobooks, and closed captioned video recordings. Many newer technologies focus on computer and Internet use, and include screen magnification software, screen reading software, voice recognition software, computer mouse-like alternatives, on-screen keyboards, and keyboards with enlarged keys.

The following video, produced by the Missouri Institute of Health for librarian411.org, discusses what assistive technologies are, some examples of assistive technologies, and tips for implementing assistive technologies in a library: https://youtu.be/7JuLs_o0G2E (Librarian411)

Ginny Mies breaks down four tips for implementing assistive technologies in a library in a blog post titled “Assistive Technology Tips from Expert Librarians”

                1. Familiarize yourself with the types of assistive technology

                2. Learn about disability etiquette

                3. Team up with local assistive organizations

                4. Get the word out about your assistive technology (Mies)

Both the Mies blog post and librarian411 video emphasize the needs for marketing and staff education, both of which will improve service to patrons who can benefit from assistive technologies.

Any library service can suffer from underutilization when not marketed well to patrons. Librarian411 suggests putting technologies out in the open rather than tucking them away, advertising through large signage, contacting patrons directly through email about new technologies, and using various Internet avenues such as a library website and social media to advertise available assistive technologies. Mies adds that assistive organizations can also help get the word out to the populations they serve.

As with other technologies used by patrons in the library, it is important that staff are capable of assisting patrons with the use of their assistive technologies. The more staff that are trained, the more staff are available to help. This not only includes knowledge of the technology but also knowledge of disability etiquette.

References

Librarian411. (2015, February 26). Assistive Technology for Libraries. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://youtu.be/7JuLs_o0G2E

Mies, G. (2015, April 08). Assistive Technology Tips from Expert Librarians. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog/assistive-technology-tips-from-expert-librarians

Reitz, J. M. (2014). Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_a.aspx