[Access-ip] Scanning for disabled alumni/affiliates

[David Larsen]

All,

I received the following request today from someone with alumna privileges
at our library.  Have any of you encountered similar requests to scan
material for disabled users who aren’t currently affiliated with the
University?  If so, how have you handled them?  Any information appreciated.

Gratefully,

David
--
David K. Larsen
Head of Access Services and Assessment
University of Chicago Library
d-larsen at uchicago.edu | (773) 702-8626

________________________________________
From: XXXX
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 3:53 PM
To: David K. Larsen
Subject: Scanning and Access Privileges

Dear Mr. Larsen,

I am an alumna of the University of Chicago. I have found a need to return
to the library to conduct some personal research. I am ecstatic about the
amount of Access not provided for individuals with disabilities that is now
provided by the library. I am pleased with my ability to do advanced
research with unrestricted access to most items within the library. I am
finding a difficulty with only one aspect. This would include actually using
the books contained within the book stacks. 

I am pleased that you are providing access to students by accommodating with
assistive technology, and this will work for a large number of items
including reserve materials and the like; but when an individual needs to
access large numbers of chapters in a single book or dissertation, the
thought of me as a patron scanning the entire document is daunting and very
time consuming. A single book could take 4-5 hours to scan and this is
before I even start to reedit. If I am doing research the way that the
university taught me, I would spend the majority of my time scanning and
very little time conducting the research.

IN other universities, these scanning services are provided to faculty,
staff and students of the university at no charge. I think that the sticking
point for many is that while I am no longer a student of the university, I
am still a privilege paying alumna.  As such, all other services that are
provided to library patrons are afforded to me. It is my desire to access
the entirety of the library and when needed, be able to request such a
service. 

I believe that some compromise might even be worked out such that I am
limited to a certain number of books per quarter. This may not prevent me
from having to do large amounts of scanning, but would provide more time to
carry out my research.

I hope to hear from soon regarding my request.

Sincerely,