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Libraries for the Blind Section

Winners of a Frederick Thorpe Award

Following the success of the inaugural Frederick Thorpe Awards in 2003 the Ulverscroft Foundation and the IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section agreed to offer a second series of individual awards in 2004. The Trustees of the Ulverscroft Foundation made £5,000 available to encourage the development of best practice in library services for the blind by assisting an individual to spend time in a similar organisation in another country.

The winners are:
  • Wendy Patricia Ling of the South African Library for the Blind who will visit the National Library for the Blind, UK to study their fundraising activities in order to improve their work in South Africa
  • Ademike Olorundore, Librarian at the Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind who wishes to study Braille production at the National Library for the Blind, UK in order to modernise and make the procedures at ANWAB more efficient
  • Sarah Home, Operations and Development Manager at the National Library for the Blind, UK who will visit the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to study their digital procedures and to exchange information on the development of DAISY [Digital Accessible Information SYstem] books.

The visits have to be undertaken between November 2004 and October 2005.

Allan Leach, Chair of the Ulverscroft Foundation and the judging panel said, "It was difficult last time and even more so this year as we received more excellent applications from across the world. I am pleased that my fellow trustees agreed to let us exceed our budget so that we could make three awards as they are all equally worthwhile."

The judging panel comprised:
  • Allan Leach, Chair of Ulverscroft Foundation;
  • David Owen, Executive Director of Share The Vision and Trustee of Ulverscroft Foundation;
  • Dick Tucker, of FORCE Foundation, Netherlands representing IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section.