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Green libraries
Edited by Kathrin Ambrozic [Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany]
1. Introduction
Digital special collections are quickly becoming one of the most popular resources offered by academic libraries today. Users who are accustomed to accessing electronic information for so many aspects of daily life demand this digital content, so it is no surprise that special collections libraries feel pressured to digitize as much material as possible. These projects have benefits for both users and libraries. Primarily, they allow users to find and view manuscript collections that once were accessible only by visiting the holding institution. This has opened the field of research in primary sources to new groups of patrons who might never have considered using them, including high school students and the general public, as well as patrons who are physically unable to make an on-site visit to the library. Libraries have benefited from electronic access to their collections by the reduction of damage to collections normally caused by repeated handling and photocopying. The increased digital presence of special collections has not, however, translated to uniform access for all users. Patrons with visual disabilities can encounter significant challenges when accessing these materials online. Although this issue has been recognized in the literature for over a decade it is not clear that libraries have taken sufficient steps to ensure all digital content on their web sites is accessible to all users.
According to the World Health Organization, 283 million people worldwide have a visual impairment and 39 million of these people are completely blind. By definition, a visual impairment is a loss of vision that prevents everyday tasks from being performed, even with corrective lenses or surgery ([31] World Health Organization, n.d.). Libraries are aware of this population and many do try to make their electronic resources accessible through specialized hardware and software ([16] Power and LeBeau, 2009). However, technology such as screen readers, which convert text on a screen into audible speech, cannot function properly if the digitized content is not in a format these tools can access. Because assistive technologies are crucial for some users to navigate a web site, good interface design is important ([3] Brophy and Craven, 2007). Without a well-designed digital space, the best of assistive technologies will be useless....