Briggs Library Service to Students with Disabilities

Reference / Information Assistance (Reference Department):

Librarians should attempt to provide immediate and effective assistance to students with disabilities who request assistance in the library or via telephone.

When immediate assistance is not possible or sufficient to meet the student's needs librarians should offer the student an appointment or offer that a librarian could complete the information search for the student (either electronic or manual). When a student asks that a librarian complete the information search for them, the process should be similar to that used for off-campus students. However students with disabilities should be given the option of picking up the results at a later date in the library or of having the results mailed, e-mail, or faxed to them. These services should be provided free of charge on the same basis as the library's off campus library services. All public services librarians may need to provide reference services to students with disabilities. However, in order to assure that library services are being provided effectively, the Off Campus Library Services Coordinator will coordinate these efforts, as is the case for the library's services to off campus students.

Document Retrieval and Photocopy Service (Circulation):

Circulation staff and students should attempt to provide immediate retrieval of library materials for students with disabilities.

Document Retrieval: When immediate retrieval service is not possible circulation staff should offer to retrieve the materials as soon as possible and offer the student the choice of returning to pick up the materials or having the materials mailed to them. The off campus library services staff will be responsible for mailing materials when a student with a disability chooses the mailing option.

Photocopying: When a student states that a disability makes it difficult for them to photocopy materials or use them in the library, the circulation staff should photocopy materials free of charge. If the student is not already certified by the SDSU Office of Disability Services, the library should copy up to 50 pages free of charge for the first request. If the student wants additional free copying completed in the future, she/he must contact the Office of Disability Services to become certified by that office as a student with a disability. Circulation staff should maintain a list of the names of students who have received free photocopying without being certified by the Office of Disability Services and the dates the free photocopying was performed. Any additional free photocopying would require certification by the Office of Disability Services. Students with disabilities should be charged five cents per copy for photocopies when they are charged for photocopying completed by the circulation staff.

Printing: Circulation or reference staff should provide immediate printing assistance to any student. Printing from the library's computer workstations costs five cents per page. Students with disabilities should be required to pay for their printing. It is usually possible to save most information to a disk when using the library's computer workstations. Such saved information could be printed, or viewed, later on a printer that is convenient for the student. In addition, many of the library electronic resources provide users the option of sending information to any convenient e-mail address.

Library Adaptive Equipment Room:

Entrance to the Library Adaptive Equipment Room, and the use of its equipment, is limited to individuals certified by the SDSU Office of Disability Services. No one should be admitted to the room, or permitted to use the equipment, unless their name is on the list provided by the Office of Disability Services. The computer equipment and network connections in the room are maintained by SDSU Computing Services.

Return to Library Policies page.

Contact Information: Hilton M. Briggs Library, SBL 2115, SDSU, Brookings, SD 57007-1098, Phone: 605-688-5570, Fax: 605-688-6133, Email Us
Updated 16 January 2008 by db