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Community Librarian

Respectful and Plain Language

Respectful and Plain Language is a communication guide for library staff when interacting with and assisting the public.

Accessible Library Programming Examples

Libraries worldwide offer a wide variety of accessible programs. Learning about these programs is a great way to discover how libraries are attempting to meet specific accessibility needs. This resource contains examples of accessible programming found in libraries in North America.

National Braille Press

The National Braille Press (NBP) is dedicated to empowering the blind and visually impaired by promoting braille literacy and learning through touch. NBP offers a range of programs, materials, and technology designed to support this mission, aiming to enhance accessibility and educational opportunities for those who rely on braille.

The Presenter Toolkit

Rachel Shortt has created a best practice guide to presentations. The presenter toolkit covers planning and designing presentations, tips, and things to think about while giving the presentation, answering any questions that may arise from your presentation material.

Rules for the Microsoft Accessibility Checker

The rules for the Microsoft accessibility checker are a thorough guide to the various ways a user can ensure that their Microsoft 365 files are accessible. This guide is a helpful resource for library staff and patrons alike to help ensure your Microsoft creations are accessible.

PrêtNumérique Testing Report

The 2021 PrêtNumérique report provides an in-depth accessibility analysis of the PrêtNumérique platform. It highlights accessible barriers encountered when testing this platform on various devices. The PrêtNumérique report is particularly useful to developers and library patrons interested in the PrêtNumérique content.

RBDigital Testing Report

The 2020 RBDigital report provides an in-depth accessibility analysis of the RBDigital platform. It highlights various accessible barriers encountered when navigating the form using various assistive technologies.

Plain Language

The Government of British Columbia has compiled a comprehensive resource of plain language tools. This webpage provides applications, articles, videos, and related resources for government writers whose work may be read by professionals or the public.

Magnifier: How to Make Things Easier to Read on the Screen

Microsoft created a thorough guide to the various functions that Magnifier on Windows 10 or 11 can perform. This guide is a helpful resource for library staff and patrons alike, as it provides instruction on how to use a quality-of-life tool for low vision or users who suffer from eyestrain.

Checklist: Adding Alternative Text and Long Descriptions

If your documents, websites, or digital materials (emails, social media posts, programming materials, etc.) have images, gifs, graphics, charts, graphs, maps, and tables, you must add alternative text to describe them. Long descriptions are needed as well for more complex images.

Accessibility Etiquette in the Library Panel Discussion

The Accessibility Etiquette panel brings together a group of experts to talk about their positive and negative library experiences, how those experiences could have been improved, with suggestions on how to do so.

Accessible Spreadsheet Checklist

This outline discusses and provides guidelines for creating accessible spreadsheets – in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers. Accessible spreadsheets create an inclusive experience and ensure the information is understandable for all library staff and patrons.

Accessible Procurement Webinar Slides

The Public Library Services Branch (PLSB) conducted a webinar describing their accessible procurement and Request for Proposals (RFP) processes. Learning more about accessibility in procurement will help library staff understand the accessibility of their e-resources and let them recommend the right resource for their patrons.

Making Events Accessible

This resource offers advice and guidance for making events accessible and is designed to be used by event organizers, speakers, and participants. Library staff should use this resource when planning or participating in events.

Checklist: Email Accessibility

This checklist contains best practices to ensure that people with multiple print disabilities can easily consume the content of an email. Follow this checklist to make your emails accessible!

Checklist: Creating Accessible Presentations

When creating presentations, ensuring the file and the content you present are accessible is essential so everyone can access and understand the information you are discussing. The webinar series focuses on three presentation programs – Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides.

Creating Accessible Presentations: Features and Tools Webinar Recording

The second webinar in our four-part Creating Accessible Presentations series talks about many of the features and tools available in PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote. This presentation discusses topics including tables, animations, annotations, comments, and more.