killing_rose (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
killing_rose) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
accessibility_fail2010-03-13 02:15 pm
killing_rose) wrote in accessibility_fail2010-03-13 02:15 pm
My college library, the continuing adventures
Because the library stairs are steep, I've noticed that I have more of a tendency to nearly fall while using them than I do on other stairs on campus. I've had a number of increasingly close calls in the past several weeks, primarily because my balance has been more shot than normal. I can live with the pain that using stairs creates for me; however, I figured that it wasn't really bright to keep risking my life for books.
As previously detailed, back in October or some such, the librarians don't allow students use the elevator. My hope was that they would be willing to let people use the elevator anyway, if they (I) actually needed to.
Today, I finally braved talking to the librarian. (Mostly because it was one who hasn't screamed at me in the past.)
And she said, "Well, we can check out an elevator key to you. But well, not today."
"Oh?"
"The elevator's broken. We're not letting anyone use it, though we have been sending books back and forth."
This makes sense to me, so I nod in agreement--I can stay on the first floor for a while. Or go up and down carefully.
Apparently, I can check out the key on Monday, probably.
This, however, is not the fail. I'm counting it as a accessibility win, albeit with caveats.
The fail is that, to talk to the nice woman at the desk, I had to walk up a flight of stairs to reach the first floor at all.
Oh, humans.
As previously detailed, back in October or some such, the librarians don't allow students use the elevator. My hope was that they would be willing to let people use the elevator anyway, if they (I) actually needed to.
Today, I finally braved talking to the librarian. (Mostly because it was one who hasn't screamed at me in the past.)
And she said, "Well, we can check out an elevator key to you. But well, not today."
"Oh?"
"The elevator's broken. We're not letting anyone use it, though we have been sending books back and forth."
This makes sense to me, so I nod in agreement--I can stay on the first floor for a while. Or go up and down carefully.
Apparently, I can check out the key on Monday, probably.
This, however, is not the fail. I'm counting it as a accessibility win, albeit with caveats.
The fail is that, to talk to the nice woman at the desk, I had to walk up a flight of stairs to reach the first floor at all.
Oh, humans.
no subject
I also realize that since the building's something like 50 years old, it would be absolutely impossible for *anyone* on this campus to have been the architect.
That said, my "oh humans" was aimed more at the (probably) long-dead architect and the fact that one of the reasons the administration--not the librarians--give as to why the library's issues haven't been fixed is because "the next library's going to have more accessibility!" As a campus, we've been waiting on New Library for five years, and it looks like it'll be another 10 at this rate.
I promise, I like librarians. You all keep me in books without bankrupting my bank account. My research librarians help me find books on esoteric topics and don't comment on the state of sanity. And my college library has Sandman. What's *not* to like?
It is the library-as-a-building and policies that have probably stayed the same for 50 years (if other issues I've had on campus are any indication) that frustrates me, not the people.