Chris, Congratulations to the I. D. Weeks Library and the University of South Dakota! What kind and scope of training on the hardware and software is being provided to participants? By whom? The material I've seen thus far hasn't been clear about this aspect of the initiative. Do you get to choose what software you'll get? I have many more questions, but I'll leave it at that for now. When I was at ALA, I wrote a document on accessible library workstations that can be found on the ASCLA web site at http://www.ala.org/ascla/pdf/access_libr_workstation.doc This is the Word version; it's also there in PDF. I think that the ASCLA-HP effort is wonderful. Anything else any of us can do to bring assistive technology into the mainstream of library services in all types of libraries is to be encouraged. Special thanks and recognition should go to libraries who have been leading the way. I can't begin to do an exhaustive list here, but a few I can bring to mind right now are Cle veland Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Toronto, Louisville Public Library, Lee County (FL) Public Library, Broward County (FL) Library, and the Brooklyn Public Library. If I left your library out and you should be in this list, it's due to iffy brain chemistry on my part. Please speak up and add to the list! For those of you who don't already know, I also originated the Accessibility Pavilion at ALA Annual Conference and had the first exhibit of integrated accessible workstations there in 2001. I'm now a consultant and have developed an accessible library workstation package in collaboration with Assistive Technologies, Inc. We showed it for the first time in September at the Illinois Library Association Conference. For more information, log on to my web site or theirs. Best, Audrey Audrey J. Gorman Access for All Naperville, IL, USA [log in to unmask] Mobile: 630-661-9062 Office: 630-717-7336 http://www.accessall.net ================================================= Log onto http://www.assistivetechnologies.com, click on library stuff! ================================================= "The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect" Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the WWW ================================================= -----Original Message----- From: Bloss, Christopher [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 11:05 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: NIST UNVEILS DEVICE FOR BLIND TO UNDERSTAND IMAGES For what it's worth: __________________________________ The University of South Dakota's I.D. Weeks Library was recently awarded a Library Technology Access (LTA) initiative grant. LTA is a strategic initiative developed from a relationship between Hewlett-Packard (HP) and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (a division of ALA) to provide public and academic libraries a solution in offering accessible computer workstations to patrons with disabilities. I.D. Weeks is one of two academic libraries in the United States to receive the LTA initiative grant. LTA offered six award packages-four to public libraries and two to academic libraries-as a pilot project for this grant initiative. Besides the University of South Dakota, grant initiatives were also awarded to Cleveland Public Library, Milwaukee Public Library, Johnson County Public Library (Kansas), San Diego Public Library, and Arizona State University. Explaining the impact of the first round of LTA grant initiatives Jim Weynard, vice president and general manager for HP Public Sector Organization said, "The Library Technology Access program demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships that increase the access to technology for persons with disabilities." The LTA initiative grant award includes ergonomic furniture, a Compaq Evo PC, an HP Scanjet scanner and HP LaserJet printer, Microsoft(r) Office software and a wide array of assistive technology products which will aid us in "leveling the playing field" of library use and research for patrons with disabilities. These workstations are designed to address specific needs by our patrons with visual, hearing, mobility, or learning disabilities. The LTA computer workstations will be available in the library on the first floor reference area in the near future. If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me. --Chris Chris Bloss Assistant Professor and Instructional Services Librarian 414 E. Clark I.D. Weeks Library University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Office: (605) 677-6615 Fax: (605) 677-5488 Email: [log in to unmask]