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Accessibility statement for Libanswers

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

This accessibility statement applies to our Libanswers service at https://bl.libanswers.com/. Please note that Libanswers is provided and hosted by Springshare LLC, and some elements of this site’s accessibility may be outside of the British Library’s control or knowledge.

Compliance status

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

Non-accessible content

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

Content not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

  • The Altcha button on the security checking element of the Libanswer forms does not have any alternative text, meaning users of screen reader assistance may not be fully informed of its purpose. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-Text Content). Altcha.org is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).
  • Some pages generated by the underlying LibApps interface skip Heading levels, meaning users of assistive technologies may have difficulties understanding or navigating them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). LibApps is owned by Springshare LLC and is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).
  • Some forms generated by the underlying LibApps interface lack page regions or other Aria roles, meaning users of assistive technologies may have difficulties understanding or navigating them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 2.4.6 (Headings & Labels). LibApps is owned by Springshare LLC and is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).
  • Some forms generated by the underlying LibApps interface lack a fieldset legend to explain the grouping and purpose of the form elements, meaning users of assistive technologies may have difficulties understanding or navigating them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 2.4.6 (Headings & Labels). LibApps is owned by Springshare LLC and is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).
  • Pages generated by the underlying LibApps interface have an insufficient target size on their breadcrumb links, meaning users of mobile devices or with impaired mobility may find them difficult to operate. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8 (Minimum Target Size). LibApps is owned by Springshare LLC and is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).
  • The ‘Contact Us’ slide-out contains focusable elements that are hidden by Aria, meaning keyboard users may become confused when navigating the page. This fails WCAG2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). LibApps is owned by Springshare LLC and is neither funded, nor developed by, nor under the control of, the British Library, and this element is therefore exempt from the Regulations under Reg 4(2)(e).

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 13 October 2026. A full review of the site was carried out by the British Library using Google Lighthouse, with spot checks then carried out using both Wave and AccessibilityChecker.org.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This accessibility statement was prepared on 13 October 2026. It was last updated on 13 October 2026.

Feedback and Contact Information

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on the page for a specific Site or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, or if you need information on this website in a different accessible format, please contact the Head of Corporate Information Management:

  • Email: FOI-Enquiries@bl.uk
  • Write to: Corporate Information Unit, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 20 working days.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).