One for the good guys
Before I buckle down to that database-comparison assignment, I wanted to retail a tidbit from yesterday’s class. We had a really stellar presentation on reading and negotiating database and e-journal licensing from guest speaker Julie Schneider of Ebling Library. (If any professional organizations need a speaker/trainer on this topic, grab her and pay whatever you have to. She’s that good.)
She pointed out a number of features and requirements to search the license for, and invited us to suggest other ones. “Accessibility!” I did not raise my hand and say, because everybody knows that’s my own particular hobbyhorse.
What do you know, the professor himself raised the point. “I wonder about ADA compliance,” he said thoughtfully. “Do you ever have that come up?”
“Why, no, I don’t think so,” she answered. “I don’t even know if any of our resources meet ADA standards.”
“They don’t,” I grumped. “None of ’em do these days.”
“Well,” the professor said, “something with a text-based interface like DIALOG, that should work… but anything web-based or with a fancy GUI, I’m betting you’re right.” I am right, at least about web interfaces; I did the research last year. But the point had been conceded, so I shut up.
Ms. Schneider said that she’d add that to her list of things to talk to vendors about—which makes me deeply happy. Because, really, all fancy-schmancy usability gripes aside, database interfaces need to grow up and become accessible post-haste, and it won’t happen until people ask for it.