Accessibility Services

Sonoma County Library is committed to providing an environment that supports the information needs of all members of the community. Library staff will make good faith efforts to accommodate requests for assistance in accessing and making use of library resources, materials, and services.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance

• Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (PDF)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complaint Procedure (PDF)
• ADA Complaint Form (PDF)

Assistive Technology

ADA-Accessible Tables and Workstations
All libraries have ADA-accessible tables and at least one computer workstation that allows wheelchair access.

Large Print Screen Readers
All libraries have at least one computer station with a large print screen reader.

Tabletop Magnifiers

• These libraries have a MagniLink One model tabletop magnifier: Guerneville, Healdsburg, History & Genealogy, Northwest Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Roseland, Sebastopol, and Windsor.
• These libraries have a MagniLink Vision model tabletop magnifier: Central Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, Petaluma, Rincon Valley, and Sonoma Valley.

Video Relay Service for the Deaf
Sonoma County Library provides Video Relay Service (VRS) for the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech disabled. This service, provided through Purple Communications, allows deaf patrons to make outgoing calls to hearing parties with the assistance of a certified sign language interpreter.

Collections

Audio Collections
Books on CD, Playaways, music CDs, and downloadable audiobooks are available for borrowing.

Large Print Collections
The Large Print Collection consists of books with large type and increased spacing between lines to make the print easier to read. The library carries a collection of large print books in every branch.

Braille Collections
Sonoma County Library carries a limited number of children’s materials available for checkout that are written in braille.

Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL)
The Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) is a service of the California State Library that is completely free to eligible California residents. BTBL has braille and audiobook titles, magazines, movies, newspapers, and more. Books (and the equipment needed to use the library's audiobooks) are mailed postage-free to library patrons. The BTBL also offers BARD (Braille & Audio Reading Download) Collections where eligible residents can download audio and electronic braille books, magazines, and more.

Sonoma County Library welcomes service animals in all facilities. Please help maintain a pleasant and safe environment for all library users by observing the following behavioral guidelines for your service animal. These guidelines conform to California Penal Code 365.7(a), Sonoma County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Sonoma County Animal Regulation Ordinance, Article 10 (5-122), and federal regulations that support the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Animals, other than service animals assisting persons with disabilities, are not permitted inside library facilities and cannot be tethered near library entrances or book drops.
• Fraudulently misrepresenting guide, signal, or service dogs is a misdemeanor.
• Always keep your service animal with you and under your control.
• Keep your animal on the floor or on your person.
• If your service animal is a dog, keep the dog on a leash.
• If your service animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or disobeys Sonoma County Library's Standards of Behavior Policy, it may not stay in the library.
• ADA Requirements for Service Animals (updated July 12, 2011).