Administrative Law

Hold off a bit on buying that e-reader for library users

By Mary

I'm a big Kindle fan, and still happy with my first generation device.  If I were a library, though, I'd hold off just a bit longer before buying Kindles to loan. First off, I think they're too fragile for multiple users. Second, last I checked - you couldn't put a password to stop others from downloading more books that get charged to your card. I've heard that some folks have disabled the downloading, but then how clunky is it to load new books? Maybe a reader can advise. But thirdly, and most importantly, wait for the updated version which is likely to be accessible to blind and visually impaired readers. The text-to-speech feature on the DX and 2d generation kindles does not include navigation. The lawsuits filed against universities that had pilot kindle programs have been settled, and the universities have agreed not to use/promote until the e-readers are fully accessible.

I recently read that Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind (H.R. 4533) bill, which would mandate that all consumer electronics have accessible user interfaces. That would fix everything. Support the bill.

Full post as published by LibraryLaw Blog on February 23, 2010 (boomark / email).