   
Section of Libraries for the Blind
Annual Report:
September 1, 1999 to August 31, 2000
Scope of statement of Section: The Section of Libraries for the Blind concerns itself with library services for blind and other print handicapped readers. The main purposes of the Section are to promote national and international cooperation, and to encourage research and development in all aspects of this area, thus improving the access to information for blind and other print handicapped persons.
The Section is concerned with: the development of service goals, the standardisation of production, organization and distribution of content, copyright, the free transmission of books and materials via postal and telecommunications media. The Section also supports collection development initiatives including cooperative efforts and resource sharing, improved management techniques and measures of performance as well as marketing and promotion strategies.
In December 2000 the Section had 82 Members.
Chair: Ms Rosemary Kavanagh
CNIB Library for the Blind
1229 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 3E8 Canada
Tel. *(1)(416)4807521
Fax *(1)(416)4807700
E-mail: kavanar@lib.cnib.ca
Secretary: Mr Richard Tucker,
The Force Foundation Huijgenstraat
9 A 2515 BD The Hague Netherlands
Tel. *(31)(70)3097698
Fax *(31)(70)3097699
E-mail: dtucker@f-force.nl
Beatrice Christensen Sköld,
The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB)
SE-122 88 ENSKEDE Sweden
Tel. +46-8-399374
Fax +46-8-659 94 67
E-mail: bea.christensen@tpb.se
The mid winter meeting was held at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington DC on February 14 -15th 2000. Twelve members of the Committee attended and three other guests from the Library of Congress provided updates to the Committee.
During the General Conference in Jerusalem, Israel, three Standing Committee Meetings were held on August 12th, 17th, 18th, 2000. 8 Members of the Standing Committee were present along with 11 observers.
These meetings addressed several reports from IFLA including those from the Coordinating Board. Discussion on Standing Committee Membership and provision for ongoing representation from Developing Countries resulted in a proposal for funding by the members. The Public Library Guidelines and their relation to services to blind and visually impaired people, the ongoing maintenance of the International Directory of Libraries for the Blind, relations with the World Blind Union were all considered. Working Group Activities and plans for further meetings and Conferences were part of the ongoing work of the Committee.
Workshop
In cooperation with the CNIB Library for the Blind, Canada and The National Library for the Blind (NLB), United Kingdom and several Vendors, the SLB held a workshop at the NLB in Stockport. UK on March 17th-18th 2000. The theme was "Library Systems and Internet Services for libraries for the Blind in the new Millennium". Over 54 staff from libraries for the blind attended. This special workshop was held in conjunction with the Internet Librarian Workshop in London to allow participation in both. It marked the first time that Libraries for the Blind had examined systems for tracking library service (Geac) setting up digital library services (VISUTEXT) and telephone based library and information services VISUNEWS (Computer Talk) with the staff who had selected them.
Section topics included the following:
- Library Systems and Internet Services: Solutions for the New Millennium; When Text Meets Audio:
- Organizing Retrievable Content in a Variety of Formats;
- Marriages, Mergers, Alliances and Alignment: Possibilities for Libraries Serving the Blind;.
A variety of experts from Libraries for the Blind Barbara Freeze, Maggie Parkes, Eric Sharf, Victoria Owen from the CNIB; Carol Pollitt, Helen Brazier NLB, United Kingdom: Ian Manson, Geac, Europe; Brian Yachuk, Dave Goede Ericcsson; Terry Kuny, National Library of Canada; Simon Jennings, Resource Discovery Network, United Kingdom; David Pawson, RNIB, United Kingdom; Dick Tucker, FORCE Foundation, Netherlands; and Kevin Carey, Humanity, United Kingdom, contributed to the major sessions of the two day workshop.
The Following Papers were presented at the 66th Annual Conference in Jerusalem Israel on Wednesday August 16th, 2000. Over 70 persons were in attendance.
Theme: "Building Smart Communities: Knowledge as the Key to Growth and Development"
"Telephone Access to Library Services - Opportunities for Service to the Entire Community"
- Telebook
URI COHEN (Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped, Nathanya, Israel)
- Partnering services between public libraries and library services for the blind: a Canadian experience
ROSEMARY GRIEBEL (Calgary Public Library, Calgary, Canada)
- MIRACLE in Jerusalem: connecting to music collections
FRANCISCO MARTINEZ CALVO (ONCE, Madrid, Spain)
- Building smart communities: what they are and how they can benefit blind and visually impaired persons
STAN SKRZESZEWSKI (London, Ontario, Canada)
"Unique Opportunities to Provide References for Everyone"
- eBraille: making braille easy around the world
NEAL KUNIANSKY (Duxbury Systems, Westford, Massachusetts, USA)
- Serving the needs of visually impaired information seekers in UK public libraries
MARGARET KINNELL EVANS (Information Strategy and Services, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
"Smart Communities: What Are They and How Do They Benefit Everyone in the Community"
- The evolution and impact of smart communities
STAN SKREZESEWSKI (ASM Consultants, Canada)
- The digital society's challenge to the library to the blind
ELSEBETH TANK (Danish National Library for the Blind, Copenhagen, Denmark
- National Guidelines for Libraries for the Blind
A working group including Beatrice Christensen (Chair) Swedish Braille and Talking Book Library , Elsebeth Tank, Danish National Library for the Blind, Linda Hopkins, Share the Vision, United Kingdom and Rosemary Kavanagh, CNIB Library for the Blind met in July 25 -26 2000 at the CNIB Library for the Blind, Toronto Canada to launch the project to rewrite the guidelines originally developed in 1981.
- Performance Measures: Statistics Working Group
Elsebeth Tank (Chair) met with a small group via teleconference in Toronto, Canada on July 27th, 2000 to discuss the development of guidelines for assembling statistical data among libraries for the blind.
- Specifications for Integrated Digital Library Systems
This working group under the Library Systems and Technologies Working Group has been announced and will be developing guidelines to enable libraries for the blind to develop modern systems for collecting, producing and distributing content.
- Consortium for Alternate Format Materials
A project to set up a consortium of libraries for the blind to negotiate acquisitions of print books, electronic files and audio recordings is being developed by the Working Group on Collection Development and Resource Sharing.
- Russian Language Network of Libraries
A proposal for support for the establishment of a Russian language network of libraries was submitted to the Coordinating Board of IFLA Divison 3. IFLA are unable to support this claim and other funds are being sought.
- Resource Guide on Access to Alternative Format Materials
Work continues on the guide based on the IFLA Interlending and Access to Documents guide.
The Standing Committee set up five essential working groups on Collection Development and Resource Sharing, Copyright and Rights Management, Library Systems and Information Technologies, Management and Strategic Planning, Marketing and Advocacy. Staff in libraries for the blind across the world were invited to participate in these Working Groups by email or whatever means are deemed appropriate.
The following activities were intended to raise the profile of IFLA and in particular the Section of Libraries for the Blind in areas of the world where there are currently weak or non- existent services.
- Presentation to Mexican Library Association June 2, 2000
The value and importance of IFLA's work particularly among libraries for the blind and those libraries which include service to blind and visually impaired people were presented at the Mexican Library Association Conference in Queretaro, Mexico on June 2, 2000. by Rosemary Kavanagh, Chair Section of Libraries for the Blind. This was the first time that the importance of libraries for the blind had been considered by the Mexican Library Association.
- Presentation at Crimea 2000, Sudak, Ukraine 6, June 2000
Sjoerd Koopman, IFLA Coordinator of Professional Activities addressed the workshop of Libraries for the Blind which was part of the Crimea 2000 Librarians Conference. He emphasized the importance of the Section for the participants. He was supported in this by representatives of the OSI and the SLB Secretariat.
Respectfully submitted
Rosemary Kavanagh, Chair IFLA: Section of Libraries for the Blind
January 8, 2001
- Presentation to Australian Libraries November 21, 2000
Dick Tucker, Secretary, Rosemary Kavanagh, Chair, and Elsebeth Tank, Danish National Library for the Blind, addressed approximately 50 representatives from Australian State, public and blindness agencies and libraries regarding the status quo of library services for the blind, the importance of IFLA in the work of these libraries, and presented examples from their own libraries on November 21, 2000 in Melbourne, Australia.
- World Blind Union (WBU) 5th General Assembly, Melbourne Australia November 18 - 25, 2000
A paper on IFLA and the importance of cooperation between IFLA and the World Blind Union was presented by Rosemary Kavanagh, Chair Section of Libraries for the Blind on November 24, 2000 to the 5th General Assembly. The WBU is the largest consumer organization for blind and visually impaired people of the world.
- Other Promotional Activities
Members of the Standing Committee also included promotion of the Section in presentation to other conferences including Click-IT (Sweden), Russian Libraries Conference, St. Petersburg, Africa Gate Conference, Nairobi.
- Preconference Washington D.C. USA, 2001
The planning for this Conference from August 13 -15th, is well underway. The theme is : "Digital Libraries for the Blind and the Culture of Learning in the Information Age"
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