Expanding equipment lending: Addressing accessibility and curriculum gaps

Abstract

Academic libraries are expanding their collections to meet the technological and leisure needs of their students, but support for accessibility and curriculum can often be overlooked. At the University of North Texas Libraries, the Access Services Department utilized an internal grant to address the accessibility and curriculum gaps in its collection by offering access to equipment such as C-Pen readers, electronic translators, and sensory items. This article describes the steps taken to create a new circulating collection of equipment items. Best practices for cataloging, circulation, item storage, and procedures, as well as strategies for promoting the collection are also discussed.