Image Databases

Continuing the theme of searching for "non-traditional" results (i.e. things other than scholarly works), this week I decided to look into image databases.

Honestly, (and quite surprisingly) I have never worked in a library that has utilized screen readers or other technology assistance products. I was curious to see what these assistive devices might look like. I started my search in one of the most popular image databases/image search engines I knew of: Google Images.

For my search terms, I chose "disability" AND "computer" AND "screen reader." I limited my images to full-color photos, chose to filter explicit results, include high quality .jpg files only, and finally, I was sure to search for images that held the least amount of sharing restrictions to ensure that I would be getting copyright-free materials.

This yielded 205 results, only about 1/3 of them relevant.

I felt that the eighteenth result was the most accurate to what I had been looking for. The fifteenth result was also a possibility, but I felt that it was taken at a very strange angle. The ninth also appeared relevant, but was not turned on, nor was it showing actual use of the device. Below is a close-up of the photo result that I liked the best of the set:

I wonder if perhaps I was not using the correct terminology, thus the inclusion of irrelevant results. Should I have used a product name like "JAWS" instead? Perhaps I need to better familiarize myself with terminology used in this field before I conduct my next search.

I decided to do the same search and compare my results with another popular image database site: Flickr. As shown below, I used the same search terms and the same limiters where possible

This yielded only 2 results. Only one of them was relevant and appeared to just be a screenshot of a mobile screen reader, rather than a tool or device. Perhaps limiting it to "Creative Commons" material is what did me in. It is also possible that I just did not use the correct terminology (Author's note: now that I think of it, perhaps I should have used screen magnifier instead of screen reader. Ah well, live and learn!)

Shifting my focus, I decided to try one more image database called The Library of Congress American Memory Project. Unlike Google Images or Flickr, this database focuses exclusively on presenting historical images from America's past. Knowing that I would be much less likely to find pictures of assistive technology there, I decided to instead search for pictures of veterans with disabilities who were involved in American wars. I thought that perhaps these pictures might contain information about assistive devices that were used in the past. As the database focused mainly on American history, I felt that by searching for pictures of veterans I might have the best chance of finding images tangentially related to my topic.

I initially chose to search for the terms "disabled" AND "veterans" in the "War and Military" section of the database, but none of the results I retrieved were images; instead, they were newspaper clippings or scanned documents. I was disappointed by this, so I attempted searching for "disab*" in the "Photos and Prints" collection to see if I could obtain any hits that were actual photos.

Overall, I obtained 16 results, only a few of which were pictures. I still got hits that were scanned monologues and newspaper clippings, even though I specifically limited it to photos and prints. I chose the first result from the Coolidge collection, simply because it was a photo result and, at the very least, was sort of related to my topic. Overall, I was very disappointed with this database. Why would it give me the option to limit my items to a "Photos and Print" collection that contains media other than photos and prints?! So frustrating! (I have to admit, it is a pretty cool photo, though!)

What did I learn this week?

Content:

As far as content is concerned, I learned what screen readers (or perhaps "magnifiers" is a better term) looked like. I had never seen one in person to get a sense for how they operate. As librarians, I think that it is important for us to familiarize ourselves with these types of technologies in case our patrons ever need to use them. Appearing intimidated and fumbling around trying to make an assistive device work makes the librarian and the library appear unprofessional; telling yourself that you have not bothered to learn about it because it does not get requested all that often is really no excuse. I would like to think that as a librarian I would attempt to learn as much about what my library had to offer as possible so that I could efficiently serve all of my patrons.

Searching:

As far as searching goes, I learned the importance of knowing terminology well before conducting in-depth research. I really needed to look into different types of assistive devices, the technical names of those technologies, and the manufacturers of these products. I think that knowing that would have yielded a better searching experience. Perhaps if I had used "screen magnifier" instead, I would have more relevant pictures to look through and choose from. It is also possible that if I had researched brand names, that I could have compared different types of screen readers or other technologies. I needed to my research before I researched, if that makes sense. For future searches, I will take it to heart that if I am not finding anything of relevance, perhaps I should go back and rethink my strategy or do some more research about my topic!

Reflections:

Would I use any of these databases again? 

I use Google Images all of the time in my personal life. It is built into the interface of my favorite search engine and it is very quick and easy to use!  

Honestly, I am not an avid Flickr user yet, but I could see using it for a library blog or to promote library events. I love that they have a "Creative Commons" section built in, though I have read a few blog stories from librarians that the images there were not always uploaded by their actual creators and thus, the uploader did not have the right to give these kinds of permissions. Several of the librarians found this out the hard way... I will have to be extra careful of that!

I was fairly disappointed in the American Memory Project. It still boggles my mind that media other than pictures and prints is available in the pictures and prints-only collection! I doubt that I would use this unless I was looking for something specifically related to American history or my patron had a specific photo in mind. It is kind of a pain to navigate for just everyday photo browsing.

Ideas for future searches

I think I need to go back to basics here. Like I mentioned earlier, I feel that I really need to do some research about technical terms used within the field, rather than applying my own best guesses. Perhaps I need to look into types of devices used by people with disabilities, brand names, and perhaps any colloquial terms that may be used to describe them. I certainly learned the importance of establishing a background in a subject before attempting to conduct a complex search!

Have you ever had to "research before you researched"? What topic did you choose? What did you learn? Did your search go more smoothly after you obtained some background knowledge? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear your thoughts on this one!

- Crystal

 
References:


Garden Party for Wounded Men at the White House. May 5, 1924. Photograph. JPG. American Memory. Digital ID: cph 3c11371. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. http://memory.loc.gov/. 

Magnifier.jpg. n.d. photograph, 220x267p. Berkley University. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. http://webaccess.berkeley.edu/resources/assistive-technology. 

Rosefirerising. WebAnywhere. 2010. photograph. Flickr. Accessed Nov. 5, 2014. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosefirerising/4598853525/in/photolist-81ojW2-3PiLMC.