Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5098-6758

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

11-6-2026

Abstract

Course reserves have long been a rapid service point in academic libraries, with materials quickly scanned and uploaded for student access. However, federal web accessibility requirements have significantly disrupted this workflow, revealing that many scanned PDFs are inaccessible to users of assistive technologies. This session shares how one academic library redesigned its reserves process using plain language and an accessibility-first approach. Through active learning, attendees will explore the full workflow, from scanning to text recognition, tagging, and remediation, and evaluate tools such as Adobe Acrobat, free platforms, and AI-assisted options. The findings show that no tool achieves compliance without substantial human labor, increasing processing time from minutes to hours. Attendees will engage in discussion and examples and leave with practical strategies for building sustainable, accessible reserves workflows.

Comments

This presentation was presented at the Brick and Click Academic Conference in Maryville, MO on November 6, 2026.  

You can find the PowerPoint version of this presentation under additional files.

Additional Files
Not Just a Scan_Final_ada.pptx (34693 kB)
PowerPoint Slides - passed accessibility checker

Accessibility Statement

PDF passed the Adobe Accessibility Checker prior to upload. 

PowerPoint passed the accessibility checker prior to upload. 

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