Making the Library Publishing Forum accessible to a diverse group of attendees is a priority for the Library Publishing Coalition and for the Program Committee. Not only do we want the Forum and the library publishing community to benefit from a range of viewpoints and experiences, but we also want to acknowledge the importance of accessibility as a value of library publishing itself. This year’s keynote speaker, Catherine Kudlick, is the Director of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University, and we have made accessibility one of the themes of this year’s conference. We are looking forward to some great discussion on and shared strategies for accessible publishing!
While it can be challenging for a small conference to plan for and implement many accessibility measures (like ASL translation), there are lots of things we can do easily – including providing solid information for anyone who is thinking about attending. We can also encourage attendees to let us know as early as possible how we can support their participation, as even more expensive or labor-intensive accommodations may be within reach with enough time to plan! As a small step in this direction, for the first time this year, we have created a page for frequently asked questions (F.A.Q.s) about accessibility related to the Library Publishing Forum, based on SIGACCESS’s Guide to Creating a Conference Accessibility FAQ Page. Topics covered include the venue, the transit options, and the kinds of support available. We welcome feedback and additional questions of all kinds, and look forward to building out the information even further for future Forums!