Katherine Deibel
Katherine Deibel, Syracuse University Libraries inclusion and accessibility librarian, was a featured speaker at the Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians (OVGTSL) Annual Conference on May 14 in Lexington, Kentucky. Deibel’s closing keynote presentation was titled “When You’re the Bridled Horse.”
OVGTSL’s Annual Conference was geared for technical service librarians facing resource challenges, choosing tools and identifying ways to make those tools discoverable to users. Deibel’s presentation topic was focused on how to do more with less and pushing the use of available resources while acknowledging hidden labors that impact effort and are based on individual diversity and life experiences. Using various perspectives and multiple examples, Deibel’s talk highlighted what actions, both technical and social, inclusion and accessibility librarians can do to support patrons and colleagues to promote greater inclusion and equity throughout libraries.
Deibel was invited to present to conference attendees based on her expertise and varied career in academia, working within and across many disciplines, including library technology, computer science, education, disability, design engineering, technology adoption and digital literacies. She has presented multiple times on a gamut of topics ranging across disciplines, teaching methods, accessibility, comics and library technologies.
Deibel earned a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington in 2011 with a multidisciplinary study of the social and technological factors that hinder adoption of reading technologies among adults with dyslexia. At Syracuse University Libraries, she spearheads multiple efforts to raise disability access throughout libraries and the library community.
“It’s an honor to have one of our librarians present at the OVGTSL Annual Conference,” says David Seaman, University librarian and dean of libraries and interim dean of the School of Information Studies. “Kate is a tremendous resource to the Libraries and the entire University community. She is an outstanding advocate for inclusion and accessibility and has raised the bar for the services we provide.”
