Accessibility Hub
Laurier Library provides accessible services to Laurier students, faculty and staff with disabilities. Please contact the library's accessibility staff at libaccessibility@wlu.ca with any questions. Many services require an ACE token to use.
Video Overview of Services
Research Help
Individual Help
Book a research appointment with the Library's Accessible Services staff at libaccessibility@wlu.ca, or with your subject librarian.
We can help with searching the library's catalogue, navigating and using the library's resources, developing your research question and strategy, finding out about or using accessible services, remediating inaccessible PDFs, retrieving page numbers for screen reader users, or managing your references.
Help is available in person, online (through Zoom or Teams), phone or email.
Online Tutorials
The library has a series of tutorials to get you started with the tasks and skills of library research. There is also a Guide to Omni for screen reader users.
Library Materials in Accessible Formats
The library offers services for getting more accessible versions of library materials, including:
- online self-service OCR and remediation using SensusAccess
- books in electronic format (including help with download limits)
- digitization of print books, chapters and articles
- format conversion (e.g. PDF to Word or HTML)
- adding accessibility features (e.g. headings, lists for navigation)
- page number lookup
Services require an ACE token. Please include your token number with service requests.
For more details or to request service, see our Accessible Alternate Formats of Library Materials page, or email libaccessibility@wlu.ca. Please note that our services cover Library resources for assignments; the Accessible Learning Centre deals with required course readings.
Study Rooms
Waterloo Campus
A number of individual quiet study rooms on floors 4-7 are reserved for students registered with the Accessible Learning Centre. Students may book rooms online for up to 6 hours per day, and up to a week in advance. Pick up and return the key to your room at the main floor Help and Services Desk.
Other study rooms are available to all students for booking, including individual study rooms on floor 3, study pods on floor 7 (not wheelchair-accessible) and group study rooms.
Brantford Campus
Brantford Campus Students can book available study rooms at Brantford Public Library. Booking requires an up to date Brantford Public Library card, which is available to Brantford students for free from Brantford Public Library .
Borrowable Assistive Devices
The library has a number of assistive devices available for loan from the Library Help Desk. These tools currently can be checked out to any student needing them for a loan period of 3-hours and must be used in the Library.
The assistive device collection include:
- Standard Footrest
- Grabber
- Readaeer bookrest
- Aluminum cane : off-set handle : silver
- Handheld magnifier with LED light
- Sheet magnifier
- An HD Pebble Magnifier
- Tune 760NC : wireless, active noise cancelling headphones
Please contact libaccessibility@wlu.ca if you have any questions or require technical specifications for any of these items.
Print Materials Pickup and Delivery
Books to Go
You can request print books or other circulating items from any Laurier Library and any library in Omni, using the Books to Go service. Staff will get them from the shelves for you to pick up at your local library. You can arrange for someone to pick up the books for you (called a designate). To set up a designate, email libraryhelp@wlu.ca.
Mail-on-Demand
Books available in Omni can also be mailed directly to your home. Mail-on-Demand service is free for both sending and returns and available to all students, staff, and faculty at Laurier regardless of location.
Video Captioning and Description
The Library will add captioning or description to videos in the Library collection as needed, for required course materials or research needs. As we contract out captioning and description to a third party service and require some lead time, please let us know about needs as far in advance as possible. To request that a Library video be captioned or described, please contact Matt Thomas (mthomas@wlu.ca).
Building-Specific Accessible Services
Additional information, building-specific services, and contacts available at each Laurier campus.
Feedback
Accessibility is an ongoing project and we are always trying to improve. If you encounter an issue or would like to offer a suggestion, we want to hear from you. Please use the accessibility feedback form or contact libaccessibility@wlu.ca.
Privacy and Confidentiality
All Laurier Library accessibility services are confidential.
Requesting alternate format services using your ACE token or booking an individual study room will identify you to Library staff so they can process your request. Your identity will not be shared for any other purpose. Your token number and booking information is used only for service delivery. It is not kept or associated in any way with your Library or university accounts.
If you have questions or concerns about privacy please contact libaccessibility@wlu.ca.