{"id":46993,"date":"2026-04-28T13:30:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T18:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=46993"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:30:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T18:30:20","slug":"chester-fritz-library-marks-progress-on-digital-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2026\/04\/chester-fritz-library-marks-progress-on-digital-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Chester Fritz Library marks progress on digital accessibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Staff for <span data-contrast=\"auto\">state\u2019s largest library maintain efforts to meet digital accessibility standards under ADA Title II<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46994\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46994\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/260422-will-martin-1IMG-1030-web.jpg\" alt=\"Will Martin sitting in chair, leg crossed, with rows of computer stations in background\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/260422-will-martin-1IMG-1030-web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/260422-will-martin-1IMG-1030-web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/260422-will-martin-1IMG-1030-web-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Will Martin serves as head of digital initiatives for the Chester Fritz Library, leading several projects to meet enhanced digital accessibility standards now going into effect next year. Photo by Adam Kurtz\/UND Today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>In the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/und.edu\/about\/strategic-plan\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UND LEADS Strategic Plan,<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/und.edu\/about\/strategic-plan\/learning.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u201cEquity\u201d<\/strong><\/a> core value includes a call to \u201cwork to meet the changing needs of our students and employees with a commitment to access and inclusion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The following story describes the Chester Fritz Library\u2019s robust and inspiring efforts to meet new digital accessibility standards, which have been established under the Americans with Disabilities Act\u2019s Title II.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">####<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The number of projects on Will Martin\u2019s spreadsheet is staggering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/campus.und.edu\/directory\/william.d.martin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>head of digital initiatives for the Chester Fritz Library<\/strong><\/a>, Martin and his team have been tracking all that needs to be done to meet the updated Title II requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act \u2014 mandating most public institutions, such as UND, to meet enhanced standards for digital accessibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Those familiar with the library\u2019s network of databases and repositories can appreciate the magnitude of reaching full compliance, even as the original deadline was recently extended from April 24, 2026, to 2027.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As digitization of scholarly works, past and present, is more the norm, the impact is measured in hundreds of thousands of pages; and that impact doesn\u2019t account for all the partnerships and third-party relationships needed to accommodate the state\u2019s flagship university and research enterprise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In a knowing understatement,\u00a0with a hint of a smile,\u00a0Martin said of North Dakota\u2019s biggest library: \u201cWe have a lot of stuff.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yet boxes have been checked on that spreadsheet over the past\u00a0two years,\u00a0project\u00a0by project. Much time and energy\u00a0has\u00a0been dedicated to addressing digital accessibility at the Chester Fritz Library, Martin remarked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/campus.und.edu\/directory\/rebecca.bichel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rebecca\u00a0Bichel, dean of Libraries\u00a0and\u00a0Information Resources<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0said her team\u2019s commitment to access is core to the library\u2019s mission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe are committed to ensuring that each student, faculty and community member is fully able to access our research collections,\u201d she said. \u201cDigital accessibility is key to honoring that commitment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This story will cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How digital accessibility impacts UND\u2019s Scholarly Commons, the University\u2019s digital repository.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The process of digitization and the Chester Fritz Library\u2019s hiring of a digitization coordinator.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The effect of new regulations on external services and partnerships contracted by the library.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Changes to the library\u2019s computer lab spaces to accommodate\u00a0peoples\u2019\u00a0needs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With the prospect of \u201cfull compliance\u201d\u00a0remaining\u00a0an evolving, moving target, Martin\u2019s goal is to make digital accessibility considered every step of the way, and to make what already exists as accessible as it can be.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Scholarly Commons<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Though\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0often mentioned that Chester Fritz Library is the state\u2019s\u00a0largest, in terms of borrowable items, its multiple floors of volumes\u00a0pale\u00a0in comparison to the digital\u00a0stacks\u00a0the library\u00a0maintains.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.und.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>UND Scholarly Commons<\/strong><\/a> is the institutional repository for the University\u00a0containing\u00a0everything from\u00a0past\u00a0accreditation documents to political cartoons from the mid-20th century\u00a0in Special Collections, Martin said.\u00a0The library is actively\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">digitizing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0UND\u2019s dissertations,\u00a0theses\u00a0and\u00a0a wide range of other special collections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How\u00a0is this\u00a0affected by\u00a0the\u00a0new digital accessibility regulations?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A key\u00a0component\u00a0of the\u00a0new version\u00a0of Title II\u00a0now\u00a0taking effect\u00a0next year\u00a0is the archival exception. The\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ada.gov\/resources\/2024-03-08-web-rule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">ADA fact sheet<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0has more specific language, but this exception applies to content that was created before the deadline, is kept in an area meant for archived content and\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0been altered since it was archived.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Following the deadline, content destined for the Scholarly Commons must meet the new standards. That means PDF copies of\u00a0dissertations\u00a0need to be properly tagged and structured; images and diagrams need to have proper descriptions in the metadata, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As things stand, this change will dramatically slow the pace of UND\u2019s decade-long process of digitization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Martin shared that, since 2016, UND has digitized about half of all\u00a0dissertations and theses that have been produced\u00a0at\u00a0the University\u00a0since\u00a0its\u00a0founding,\u00a0and efforts have been made to\u00a0accelerate the processing of\u00a0this backlog prior to the deadline, including outsourcing to a company specializing in mass digitization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By having UND\u2019s past material meet all criteria for what is \u201carchived\u201d under the ADA, the\u00a0Chester Fritz Library\u2019s concerns about digital accessibility can look forward, rather than simultaneously to the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Martin assured that if, for instance, a professor chose an archived thesis as a reading assignment, his team would\u00a0go back and alter it to make sure it was\u00a0fully accessible, as that material would then be considered in active use.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Centralizing digitization<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To make a prior document accessible is the cause of much friction in the work of digital accessibility\u00a0\u2014 so far requiring intensive individual attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Imagine a PDF created for a scanned\u00a0historical\u00a0document. Such a file,\u00a0in the process of digitization, has\u00a0likely gone\u00a0through optical character recognition software to convert the document\u2019s words to searchable, copyable text.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This process of OCR does not address accessibility, Martin said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt can\u2019t identify the structure of the document,\u201d he added. \u201cThere won\u2019t be anything tagged as a heading,\u00a0or alternative text describing illustrations, all of which need to be added to produce an accessible PDF.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s\u00a0this element of structure that is key to assistive technologies being useful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At present, remediating a single file\u00a0by hand\u00a0\u2014 using PDF editing software such as Adobe Acrobat \u2014\u00a0can take anywhere from 40 minutes to several hours, given the range of material processed by Chester Fritz Library staff.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ideally, advancements are made in AI that can lead to better recognition systems, Martin said. In other words, the process of OCR could\u00a0also recognize structure\u00a0and other data, resulting in\u00a0a more finalized, accessible product to be reviewed by people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Short of magic-button solutions,\u00a0Chester Fritz Library recently hired for a digitization coordinator position.\u00a0Translating UND\u2019s intellectual property to a digital format has historically been a decentralized process at the library, according to Martin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe are hoping, with this new position, to\u00a0centralize and streamline these functions,\u201d Martin said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In turn, accessibility practices can become\u00a0integrated in\u00a0the\u00a0digitization\u00a0process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Martin\u2019s goal is for the coordinator to quickly get up to speed on the relevant requirements under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level A\/AA, the standards going into effect for ADA Title II, and maintain UND\u2019s work of archiving its products of research and discovery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The\u00a0greater\u00a0aspiration, as set forth by Title II,\u00a0is for all digital works to be created with the \u201cstructure\u201d of digital accessibility in mind, which would\u00a0ease the tasks taken on by UND\u2019s archivists.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Third-party relationships<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Under the\u00a0Title II\u00a0changes, the University also needs to address the external, third-party services and resources it\u00a0makes available to staff, faculty and students\u00a0for its activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At Chester Fritz Library, this\u00a0comprises\u00a0a massive\u00a0portion\u00a0of its available research databases and journal access, among other\u00a0resources accessed through the library to\u00a0attain\u00a0information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThere are millions of articles in these databases,\u201d Martin remarked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How does UND ensure compliance\u00a0across this web of annually paid access for UND\u2019s research enterprise?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When evaluating a potential new vendor, or renewing a contract with an existing partner, accessibility review has become part of the process. UND can request a vendor to provide a\u00a0\u201cvoluntary product accessibility template,\u201d\u00a0commonly referred to as a VPAT. A different version of this is the \u201caccessibility compliance report.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Such\u00a0documents list relevant accessibility criteria, as set forth by\u00a0WCAG, and provide space to\u00a0indicate\u00a0whether and to what degree products conform with applicable criteria, Martin said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So far, bigger vendors have been aware of\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0expected of institutions across the country and are making moves to address accessibility issues on their platforms, Martin said.\u00a0Again, common issues have to do with content hosted on those platforms in the form of PDFs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe are dependent on these vendors to correct any issues, as we don\u2019t have access to their systems, nor can we make alterations to their documents,\u201d Martin said. \u201cBetween us asking and other institutions in the same position asking, the pressure will mount steadily.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the meantime, the documentation of accessibility reviews shows UND to be doing its best to provide accessible resources\u00a0and\u00a0services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Computer lab changes<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And while many changes are being made \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d with respect to the Chester Fritz Library\u2019s daily business, visitors using the computer labs have\u00a0likely noticed\u00a0much bigger screens at each station.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Moving from 22-inch monitors to 34-inch curved displays was a previously\u00a0anticipated\u00a0upgrade, Martin remarked, but it can aid those needing more digital workspace and increased area for zooming in on text and images.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Of the 30 seats in the main, second-floor computer lab, 10 of them provide space for people to plug in and use their own laptops on the bigger screens \u2014 a potential accommodation for those using their own suites of adaptive software and hardware.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The upgrade more central to digital accessibility has been the installation of\u00a0the program\u00a0Non-Visual Desktop Access, commonly referred to as NVDA, on each Windows machine in the library. The software is free and widely used, supporting many popular computer applications (i.e.\u00a0internet browsers, email clients, Microsoft Word, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The screen reader software\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0something that Martin expects to be used all that often, but \u201cI wanted it to be available when somebody needs it,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Accessibility from the start<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reflecting on this cumulative progress\u00a0at Chester Fritz Library, Martin\u2019s mind goes to his days as a graduate student at University of Texas at\u00a0Ausin, working under one of the co-chairs of the\u00a0WCAG\u00a02.0\u00a0working group, John\u00a0Slatin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Martin was one of\u00a0Slatin\u2019s\u00a0graduate assistants in the English department;\u00a0Slatin\u00a0was the head of the university\u2019s accessibility institute\u00a0at the time\u00a0and taught at UT Austin for 29 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Today, an annual digital accessibility training conference,\u00a0AccessU,\u00a0is\u00a0named in\u00a0his honor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cHe had lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa &#8230; he died less than a year after I started working with him,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThe experience was deeply affecting\u00a0and left me with a deep and abiding commitment to accessibility. He was such a sweet man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhen I\u2019m engaged in this work, I\u2019m doing it for John.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As has often been repeated since UND announced its goals to meet Title II, the goal in this work is to make\u00a0digital accessibility part of the process, rather than an afterthought.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dean\u00a0Rebecca\u00a0Bichel\u00a0emphasized\u00a0another point:\u00a0accessibility benefits everyone.\u00a0She credited collaborations across campus with librarians, the Teaching Transformation &amp; Development\u00a0Academy\u00a0and other departments in prioritizing\u00a0progress toward compliance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cCaptions help non-native speakers and people studying in noisy environments; clear heading structure helps everyone navigate long documents; good color contrast helps people in bright light,\u201d she said. \u201cPrioritizing digital accessibility for persons with disabilities improves usability for the entire campus community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By doing so, not only does the University meet federal mandates, but it also lives up to its aspirations of promoting an inviting campus, a welcoming community and an exceptional educational experience for all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">****<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>&gt;&gt;\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Questions or comments\u00a0<\/strong><strong>about the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/und.edu\/about\/strategic-plan\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UND LEADS Strategic Plan<\/a>?<\/strong>\u00a0Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/und.edu\/directory\/ryan.zerr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ryan Zerr<\/a><\/strong>, associate vice president for Strategy &amp; Implementation, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/campus.und.edu\/directory\/anna.kinney\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Anna Marie Kinney<\/strong><\/a>, coordinator of the University Writing Program, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/und.edu\/about\/strategic-plan\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and clicking on the \u201cProvide your feedback\u201d link.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EQUITY strategic priority: \u2018Work to meet the changing needs of our students and employees with a commitment to access and inclusion\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":46994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1124,1128],"class_list":["post-46993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-und","tag-equity","tag-service"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - 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