How does a library fulfill the needs of providing assistive technology?

This book may hold the key to helping library facilities make purchasing, training, and organization choices for managing assistive technology approaches.  I have included the table of contents, and the abstract about the author and the book taken from the Amazon book pages. This book also includes resources for purchasing and compliance guideline issues!  After browsing the pages of the book, I can see where this can be a huge challenge to any library.  Making the right choices requires much research and input. The three areas highlighted in green cover some very important topics.

Assistive Technologies in the Library

Barbara T. Mates with contributions by William R. Reed IV

Item Number: 978-0-8389-1070-2

Table of Contents

1.    The Library’s Mission: To Serve All Patrons

2.    Creating Accessible Electronic Information

3.    Seeing the Bigger Picture: Large-Print-Access Technology Solutions

4.    When Computers Talk: Listening to the Web and Printed Materials

5.    Touching the Internet: Braille Access to the Internet

6.    Seeing the Sounds: Technologies for Persons with Hearing Impairments

7.    Surfing the Internet with a “Different” Board

8.    Accessible Collections, Resources, and Discussion Forums

9.    Staff Make It All Work

10.    Finding the Funding

11.    We Got It—Come and Get It; or, Marketing

12.    Creating Avenues for Accessible Electronic Communication

There are plenty of products out there for making information accessible to all users, but how can administrators and managers determine which are the most practical and economical for their particular library? Mates, former director of the Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, strips away the technical jargon and introduces dozens of the latest options, including hardware, software, and peripherals. This guide will help readers: (1) Choose the products that are best for their organization, with the help of the evaluative commentary, lists of suppliers, and additional resources included; (2) Set up work stations and train staff on how to use assistive-technology such as screen readers, Braille displays, keyboard options, listening devices, and more; and (3) Meet compliance with regulatory agencies while benefiting every member of the community. This sensitively written and practical guidebook will be an indispensable resource for ensuring that a library's offerings are accessible to everyone.