Library Accessibility Services

Staff of the Old Dominion University Libraries will provide assistance to users with disabilities in accordance with library policies and with all state and federal laws governing the use and operations of the library and its materials.

Contact William Edwards-Bodmer - wbedward@odu.edu 757-683-4182

Campus Resources:

Office of Educational Accessibility
1021 Student Success Center
757-683-4655

Virginia Assistive Technology
Southeast Regional Site at ODU
252-1 Education Building
757-683-3639

Retrieval of Library Materials

An "on demand service" is available to patrons who need special assistance retrieving library materials. Patrons may stop by the Circulation Services desk on the 2nd floor and ask to have up to five books pulled from the library's general collection materials. The material will be pulled at that time. Questions about the library's "on demand service" can be referred to the Circulation Services desk at 683-4154 or circ1@odu.edu.

Research Assistance

Reference staff at the Learning Commons Help Desk are available to assist users with accessibility issues. Users with extended research needs should either contact a Reference Librarian in their subject area, use the Research Consultation Request form, or call the Learning Commons Help Desk 683-4178 to make an appointment for assistance.

Some of the library’s databases offer an audio feature for articles and other materials in the database.  Factiva, WilsonWeb databases, and Gale's Literature Resource Center and Virtual Reference library provide audio for most of their content. In other databases, the "html" article format will provide an audio option. Locate the audio link usually from the full record in the database.

Library Accessibility Room 1309

Students registered with the campus Office of Educational Accessibility who require a quiet room to concentrate, to study "out loud", or to use adaptive technologies may reserve Room 1309 at the Learning Commons Help Desk.

Specialized Equipment

Room 1309 is equipped with the following adaptive hardware and software:

• Two computers with dual 24" monitors
• Zoom Text and JAWS software; Premier Literacy Suite (also available through ODU Virtual Lab)
• Eye-Pal device to scan text and convert to speech or text file
• Optelec CCTV text enlarger

Procedures

• Users must receive training/orientation prior to using the room. Contact Library Accessibility Services Coordinator, William Edwards-Bodmer (wbedward@odu.edu) 757-683-4182
• Room reservations are scheduled at the Learning Commons Help Desk for up to 2-hour intervals. Users may call ahead 683-4178.
• Hours of room availability: Sunday 9am through Friday 7:30pm; Saturday 9am-6pm.
  • In-depth assistance is only available Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
  • Help Desk staff is available only for sign-in.

Other

Group Study rooms on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors may be reserved by single users registered with the campus Educational Accessibility Office through the Open Online Room Reservation System for quiet study or test taking.

Reservations may be made for up to 2 hours per person/per day and up to one week in advance.  All rooms have a 40" monitor with hookups for PC and MAC laptops.  Cables can be checked out from the Learning Commons Help Desk on the 1st floor.  

Computers throughout the Learning Commons provide "Ease of Access" tools through the Accessories menu and include access to Premier Literacy Suite through the ODU Virtual Lab.