Library Accessibility Alliance
GALILEO (Georgia’s Virtual Library) joins the Library Accessibility Alliance (LAA) as a partner to advance accessibility for library electronic resources, with the goal of providing equal access to information for all library users. GALILEO, an initiative launched in 1995 by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, comprises more than 2,000 institutions cooperating to provide equal access to information for all Georgia residents. Under the Library Accessibility Alliance umbrella, member institutions of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL), Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), Washington Research Library Consortium, Ivy Plus Library Confederation (IPLC), University System of Maryland & Affiliated Institutions (USMAI), Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) and GALILEO work together to improve the accessibility of third-party electronic resource library platforms, support library accessibility with the continually updated Library Accessibility Toolkit, communicate LAA’s value to membership and prospective members, and collaborate on analyses and training opportunities.
GALILEO facilitates the creation of knowledge by providing equitable access to core high-quality instructional and informational resources to meet the lifelong learning needs of all Georgians. It provides credible, authoritative resources to higher ed, public, and K-12 libraries across the state, manages library systems and software, and oversees the Affordable Learning Georgia low-cost/open textbook program. GALILEO is committed to accessibility in all its products, whether developed in-house or acquired via third parties, and in recent years has undergone several accessibility audits and updates to its programs and services.
“We’re excited to join the Library Accessibility Alliance as part of our commitment to accessibility,” said John Stephens, Assistant Director for Licensing and Collections at GALILEO. “Joining LAA gives us the opportunity to further develop expertise in web accessibility management for our members. We look forward to contributing to shared training, evaluations, and recommendations that support accessibility for Georgians and the wider library community.”
The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) formed the Library E-Resource Accessibility Group in 2015 to address concerns about the accessibility of library e-resources. Since 2016, BTAA has been conducting third-party evaluations of electronic resource platforms and collections, publicly posting the evaluations for review by vendors and libraries. In 2019, the Association of Southern Research Libraries (ASERL) partnered with the BTAA creating the Library Accessibility Alliance. Starting in 2021, the LAA’s expansion continued with the addition of the other consortia. The LAA engages with library vendors in initiatives to improve usability of online resources for all users.