Reference Services and Instruction: Translating the Accessibility of Live Demonstrations from Library Instruction to Reference Interactions

Abstract

As librarians whose roles focus on teaching, we aim to provide meaningful and equitable learning
experiences for all students, including students with disabilities. However, as is the case for
many librarians, there is an overwhelmingly one-time nature to our interactions with students.
Our instruction sessions are usually “one-shots” and, while in our research consultations we may
see some students repeatedly, most often we will only see them once or twice in a semester. The
often-one-time nature of our work means that we have limited information about the needs of our
students, and few opportunities to meaningfully assess students’ learning experiences. As such,
it is challenging to determine how accessible our teaching is, both in the classroom and in our
research consultations.