Assessment Report

Assessment Information

eResource Title Vendor Overall Grade
Libguides Other A-

Assessment for Libguides by St. Clair - Module 1: Interface Appearance | Status: Complete | Grade: A

Images

Positioning of Images
Question Answer Notes Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? Sometimes Libguides from various colleges were evaluated. Due to the customizable ability of library guides, libraries get to structure, organize, and make decisions on the front-facing appearance of each guide and page.
Functional images embedded in the background
Question Answer Notes Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background? Not Applicable Functional images do not become misaligned when the width and height of the browser is changed. Not applicable was used for this answer as it is the best option to describe the outcome and this will not negatively affect the score.
Presence of Icons
Question Answer Notes Images
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc? Always Icons, if libraries included them in the guides, are appropriate and consistently placed.
Alt Text
Question Answer Notes Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always All informative images contain appropriate alt text that succinctly describes the essential information conveyed by the images, ensuring accessibility for users relying on screen readers or unable to view the images.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always All functional images within the contain appropriate alt text or an adjacent textual alternative, ensuring that all users can understand the purpose of the image and interact with buttons or links effectively. Library staff that maintain these guides have the option to put in the alt text for the images as part of the customizable features.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always The logos for each college libguides assessed contain appropriate alt text.

Content Scaling

Question Answer Notes Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off? Always Text remains intact, readable, and is not cut off when zoomed in at 200%, ensuring a consistent and accessible reading experience for all users.
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%? Always All types of images, including informational, functional (e.g., icons), and images used as text, remain the same level of clarity and pixelated zoomed in at 200% as they are at normal scale. Some images are blurry, unclear, and pixelated due to the image that has been uploaded.
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%? Always Horizontal scrolling is always minimized at 200%, ensuring a smoother and more accessible browsing experience for all users. There are two navigational layout views to choose from, side-layout and tab-layout. In both cases, when zoomed at 200%, the tabs for other pages in the guide will appear first and the information aligns into one column.

Colour and Contrast

Question Answer Notes Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1? Sometimes While the contrast ratio for images generally meets the requirement, there are instances of low contrast between text and background colours, indicating some areas where improvement may be needed for accessibility. Some of the college libguides had these contrast errors. These errors are not a direct issue from the database but rather the institution creating the guide and can be easily fixable.

Colour

Question Answer Notes Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents? Always There are resources posted on some of the libguides that do contain a text equivalent for colour code graphs. Important to note that many of the resources that are linked or included in libguides may not be created by the library but are from other organizations.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)? Always Blocks of content are consistently separated from one another using visual separation, such as whitespace or borders
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action? Always Text alternatives are always provided where colour is used to indicate an action. In some cases, if it is a button the text appears below rather than embedded in the button.

Text to speech

Question Answer Notes Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options? Never There is not an embedded text-to-speech or read aloud option embedded into the Library Guides.

Clustered Links

Question Answer Notes Images
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily? Always The clickable area around links and buttons is always large enough for users to see and activate easily, ensuring a smooth user experience.
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate? Always Links and buttons are always spaced far enough apart for users to accurately activate them when using a mouse.
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)? Sometimes Most of the links and buttons are fictional. However, there are some links that lead to webpages that no longer exist or website has moved. In these cases, it is not the problem of the vendor Lipapps or the product, but an issue with the links not being updated by the library staff that created the guide.
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation? Always Links and buttons are always accessible via keyboard navigation.

Dynamic content

Question Answer Notes Images
Can users pause carousel movement? Always Staff that build and maintain their library guides have the option to build a carousel within the guide or embed one from other applications such as syndetics. With the built-in carousel (called galleries), the library staff can decide the speed and setup of the carousels. In both options, users viewing the published library guide can pause or scroll through the carousel.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard? Always Yes, it is essential to ensure that all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, is always operable by keyboard for accessibility compliance.

Liquid layout

Question Answer Notes Images
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap? Always The order of the text is always preserved at all screen resolutions, without any overlap.
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions? Always Images consistently avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions.
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions? Always The overall reading experience is always preserved at all screen resolutions.

Assessment for Libguides by St. Clair - Module 2: Interface Navigation | Status: Complete | Grade: A

Labels and Instructions for Interactive Elements

Question Answer Notes Images
Are user input fields accompanied by clear instructions on what the user needs to do to successfully complete the form? Always In the libguides, there is only one user input field and it is the search function. Libguides specifically do not contain any forms for users to fill out. However, they do sometimes have other features that can be integrated into libguides from Lipapps such as Libchat and Libwizard. These features also have clear instruction for users to complete the form.
Do user input fields contain labels in addition to overall instructions mentioned above? Always User input fields feature clear labels alongside the provided instructions.
Are descriptions for fields and boxes easy to understand? Always Descriptions for fields and boxes are present and easy to understand
Are labels placed above the user input fields and clearly associated with each field? Always Labels are placed above the input fields and clearly associated with each corresponding field.
Are text cues for coloured form control labels available? Not Applicable There are no forms that exist through the libguides.
Are other visual indicators provided consistently, such as an asterisk for required form fields? Not Applicable There are no other additional visual indicators for required form fields.

Error Prevention

Question Answer Notes Images
Are user input fields either reversible, checked, or confirmed? One of the three is acceptable. Never There is only one input field identified in the libguides portion of Lipapps and that is search. It does not have any error prevention function. Even if a user leaves the field empty but hits the search button, a list will still populate.

Error Reports

Question Answer Notes Images
Are alert messages clearly visible to the user, either at the top of the form field, inline, or through a dialog box? Always There only form that is present to login is Libapps at the bottom. This is to login to all of the Libapp features that the library subscribes too, but it is not for users, only registered library staff. If a staff enters the incorrect credentials in this form, the alert message appears at the top of the form.
Do alert messages clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred and a description of the error and the fix? Always There only form that is present to login is Libapps at the bottom. This is to login to all of the Libapp features that the library subscribes too, but it is not for users, only registered library staff. If a staff enters the incorrect credentials in this form, the alert message appears at the top of the form.
Is the user able to easily access the user input field to correct the error? Always Users are alerted to make corrections in the required fields before submission.
Is the user able to resubmit the form and re-validate their submission? Always Library staff who forget their password can reset it via email, followed by a confirmation notification. However, regular users do not have access to Lipapps products' backend and therefore do not need to create accounts for Libguides. Admin staff must add library staff responsible for creating, building, and maintaining Libguides, who will then receive setup instructions via email.
Do error reports follow a logical reading and navigation order? Always Error reports follow a logical reading and navigation order.

Search function spell-check

Question Answer Notes Images
When a user spells a word incorrectly, does the search function offer spelling suggestions or synonyms? Never A squiggly red line indicator appears if a word is misspelled. There are no spelling suggestions or synonyms that appear when a word is misspelled.

Functionality of Interactive Elements

Question Answer Notes Images
Are icons such as to save, download, or print consistent across the site? Sometimes Libguides that do have icons are usually included with the database links to indicate whether it is Canadian, open access, abstract only, full-text, etc. Some institutions due not include icons. But for those do include the icons, they mostly appear consistent.
Is alternative text clear and consistent for each icon type? Sometimes Most contain alt text for icons but there are some instances that don’t have it.
Are actions consistently labelled across the site? For example, the “search” button is always labeled “search”. Always Yes, the search button is labelled.
Are icons that have adjacent links consistent? Always Icons with adjacent links are consistent. However, not all icons have an adjacent link.
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text alone? Always Yes. The purpose of the link can be determined by the text.

Consistent Navigation

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the eresource have a consistent layout and navigation across all pages? Always The eResource maintains a consistent layout and navigation across all pages, ensuring that when navigational mechanisms appear, they do so consistently. Library staff can determine the navigational layout for their libguide as either side-navigation or tab-navigation. Each institution libguides maintains a consistent layout with one of these choices. St. Clair College, for example, uses the side-navigation layout for our libguides.
Are search fields located in the same places throughout the website? Always The presence and functionality of the search field in the guides depend on individual institution settings, with some libraries opting to include it for their guides but not for their integrated library system (ILS), such as in the case of St. Clair College guides where the search field is displayed at the top of each guide page.
Do other features occur in the same place throughout the website? Always The footer and banner customization options in LibGuides allow library staff to maintain consistency across guides by creating templates that ensure these elements appear in the same place across all their guides.
Are links, buttons, images, and other components that are used repeatedly throughout a website labeled consistently? Always All components are consistently labeled.

Pop-up windows/Interruptions

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the electronic resource avoid the use of pop-up windows which open automatically in a new tab if a user clicks on a button? Always Found no pop-ups but most of the institutions have a chat box somewhere on the page for users to click to get research help. There are instances where pages will redirect to another guide or webpage that will open up in a new tab. However, there is a symbol for sighed users with alt text that a link will open in a new window/tab.
Does the database avoid launching pop-up windows automatically when the database is loaded? Sometimes Most libguides reviewed do not have pop-ups.
Where pop-ups occur, are users able to postpone or suppress any pop-ups? Always Most libguides reviewed do not have pop-ups. However, for the few that do, users can suppress the pop-up chat box and it will not appear on any of the other pages.
Does the database avoid launching pages in a new browser window with the usual browser controls missing? Always The links that do open in a new window/tab have symbols and alt text that indicates this action. Links that open in a new browser window have all of the usual browser controls.

Headers

Question Answer Notes Images
Is page content subdivided hierarchically into appropriate headings and tagged appropriately? Always All page content is appropriately structured and tagged.
Are headings concise and clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading? Always Headings are clear, concise, and accurately reflect the proceeding content or section.

Menus

Question Answer Notes Images
Do database page menus have a reasonable number of navigation items and drop-down options? Always Drop-down menus do contain a reasonable number of items overall. The libguides reviewed from various institutions, there are not many drop-down menus.
Does the main navigation and drop-downs contain a reasonable number of menu items? Always The drop-down menus have a moderate number of items, with none of the reviewed LibGuides exceeding 10, and there are also limited instances of drop-down menus throughout the platform.
Can all menus and submenus be accessed with screen readers and via keyboard navigation? Always All menu items are accessible with a screen reader and via keyboard navigation.

Change of context

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the “results” page or item record view avoid opening in a new tab without a warning? Not Applicable There are no result pages.
Is there an "update now" button that requests a refresh of content rather than automatically updating the content? Not Applicable There are no result pages.
Does the database avoid automatic redirection? Always The database does avoid automatic redirection by moving to another page.

Change of Context: Focus

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the form refrain from submitting automatically when a component receives focus? Always Forms avoid automatically submitting when receiving focus.
Does the database avoid launching new windows when a component receives focus? Always Yes. The database avoids launching into new windows or tabs when components receive focus.
Does the database avoid change of focus when a component receives focus? Always The database consistently prevents changes in focus when a component receives focus.
Are you able to tab through a page using keyboard navigation without the keyboard focus moving away from the control? Always Keyboard navigation allows users to tab through elements on a page without the focus moving away from the currently selected control.

Assessment for Libguides by St. Clair - Module 3: Interface Structure | Status: Complete | Grade: A+

Navigation Links

Question Answer Notes Images
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text, or from the link text together with its surrounding context? Always You can always understand what each link does just by reading its text or looking at its context.

Keyboard Navigation

Question Answer Notes Images
Can keyboard focus be moved to all page elements? Always Focus moves to all page elements.
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page? Always While there is no indication provided, it's important to note that all components are navigable using standard arrow keys or tab navigation, with no need for additional keyboard shortcuts beyond the standard ones.
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above? Always The default keyboard navigation order consistently aligns with the logical and intuitive visual flow of the page, ensuring a seamless user experience for all users.
When using a keyboard to navigate the interface, is the keyboard focus indicator visible? Always The keyboard focus indicator is always visible when using a keyboard to navigate the interface, ensuring accessibility and aiding users in tracking their navigation. When the focus is on a link or button, a blue border appears for visibility.
Does all interactive functionality work via keyboard, and does it behave consistently and as expected? Always All interactive functionality consistently and reliably operates via keyboard input, ensuring a seamless user experience regardless of input method.
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields? Always The focus order consistently advances sequentially across form fields within the evaluated e-resource, enhancing keyboard navigation efficiency and accessibility for users.

Skip Links

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)? Always Skip to main content link becomes visible through keyboard navigation.
Are skip links visible or invisible? Always Skip to the main content link is invisible unless it is tabbed to through keyboard navigation.
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page? Always Skip to main content link is located in the top left-hand corner of every page
Are skip links labelled properly? Always Skip to the main content is the skip link.
Are skip links accessible via keyboard? Always Skip links are accessible via keyboard navigation.
Do anchors (link destinations) appear at the beginning of the relevant content? Always Back to the top link appears when the user scrolls to the bottom of a libguide and then moves up the page when the user scrolls back up.
Do skip navigation controls appear in the same place on every page? Always Skip to main content link is located in the top left-hand corner of every page.

Tables

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows? Always The screen reader consistently captures accurate information presented in the table, including the content within columns and rows, ensuring reliable accessibility for users relying on screen readers.

Frames

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another? Always Screen reader and keyboard navigation successfully move from one frame to another.
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame? Always Each frame has a meaningful title and tells the user its purpose.
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next? Always Keyboard can navigate easily from one frame to the next.

Assessment for Libguides by St. Clair - Module 4: Content | Status: Complete | Grade: C

PDFs

Searchable PDFs
Question Answer Notes Images
Are the sampled PDFs image-only? Not Applicable All PDFs reviewed from various college libguides are searchable and have passed the image-only test. Important note: PDFs are uploaded by library staff so there may be instances where image-only PDFs are included. However, some image-only PDFs can be changed to be more accessible and searchable by using ORC tool. Not applicable" was selected as the answer because using "always" would imply that the document is consistently locked, rendering it not fully accessible, while "never" would suggest a negative score.
Are the sampled PDFs locked (secured)? Not Applicable All PDF documents from the various college libguides reviewed appear not to be locked. They are searchable and extractable. Not applicable" was selected as the answer because using "always" would imply that the document is consistently locked, rendering it not fully accessible, while "never" would suggest a negative score.
Are the sampled PDFs fully searchable? Always All PDFs reviewed are searchable
Tagged PDFs
Question Answer Notes Images
Are alternative descriptions provided? Sometimes It is a mix of passes and failures in the alt text section of the accessibility checker for the PDFs reviewed. Only one PDF received a full pass for this section whereas the others had at least one fail.
Is primary language specified? Sometimes Most PDFs reviewed passed this section in the accessibility checker. However, there was one PDF that failed.
Is reliable character encoding provided? Sometimes Most PDFs reviewed passed this section in the accessibility checker. However, there was one PDF that failed.
Are all page elements tagged? Sometimes All PDF reviewed only some of the elements were tagged. However, there was at least one fail for the tagged elements from each PDF reviewed.
Are list and table structure correct? Sometimes It is a mix of passes and failures in the tables and list sections of the accessibility checker for the PDFs reviewed. Two PDFs received a full pass for this section whereas the others had one or more fails.

Structure: Reading Order

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the Read Out Loud function read the PDF in a logical way, preserving the order of the text and various sections? Sometimes The Read Out Loud feature mostly reads PDFs in a logical way, preserving the order of the text.
Does the Read out Loud function avoid problematic elements such as excessive blank spaces read as “blank”? Always The Read Out Loud function reliably avoids problematic elements.
Are the controls consistent and effective for navigating through the document? Always The keyboard shortcuts for Read Out Loud are effective and consistent in navigating the documents.

Magnification

Question Answer Notes Images
When zooming in to 250%, does all text, images, tables, and other elements appear clear and easy to read? Always All elements (text, images, tables, etc.) appear clear and easy to view and read in all PDF documents reviewed. However, at 250 % magnification, users will have to use the horizontal scroll bar.

Images

Positioning of Images
Question Answer Notes Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? Always All images found within the reviewed PDFs are positioned prominently and easy to find.
Alternative Description
Question Answer Notes Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes Some images in the PDFs have alt text or captions as an alternative.
Do images used as titles contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes Some PDFs where images are used as titles have alt text or captions as an alternative.
Do rich images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes Some of the rich images contain the appropriate alt text or text alternatives.

Tables

Question Answer Notes Images
Are tables tagged and described with in-text summaries where appropriate? Sometimes Some of the PDFs with tables have appropriate in-text summaries.
Do table headers allow for easy navigation with screen readers? Sometimes Table headers sometimes enable easy navigation with screen readers, depending on how they are implemented and adhere to accessibility guidelines.

Additional Navigational Aids

Question Answer Notes Images
Does the bookmarks panel display bookmarks? Sometimes Some PDFs have pre-existing bookmarks.
Do bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document? Sometimes PDFs with pre-existing bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document.

Video Captions

Question Answer Notes Images
Are videos captioned? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements. Springshare offers recorded training sessions and live webinars for their products, accessible to signed-in library staff, featuring closed captions, timestamped chapters, and transcripts. However, as these resources are not accessible to non-library staff users and are not solely for LibGuides, they are not relevant to this assessment.
If captions are closed, and need to be turned on by the user, is that process straightforward and intuitive? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements. Springshare offers recorded training sessions and live webinars for their products, accessible to signed-in library staff, featuring closed captions, timestamped chapters, and transcripts. However, as these resources are not accessible to non-library staff users and are not solely for LibGuides, they are not relevant to this assessment.
Are captions typo-free and grammatically correct (unless slang and grammatical errors are intentionally used in the video)? Not Applicable
Does caption placement avoid blocking any important visual components necessary to understand the video? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements.
Are the captions in sync with spoken words? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements.
For videos that contain captions, are transcripts provided? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements. Springshare offers recorded training sessions and live webinars for their products, accessible to signed-in library staff, featuring closed captions, timestamped chapters, and transcripts. However, as these resources are not accessible to non-library staff users and are not solely for LibGuides, they are not relevant to this assessment.
For videos that do not contain captions, are transcripts provided? Not Applicable Although videos are present in many of the guides, they are embedded from external platforms such as YouTube, Academic Video, and the National Film Board of Canada, and are not directly evaluated as part of LibGuides. These videos may or may not have captions and transcripts and should be assessed as representative of their original platform. However, library staff embedding or linking to video and/or audio files should ensure they meet AODA requirements. Springshare offers recorded training sessions and live webinars for their products, accessible to signed-in library staff, featuring closed captions, timestamped chapters, and transcripts. However, as these resources are not accessible to non-library staff users and are not solely for LibGuides, they are not relevant to this assessment.

Described Video

Question Answer Notes Images
Do videos include described video, or if not, is there a text equivalent of the video provided on the same page or via a link? Not Applicable Since the videos on the public facing LibGuides are embedded or linked from an external platform, they cannot be accurately assessed within the scope of LibGuides evaluation.
If the video includes described video or a text equivalent of the video, is it an accurate description of the video contents? Not Applicable Since the videos on the public facing LibGuides are embedded or linked from an external platform, they cannot be accurately assessed within the scope of LibGuides evaluation. Though, many embedded or linked videos from other platforms do contain described video or text equivalent.

Audio Accessibility

Question Answer Notes Images
Is a link to a text transcript provided in reasonable proximity to the audio clip? Not Applicable Although links to podcasts and other audio files are included within many LibGuides, like videos, they are sourced from external platforms, making accurate assessment within the scope of LibGuides evaluation challenging.
If a transcript is provided, does it accurately capture the content of the audio? Not Applicable Although links to podcasts and other audio files are included within many LibGuides, like videos, they are sourced from external platforms, making accurate assessment within the scope of LibGuides evaluation challenging.
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