Legal statements

University of Glasgow Library Management System accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to the new University of Glasgow’s Library Management System (LMS), including discovery, circulation, and account-based user workflows delivered through the platform.

The service is provided using software developed and hosted by a third-party supplier, OCLC. The LMS software is known as WorldShare Management Services (WMS) and is configured and managed locally by the University’s Information Services team.

Using this website

This website is run by The University of Glasgow. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Navigate most areas using a keyboard, screen reader, voice control, or other assistive technologies
  • Zoom up to 200% without loss of functionality
  • Adjust browser or device settings such as colour contrast and font size
  • Access core library tasks such as searching, placing requests, and managing accounts in an accessible way

These capabilities align with accessibility features available in modernised interfaces provided by the supplier.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website aren’t fully accessible:

  • Inconsistent screen reader navigation or focus order on some pages
  • Interface elements that are more difficult to operate using keyboard-only interaction
  • Legacy or less frequently used pages that do not yet meet current accessibility standards

Details of known issues are documented through accessibility conformance reporting and inform ongoing remediation planning with the supplier.

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact:

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 business days.

British Sign Language

BSL users can contact us via contactSCOTLAND-BSL, the online British Sign Language interpreting video relay service.

Find out more about BSL assistance: contactSCOTLAND

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the accessibility regulations. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The University of Glasgow is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Further information about accessibility conformance:

At the point of system launch, 15 July 2026, the service is expected to be partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA. This reflects the use of third-party software and a phased approach to accessibility improvements as the system continues to mature, a scenario explicitly recognised within WCAG conformance guidance, notably guidance on WCAG understanding and conformance levels.

  • Work is ongoing with the supplier to address known accessibility gaps and to improve compliance over time

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • Info and Relationships (1.3.1) - testing identified some instances where information, structure, and relationships presented visually are not consistently conveyed programmatically to assistive technologies
  • Meaningful Sequence (1.3.2) - testing identified issues where the intended reading order of content is not always programmatically communicated, which may affect how content is presented by assistive technologies
  • Page Titled (2.4.2) - testing identified some instances where page titles are not sufficiently descriptive or unique. In some cases, titles may be duplicated across pages or may not clearly reflect the page content.
  • Link Purpose, In Context (2.4.4) - testing identified cases where the purpose of a link cannot always be determined from the link text and surrounding context alone. Where similar links appear multiple times on a page, additional context may be required to help users distinguish between them.
  • Label in Name (2.5.3) - testing identified issues where the accessible name of certain interface components does not consistently match, or begin with, the visible label presented on screen.
  • Language of Parts (3.1.2) - text written in a language different from the one specified in the <html lang="..."> attribute must be explicitly marked with its own lang attribute. This ensures accurate interpretation by assistive technologies. Testing has identified that the lang attribute is missing in some cases.
  • On Input (3.2.2) - testing identified limited instances where changing the value or setting of a form control results in an automatic change of context. While most pages meet this requirement, search result pages that can be filtered by library location automatically submit when a checkbox is selected.
  • Change on Request (3.2.5) – testing has noted that some footer links open in new tabs and are not clearly identified so that users are made aware they will be taken to a new browsing context
  • Error Identification (3.3.1) - testing identified issues with the 404-error page, where error messages do not always provide sufficient information to help users understand the problem and identify appropriate recovery actions.
  • Name, Role, Value (4.1.2) - testing identified some issues relating to the programmatic exposure of names, roles, states, properties, or values for user interface components. Some of these issues are associated with those identified under Info and Relationships (1.3.1).

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

The accessibility issues with this site can only be fixed by OCLC updating their software and deploying updates to all customers worldwide. The system supplier, OCLC, is committed to improving the accessibility of WMS and its other products. OCLC’s accessibility roadmap documents their commitment, and monthly release notes for WorldCat Discovery highlight where accessibility improvements have been implemented.

University of Glasgow also meets regularly with OCLC to discuss technical improvements to WMS, including where accessibility improvements can be made. OCLC encourages its customer organisation to contact them in instances where problems with assistive or adaptive technology have been found.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 8 July 2026. It was last updated 8 July 2026.

This website was last tested on 24 April 2026 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. 

The test was carried out by the Alternative Formats Manager. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools WAVE, TabNav accessibility checker, and ancillary tools.

This page was last updated 21 July 2026.