Accessibility Services

Library Spaces

Parking

Disability parking spaces are highlighted on the campus parking map. For Bartle Library, disability parking is located on both sides of the building and across the street in the paid Visitors Parking lot. For Science Library, disability parking is available in Lot K.

Please refer to Directions and Parking for more information.

Elevators

All floors in the Bartle and Science Libraries can be reached by public elevators. If you need assistance entering and exiting the elevator, please ask at the Reader Services Desks in Bartle and Science Libraries.

If entering Bartle through the ground floor, there are elevators located near Library South Ground room 92, Library South Ground room 208A, and Library South Ground room 15.

Entrances 

Wheelchair access is available at the main entrance to Bartle and UDC Libraries. Access to the Science Library is located on the ground floor.

Restrooms

Accessible restrooms are located in the Bartle Library in the second floor South Study Lounge and on the fourth floor. In the Science Library, accessible bathrooms are located on the first floor along the east wall. The UDC Library restrooms are located across from the library’s main entrance.

Seating

Two raised height desks of 34" are available on the first floor of Bartle Library. The desks are located in open study room LS-1521, behind the Reference Collection.

The Media Viewing Room is a reservable study space that is equipped with an electric adjustable height desk. Book it here.

Instruction Accommodations

The Bartle Library Instruction Lab includes two ADA compliant workstation tables and a SmartBoard that meets ADA height requirement recommendations. For questions about library instruction, please contact Megan Benson (email: mbenson@binghamton.edu, phone: 607-777-4803)

Library Services

Interlibrary Loan

Staff at the Interlibrary Loan office will try to locate and borrow large print editions of books and journals if students, staff, or faculty request them.

Accessible Text Request Service (Hathi Trust)

As a Hathi Trust member library, Binghamton University offers scholars and students with print disabilities access to titles they may need in full text. Users who are blind or print-disabled can request copies of any title, including copyright items. More information about the ATRS program can be found via Hathi Trust.

To request a title, contact Interlibrary Loan (email: thornley@binghamton.edu, phone: 607-777-3032)

Borrowing Accommodations

• Proxy - Students with disabilities are eligible to designate individuals to act as a proxy representative when checking out materials. Proxy borrowers can check out both library-owned and interlibrary loan materials on behalf of the sponsor. To apply for a proxy, fill out the Proxy Borrowing Form. Sponsors are responsible for all materials checked out and any fines, fees, or replacement charges accrued.
• Paging - Upon request, library staff can assist patrons in-person with the retrieval of books. Time needed for retrieval will vary depending on staff availability. Additionally, Document Delivery services allow students to request items owned by the Libraries for delivery at any Reader Services location or chapter scans delivered via email. You can request an item through Document Delivery Services via Find It!

Course Reserves

Instructors should use Course Reserves to prepare documents for Brightspace that are ADA compliant using OCR technology. Instructors must notify Reserves staff when a student is enrolled in their course who may need access to this type of accommodation.

Students having trouble accessing course reserves, please contact your instructor directly and asked them to inform the Libraries’ Reserves Department so we can investigate the issue and assist with accessing reserves.

Research Assistance

Librarians provide assistance in locating materials on a topic or using the many online and print resources provided by the Libraries for your research and teaching needs. Research assistance is provided via email and chat. Consult the Libraries’ Ask a Librarian web page for more details. You are also invited to make an appointment with a Subject Librarian for an one-on-one appointment for research assistance.

Library Equipment / Software Details

• Headphones - Headphones are available to all registered borrowers with a loan period of four hours.
• Self-service scanning - Walk-up Bookeye Scanners allow users to scan books and documents as searchable text in accessible PDF format or as an audio file. The scanners are located in the Bartle, Science and UDC Libraries. Adobe Reader has accessible options and tools for people with disabilities to view documents with assistance such as read out loud (Text-to-Speech), enhancing on screen viewing, and accessing multimedia captioning. For tips about creating accessible PDFs refer to SSD’s Accessible Course Material page.
• Adobe Acrobat Professional - The Mac computers in the Bartle Information Commons include this OER / document tagging software.

Suggest an accessibility improvement

One way you can help the Libraries address accessibility issues is to let us know! If you see or experience a barrier at the Libraries, we ask you to submit an entry to this Google Form. Your suggestions will help guide the priorities for equitability in the Libraries and help us advocate for your experience in our spaces and with our resources.

Submissions might include, but are not limited to, physical barriers, online accessibility, recommendations for new policy and procedures, customer service experience, compliance with laws, sensory triggers and equal access to services and programs.

If there is an immediate accessibility need, please contact Reader Services at one of our locations.