reviews 472 College & Research Libraries The book contains no recognition or discussion of the need for library or sup­ port services for distance learning stu­ dents. Librarians have been on the fore­ front of working with information tech­ nologies to provide remote services to stu­ dents, and some of this information would have been a valuable contribution to this book. Librarians and others interested in the use of technology to provide distance learning opportunities would be better served by looking elsewhere. This bur­ geoning field has sprouted many fine publications, both books and journals. People interested in the field of distance learning, or teaching in general, would be better served by the resources avail­ able through the Distance Learning Clear­ inghouse at the University of Wisconsin (http://www.uwex.edu/disted/) or Educause (http://www.educause.edu). Listservs such as DEOS-L keep practitio­ ners and theorists alike abreast of new de­ velopments and issues while providing novices with advice and guidance. Within the library field, information on issues pertaining to library service and use in distance learning can be obtained through the Journal of Library Services for Distance Education (http://www.westga.edu/~li­ brary/jlsde/), as well as the January 2000 issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship. The OFFCAMP listserv is dedicated specifically to the discussion of library-related services to remote students and provides an excellent forum for li­ brarians engaged in these activities. Fi­ nally, the Distance Learning Section of ACRL is currently compiling a list of re­ sources and other information to be in­ cluded on its Web site.—Barbara J. D’Angelo, Arizona State University, West. Mates, Barbara T., with contributions by Doug Wakefield and Judith Dixon. Adaptive Technology for the Internet: Making Electronic Resources Accessible to All. Chicago: ALA, 2000. 192p. $36 (ISBN 0-8389-0752-0). LC 98-31936. “For people without disabilities, technol­ ogy makes things convenient, whereas for September 2000 people with disabilities, it makes things possible . . . [this] fact brings with it an enormous responsibility because the re­ verse is also true. Inaccessible technology can make things absolutely impossible for disabled people . . .” Could Helen Keller or Stephen Hawk­ ing use your electronic indexes, journals, or catalogs? Could they access your li­ brary Web page? There are an estimated 12 million visually handicapped indi­ viduals, 11.7 million physically handi­ capped people, and 39 million individu­ als with learning disabilities in the United States alone. With passage of the Ameri­ cans with Disabilities Act, it is incumbent upon academic and public libraries to make electronic resources available to all, including the disabled. In Adaptive Technology for the Internet, Barbara Mates (Cleveland Public Library for the Blind and Physically Handi­ capped), Judith Dixon (National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped), and Doug Wakefield (U.S. Access Board) offer a blueprint for elec­ tronic resource access through the design of universally accessible Web pages and the provision of adaptive computer work­ stations in libraries. An introductory chapter, entitled “Could Helen Keller Use Your Library?” offers an overview of the issues of uni­ versal access and assistive technology. It contains a useful chart of disabilities and the types of accessibility solutions avail­ able for assisting persons with visual im­ pairments, blindness, mobility impair­ ments, deafness, or learning disabilities. Chapter two, “Click (W)Here(?)!---Ba­ sic Document Design,” describes how to design Web pages that are accessible to the disabled through adherence to guide­ lines set by the Web Accessibility Initia­ tive (WAI) of the World Wide Web Con­ sortium (W3C). It is one thing to ensure that our own library Web pages are ac­ cessible, but what about the commercial databases and full-text sources to which our libraries subscribe? “[Librarians] should avoid subscribing to commercial sites that present obstacles to patrons us­ http://www.westga.edu/~li http://www.educause.edu http://www.uwex.edu/disted ing adaptive computer equipment. Who would pay to access a cardiology data­ base written only in cuneiform? Why pay for databases that screen readers can’t access?” As librarians, we need to think about holding the vendors responsible for providing accessible products. Subsequent chapters cover large-print, voice, and Braille access to the Web; adap­ tive technology for the hearing impaired; adaptive hardware and software devices for persons with physical or learning dis­ abilities; and stand-alone OCR reading computers. Individual products (almost exclusively for PCs) are described and of­ ten illustrated. Macintosh users will need to check listings in the vendor appendix. Additional chapters explain how to ob­ tain funding for adaptive technology, train staff, publicize assistive technology to the wider community, and plan for, and phase in, adaptive technology. The au­ thors conclude with “Begin somewhere and begin now. If all you can do is pur­ chase a set of large print overlays, do it. If you cannot afford those, at least develop a list of accessibility features from prod­ ucts you have. Everyone is entitled to in­ formation and education. Do your part to help them acquire both!” The book has several appendices. Ap­ pendix A, “Websites Helpful for Informa­ tion on Accessibility,” is an annotated list of URLs of more than eighty organizations, vendors, government programs, and re­ source centers pertaining to accessibility, disabilities, and adaptive technology, as well as digital library sites. This section has the potential to be extremely valuable for readers seeking additional information. Unfortunately, readers will find access to many of these URLs unavailable without resorting to searching by organization name in a search engine. In addition to the handful of URLs that have changed or dis­ appeared, many are garbled. It is evident that this section of the book was not proof­ read. Appendix B is an annotated list of selected vendors, manufacturers, and con­ sultants. Both the PC and Macintosh plat­ forms are included. Appendix C describes Book Reviews 473 six academic and public libraries in vari­ ous stages of providing adaptive technol­ ogy programs. Appendix D is a useful seven-page glossary containing definitions for accessibility and adaptive technology terms such as membrane keyboard and Alt attribute. There is a six-page bibliography of ar­ ticles, Web documents, books, and con­ ference papers. Of the three dozen docu­ ments with URLs, however, approxi­ mately three-fourths were erroneous, in­ complete (requiring additional clicking or searching), or incorrect (usually due to garbled URLs). The bibliography is fol­ lowed by a two-page annotated list of re­ sources for continuing education, consist­ ing of journals, magazines, newsletters, and directories. The volume concludes with a detailed index. Despite the occasional typographical mistake in the text of the book, and the staggering number of sloppily entered URLs in the appendices and bibliography, Adaptive Technology for the Internet is an important read for librarians and library administrators in academic, community college, and public libraries. The book also would be useful for campus admin­ istrators, campus disability center offic­ ers, and public library trustees. For academic librarians, there are two additional useful publications on this sub­ ject. Accessible Libraries on Campus: A Prac­ tical Guide for the Creation of Disability- Friendly Libraries (ed. Tom McNulty; re­ viewed in C&RL 61:3), published in 1999 by ACRL, covers similar ground in terms of adaptive technology, Web access, and staff training, within the wider context of providing physical access to libraries and library services to the disabled. In addi­ tion, ARL SPEC Kit 243 (Apr. 1999), Ser­ vices to Users with Disabilities, profiles pro­ vision of services to patrons with disabili­ ties in thirteen university libraries. ALA Editions has made the entire text of the book (incorrect URLs and all) available free online at http://www.ala.org/edi­ tions/openstacks. —J. Christina Smith, Boston University. http://www.ala.org/edi