Blind and Low-vision Patrons use StackMap with Ease and Independence

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress operates a network of local libraries across the country. Their catalog includes accessible reading materials such as books and magazines in braille, large print books, audiobooks, among other resources for blind and low-vision patrons. We spoke with John W. Owen, Director of the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in Baltimore, Maryland, about how StackMap has transformed wayfinding and increased accessibility in the library for both staff and patrons.

The aim of having StackMap in any kind of situation, whether you are sighted or have a visual disability, is independence. People with disabilities are always dealing with ableism, ideas such as ‘oh, we have to help them, they can’t do for themselves.’ What we’re trying to create is an environment where people can use their library independently, and we were very happy that StackMap streamlines the search process. It works with the screen reader program JAWS. The voiceover in JAWS enables us to really pinpoint in our patron area. For instance, if someone is looking for a braille book, they can look it up in our catalog, and the ‘Map It’ button tells them what shelf to go to. Before StackMap, patrons always had to ask a staff member to help them

We have staff who are blind and are shelving and pulling books for patrons. StackMap’s been helpful to our staff because most of our braille collection isn’t browsable. It’s in the lower stacks, which are only accessible to staff. There are 50 some rows of braille shelves, and before StackMap, you’d go to the book on the end of the stack and you’d feel the numbers, and say is it this number, nope, go to the next shelf, then the next shelf. After getting StackMap, we labeled each of our shelves, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc [to match the StackMap numbering in the text directions], in braille letters and now a person can go find the book based on information that’s being read to them audibly.

StackMap’s helping us throughout our renovation as we shift our collections around. It’s helped us be more flexible in our shelving because we can make changes, and the catalog will reflect that and point people in the right direction. Even if it isn’t where people remember it being before, StackMap tells them this is where it is now.

—   John W. Owen, Director of the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in Baltimore, Maryland

StackMap would like to thank the LBPD in Baltimore for contributing and partnering with the Implementation and Development teams in furthering StackMap’s commitment to providing the greatest level of accessibility to all of our end users.