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The Digital Inclusiveness of State Library Websites

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and the Inclusive Future of Libraries

ISBN: 978-1-78560-653-3, eISBN: 978-1-78560-652-6

Publication date: 14 December 2015

Abstract

Purpose

Digital inclusivity is about making web sites available to users regardless of a user’s device or disability. This study seeks to find out how accessible and mobile ready state library web sites are and if there is a relationship between web site accessibility and mobile readiness.

Methodology/approach

I examined web site accessibility through automated code evaluation and manual code inspection of the web site homepage. I evaluated mobile readiness by comparing how homepages displayed on a desktop computer vs. a smart phone.

Findings

Most state library web sites had accessibility problems, including missing alternative text for images (82%), inaccessible forms (54%), and poor contrast between text and background (56%). Only 36% of the sites were mobile ready. A Spearman rho analysis of accessibility and mobile readiness found that the more accessible a site is, the more likely it is mobile ready (and vice versa).

Research limitations/implications

While this study identified accessibility and mobile readiness issues, it does not address why these problems exist. In addition, the unit of analysis was limited to the web site homepage. The study’s results emphasize the need to combine manual code inspection with automated analysis, particularly for images’ alternative text.

Practical implications

The study suggests that state libraries need to take greater care in meeting accessibility standards, particularly easily followed standards such as providing appropriate alternative text for images.

Originality/value

Despite the importance of state libraries in organizing and funding local libraries, there has been little research to date on state library web sites.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The author would like to express his thanks for support on this project from the Jenny Bronczek Award Fund in the School of Communication & Journalism at Auburn University. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of Auburn University.

Citation

Youngblood, N.E. (2015), "The Digital Inclusiveness of State Library Websites", Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and the Inclusive Future of Libraries (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 40), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 193-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020150000040018

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited