Ron, I would not say that the situation would not be better with at
least TIFF files being made available. If it is the case that these can
be OCRed (without having to go through the process of printing them
first), then they can be converted into text files (which are, of
course, of somewhat lesser quality because of the errors that occur in
connection with the OCRing). It thus seems to me that having access to
TIFF files is better than mere access to absolutely inaccessible GIF
files.
For me, the question is the following: How shall we respond to JSTOR's
efforts? Shall we take the attitude that some access is better than no
access and praise JSTOR for their attempts to make available a more
accessible product--adding that they should strive to go still further
by findings ways to make available top-quality text files? Or shall we
simply snuff at their current efforts and insist that anything but
text-based files is unacceptable?
Axel
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Stewart [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 3:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: JSTOR and accessibility
This is not any better than what we are dealing with now. TIFF files are
graphics, not text, when JStor is willing to produce true text documents
then they will not have to worry about compliance.
Ron Stewart
-----Original Message-----
From: Schmetzke, Axel [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 12:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: JSTOR and accessibility
I'm very hesitant to consider JSTOR's approach towards providing
accessibility an acceptable solution, but the very fact that a
database/e-journal provider publicly addresses accessibility issues
pertaining to its graphics-based product is promising.
I'm curious: How do you folks feel about JSTOR's approach towards
providing some measure of accessibility? Should we, as librarians,
consider graphics TIFF files, which can be OCRed and can thus be
converted into a screen-readable text-file, to be sufficiently
accessible? Or are we bothered by the fact that it takes an additional
piece of technology (OCR software), and thus an additional step, to get
to text-based information, and that the converted text is substandard
because of the errors produced by current OCR technology?
Axel
***************
Axel Schmetzke
Library
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
-----Original Message-----
From: Coonin, Bryna R [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 1:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: JSTOR and accessibility
Friends --
Full-text e-journal provider, JSTOR, has a team actively working on some
of
the accessibility issues in JSTOR that have concerned many of us over
time.
To keep users informed about developments in this area they have now
included updates on this effort on the JSTOR web page at:
http://www.jstor.org/about/accessibility.html
Bryna Coonin
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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