Find Accessible Content

Need to remediate digitally inaccessible content in your course?

1 Search the Library catalog for already-accessible content

The Library provides access to 500,000+ journals and e-books.

If you don't find an article by title and author, search for the journal to see if it's availble online. You may have to navigate through the contents to find a particular article.

Example

A search for "Opinions & Social Pressure" by S.E. Asch returns no matching results. However, searching for Scientific American and navigating to the contents for 1955 provides access to a digital version of the article.

Older and/or notable content (e.g., a classic journal article) is sometimes reproduced in e-books and may be available in that format, so don't rule out e-book results immediately.

Example

The original 1973 version of "A Study of Prisoners and Guards in a Simulated Prison" isn't availble, but we have access digitally via a chapter in an e-book on theater programs in prison.

2 If an article is available as HTML, that's the best choice for the most accessible content.

While many Library vendors provide accessible PDFs, there is always a chance that downloading a PDF may result in another inaccessible document. (Tip: Uploading a document to Canvas and using Panorama to determine the accessibility score can help you determine if a PDF is accessible if that's the only option).

Example

Look for an option that says "read online" or "HMTL format."

This database search result has the "read online" option selected.

3 Make sure you're getting the right link.

Links to Library content need to route through the COCC login page. To accomplish this, they need to be formatted a certain way.

When linking to Library content, look for a "share" option or an option labeled "permalink," "stable link" or something similar.

Example

EBSCO databases have a "Share" option that includes the ability to create a permalink back to the item

Gale databases have a "Get Link" option that produces a permalink:

A result in Gale databases showing the "Get Link" menu option selected.

Don't use the URL in your browser window. It probably won't work later (and, even if it works for you later, it might not work for other users).

Example

This URL in a Gale search is dynamic and would not work later. Tip: The longer and more unreadable a URL is, the less likely it is to work later.

An example of a dynamic Gale URL, composed of many random-seeming letters and numbers.

4 Ask for help.

If you have trouble searching, determining the accessibility of Library content or linking successfully to Library content, please ask for help! Contact Michele DeSilva at mdesilva2@cocc.edu or 541-383-7565.

5 Suggest a purchase.

If you use a book or journal for content regularly, submit a purchase request and specify that you'd like it in electronic format. Not every item is available online, and we can't afford some licenses, but we can certainly look into the options.