Alternative Format Lending: A Roadmap to Utopia

1
Alternative Format Lending A Roadmap to Utopia

• Trent Copp, B.A.
• Library Assistant, Special Needs

2
The Plan

• Alternative formats
• Existing inventories
• The Resource Service Library
• Utopia

3
Alternative Formats

• Audio
• () Familiar, low tech
• (-) Labour intensive, variable quality,
  navigation
• Braille
• () Math, Stats, Graphics
• (-) Cost and labour intensive,
• (-) Limited market, cumbersome
• Large Print
• () Cost and labour effective
• (-) Limited market, cumbersome

4
Electronic Text

• Word processor format
• PDFs
• Screenreaders/magnifiers
• Kurzweil, JAWS ()
• Free alternatives

5
Resources

• Recordings for the Blind Dyslexic
  http//www.rfbd.org/
• Limitations for Canadians
• Institutional production
• inefficient
• Student self-production
• Student priorities

6
Resource Service Library

• Co-ordinate vast interlending
• AMICUS, LOUIS, CNIB, etc.
• Contract production

7
However

• Cost
• Time for new transcriptions
• Administrative bottlenecks

8
The Publisher Option

• Direct contact with requests
• Major publishers online forms
• Smaller publishers
• Advocacy
• The McMaster etext contract

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The Joys of Etext

• Cost effective
• Labour effective
• One-size-fits-all (almost!)
• New editions
• Public domain ebooks

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Ease of Access

• Direct access cuts involvement
• Administrative layers
• Volunteers
• New production
• Storage space
• Ends lending

11
Reality Check

• Screenreader limitations math, diagrams
• Technological intimidation
• Publishers limitations
• Ignorance
• Quality of production
• Etext inventory
• Inefficiency

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Technological Potential

• Advancing technology
• Adobe 6.0
• New screenreader versions
• Future potential
• Equations, diagrams
• Computer voice
• Navigation

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Roadmap to Utopia

• Educating smaller publishers
• Awareness of software companies
• Benefits of promoting screenreaders
• Faculty pressure ?
• Legislative pressure?

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A word from the publishers

• Hi Trent-
•  
• Here are the answers
•  
• 1) Thus far concerns are minimal to nil. There
  have been no instances, that I'm aware of, of
  unlawful use or copying of e-texts.
•  
• 2) I'd say we have a 65-75 ability to provide
  e-texts to requestors. I expect that percentage
  to go up as requestors ask for more recently
  published texts.
•  
• 3) I'd say the university just needs to provide
  all information possible about the book
  requested.
•  
• 4) No common problems at this point that I've
  come across.
•  
• Hope this helps,
• Keith Uhlich
• OUP

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Contact Info

• Trent Copp
• Email spneeds_at_mcmaster.ca