Newsletter of the Section of
Libraries for the Blind

Autumn 2000/2

Editor:

Beatrice Christensen Sköld,

Co-editor:

Päivi Voutilainen

Distribution:

Beatrice Christensen Sköld Address as above

The Newsletter is available in braille and on diskette and on IFLANet, www.iflanet.org

Standing Committee Members

Secretary
Dick Tucker,

Matthijs Balfoort, The Netherlands
Margaret Bennet, UK
Henri Chauchat, France
Beatrice Christensen Sköld, Sweden (Information Co-ordinator)
Bente Dahl, Denmark
Hiroshi Kawamura, Japan
Brad Kormann, USA
Brabara Mates, USA
Marie-Pierre Tallec, France
Rainer Witte, Germany
Päivi Voutilainen, Finland
Yoon Loong Wong, Malaysia

Corresponding members:

Diane Bays, Canada
Barbara Fewtrell, Australia

Section News

The Standing Committee

One of the most significant actions is the integration of working groups. At the beginning of her term of office the Chair of the Section, Rosemary Kavanagh encouraged the setting up of nine working groups. One year further on it is clear that some topics have so much in common, that it would be better for them to join their efforts together.

The new working groups are:

• The Collection Development and Resource Sharing Working Group now includes the former Digital Talking Books, Cataloguing and Metadata, and the Braille and Electronic Text Development groups. These will be lead by Margaret Bennet of the UK National Library for the Blind.
• Internet Use and Applications will become part of Library Systems and Information Technology lead by Päivi Voutilainen, Finnish Library for the Visually Impaired.
  Two dynamic new projects were set for the new working groups to contemplate. One is the development of specifications for an integrated digital library systems for libraries for the blind and the second, to be further explored, is negotiating special agreements with major publishers to permit libraries for the blind to receive the electronic and audio master files to make the desired copies in whatever formats for distribution to their clients.

Support Fund

Best Newsletter of the Year

Preconference in Washington D.C. August 2001

The theme for this Preconference is:
Digital Libraries for the Blind and the Culture of Learning in the Information Age In selecting the theme the Section of Libraries for the Blind felt it was imperative to engage future concepts of digital libraries and the new technologies of the information age, to support and transform the role of libraries for the blind in the learning culture of students, adults, professionals or anyone simply engaged in life long learning or seeking information Our Preconference will include students and professionals alike and the library experts who create these information services for them.

We want to take the opportunity to alert you to some new features for our Preconference, which if you are planning to attend you will want to be aware of:

• Ten Top Issues
  Participants will be asked to submit ideas on the ten top issues in library service for the blind when they register. A team will co-ordinate responses which will form the basis for a breakout session and reporting back to the Conference. If you or your staff are planning to attend you may want to consider being a facilitator for this event.

• Best Practices
  Submit any project from your library, which you feel deserves to be recognised. A panel will review the submissions and the winner of an Award announced at the Preconference in Washington. You will need to complete a Form, which will be provided in the registration kit.

• Section of Libraries for the Blind Working Groups
  There will also be the opportunity for you to meet the Co-ordinators of our Working Groups and to discuss further participation at a special session.

More information will follow with the Registration Kits to be mailed in December. If you for further information please contact:

General Registration
Victoria Owen, or Shelagh Paterson

Exhibitors Information
Barbara Mates

International Directory of Libraries for the Blind
K.G.Saur Verlag has now published the printed version ISBN 3-598-21816-8. Because data changes, members (and any other library for the blind that is not a member but might be reading this newsletter) are requested to check the database which is available at http:/ dserver.dinf. ne.jp:591/and to revise any details that need changing. Members are encouraged to use this database.

Election 2001

The proposal to simplify the process for electing to the Standing Committees of IFLA sections was approved by Council in Jerusalem. From now on, only one nominator (instead of two) is required for each candidate for a place on the Standing Committee of a Section. In accordance with normal practice, a call for nominations to Section Standing Committees will be sent out to all voting Members towards the end of the year. At the moment the Standing Committee has comparatively few members, only fourteen and of those two are leaving in Boston 2001, as their terms of office has terminated. To spread the work and make the Standing Committee more efficient more members are needed. According to the rules we can have 20 members. We now request our members to nominate new members. The term of office is four year. Note that the working language of the Standing Committee is English. As a Standing Committee member you have to attend the annual Conference General as well as a two day long Standing Committee meeting held in February each year.

News from the World

What is most noticeable about this workshop, apart from the consistent attendance of all the delegates, is the level of involvement in the discussions. After such a long period of centralised organisation, the transition to much more individual and shared development has been difficult. The overall financial situation for these libraries is very difficult and yet they are actively involved in some major projects. A national catalogue of alternative format materials is well under way at the Russian State Library for the Blind in Moscow, the St Petersburg library for the blind is building a national catalogue of braille music, and spread out from the library in Novosibirsk is a digital network of six libraries stretching across Siberia from Stavropol to Vladivostock. The lack of international funding has not stopped other libraries such as those in Volgograd, Kaluga, Staveropol from mounting their own development projects.

In three years, an apparent passivity has turned to passionate expression of what libraries for the blind should be and the services they should offer. The few Russian Libraries for the Blind that have been able to join the Section ensure that the messages from the section get to all the 74 libraries in the Russian Federation. This annual workshop is an exciting place for the exchange of ideas. Although our Russian colleagues like to hear of developments in other countries we can learn much from them. For further details of the Crimea 2001 Conference see: http://www.gpntb.ru

Russian Language Network
Following the third successful workshop for libraries for the blind, Sjoerd Koopman of IFLA, suggested that something should be done to assist librarians from the CIS countries to attend the workshop for the libraries for the blind.

What started as a search for funds for travel has now developed into a draft proposal to bring librarians together from the Russian Federation and the CIS countries to see whether there can be an agreement to share Russian language resources. Discussions have taken place with FORCE and the OSI, the Section Libraries for Disadvantaged People, the UNESCO IFLA UNET project and the "Lifelong Learning Project". A proposal will be submitted to the Co-ordinating Board of the Division in early October for transmission to the Professional Board.

Report from the St Petersburg State Library for the Blind
In 1993 the St Petersburg State Library for the Blind (SPLB) became a region centre for the special libraries in the north-west of Russia. Many libraries, including those of Arkangel, Vologda,, Kaliningrad, Novgorod and Pskov regional libraries for the blind, together with the Karelian (Petrozayodsk) and Komi (Siktivcar) republican libraries for the blind, took part in this project.

Many joint activities were carried out. In May 1997 SPLB and the Novgorod regional library for the blind held a two day seminar on "The history of Russian typhlopedagogics (education of the blind)". In October 1998 an art exhibition entitled "The Soul Sees" was organised with the Karelian republican library for the blind. In June 1999 in honour of the 200th anniversary of the birth of A. S. Pushkin, an international conference was held with the Pskov regional library for the blind at Pushkinskia Gori. Currently preparations are in hand with the Novgorod library for an international conference on the theme "Application of library technologies in the upbringing, education and adaptation of disabled children".

Each year the libraries in the region take part in the international conferences organised by SPLB. Five libraries worked on a project to create a web-server in SPLB. Each received help with their computers and the software packages "Echo - 1"and "Echo - 2" which has enabled them to automate some library processes and expand their communications. As part of the project the libraries received the full text database of the SPLB electronic catalogue and the CD-ROM "All about blindness for the blind".

SPLB regularly supplies the libraries with literature about education for visually impaired people. They also receive the magazine "Etudes" published jointly with the Finnish library for the blind, about the life of blind people in the two countries. Under the megaproject "Pushkin Library" each special library has received eight audio book versions of Russian classics.

SPLB is in constant contact with the partner libraries and consults with them on methods. In particular the libraries have received standardised norms for the basic library processes. In 1996 the Directors of the Murmansk Regional Library and the Karelian Republic Library joined in the training course for the SPLB administrative board held at the Rehabilitation Centre of the Finnish Society for the Blind and the Finnish Library for the Blind.

Employees of the special libraries in the region receive training at the SPLB. These are mainly managers, automation department managers, and programmers. Co-operation is good with all the libraries in the region, though it should be noted that the poor material and financial status of the Kaliningrad regional library for the blind and the library for the blind in the Republic of Komi, make such co-operation difficult. In 1995, the St Petersburg State Library for the Blind, initiated a section of "Libraries for the Blind" in the Russian Library Association. The libraries of the north-west region have responded positively to this initiative and now the section, uniting the special libraries, is the largest in the Russian Library Association. The Chief Librarian of the SPLB
T. N. Serova.

Microsoft provides support for DAISY Consortium Software Giant Supports, Collaborates on Accessibility Standards for Digital Talking Books
5 July, 2000-The DAISY Consortium announced today that Microsoft Corporation has pledged financial and technical support for the Consortium's on-going work to establish global accessibility standards for the next generation of digital talking book (DTB) technology.

The DAISY Consortium is comprised of nearly 40 non-profit libraries and organizations world-wide that produce and distribute books, journals and other types of information in accessible formats. Its mission is to identify and create global standards for information technology for people with print disabilities such as blindness.

In a letter to the DAISY Consortium Board, Microsoft's Emerging Technologies division announced that it will donate 25 percent of its revenues from the sale of AudioPublisher for the Microsoft Reader. AudioPublisher is a tool to enable publishers to include additional information within eBooks to enable synchronized audio narration. In addition to its contribution through AudioPublisher, Microsoft will join the DAISY Consortium as a Friend, providing expertise for the creation of specifications, standards, and software and hardware requirements for reading technologies.
"Part of the promise of eBooks is that they will open up a new world of reading for people who are blind or are otherwise unable to read print. The DAISY Consortium is an important leader in the effort to ensure that this promise will be realized around the world, and Microsoft is honored to participate in their success," said Dick Brass, Vice President, Technologies Development at Microsoft."
Last month, Microsoft announced a licensing agreement with isSound Corporation and Labyrinten Data AB that will enable text-to-audio synchronization of eBooks created for the Microsoft Reader format. Labyrinten Data of Falköping, Sweden and isSound Corporation of Ewing, NJ are also Friends of the DAISY Consortium.

Revision of Copyright Law in Japan The rights of access to information
Our Constitution, as well as the World Declaration of Human Rights, ensures the right of access to information for all of us. The Copyright Law in Japan, however, is very unsatisfactory in the way that it doesn't mention people with disabilities in general, except the article dealing with the information delivery to visually impaired people either by sound recordings or in Braille. This means that there has been no idea of the rights of information access of people with disabilities in the context of Copyright Law.

In order to change this situation, the Law must be amended. On 27th April 2000, the House of Representatives of the National Diet unanimously approved the revised Copyright Law that will become effective on 1st January 2001. This is a small but steady step toward what we hope to see in the future, a system that both comprehensively and specifically guarantees the right of access to information of persons with disabilities. The National Council on Broadcasting for People with Disabilities

The National Council on Broadcasting for Persons with Disabilities (NCB), consisting of 18 organizations including Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, was formed in January 1999. They have researched issues related to disabilities and broadcasting/telecommunications and submitted proposals. The basic objective of this committee is that they should pursue "development the copyrights with a harmony between the rights of copyright owners and the universal right of access to information of everybody including people with disabilities". Among their various activities, one of the best results is that they have an agreement with the Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA) to have continuous negotiations.

Revision of the Copyright Law
On the part of the ACA, they published "the Summary of Discussion" based on the result of the joint research and discussions with the NCB in December 1999. It was followed by the proposal to amend the Copyright Law to the National Diet that resulted in the revision of the Copyright Law as mentioned earlier.
With the progress of networking technology, this revision will bring fare shares of the intellectual and technological advancement to both copyright owners and the consumers including people with sensory disabilities in such a way that the Copyright Law limits the rights of copyright owners in support of storing/distribution of Braille data and real-time captioning of the TV broadcasting through the computer network. We could say that this is an example of the harmonious development of copyrights. All political parties in the National Diet were in favor of the revision.

The Goals
One of the goals of NCB is to make information accessible to everyone with or without disabilities through available means. The most current revision of the Copyright Law is just a first step towards next goals including emergency information provision in accessible format.

The nuclear radiation accident in Tokaimura made the Japanese disability community aware of the needs of emergency information system that is accessible to everybody including people with cognitive difficulties in particular.

Digital broadcasting and broadband telecommunications in combination with accessible multimedia technology, and human assistance in the community should be formed in support of emergency rescue system for all people in the community.

As a part of this challenging work, NCB and ACA will shortly start a new series of negotiation to identify the necessary revision for emergency/disaster rescue information services to people with information handicaps such as hearing impairments, visual impairments, mental or cognitive disabilities, and the old aged, so that people concerned may copy, store, modify and distribute without infringement of copyrights in such emergency cases.
Compiled by Misako Nomura, Information Center/JSRPD

FORCE Seminar in Nairobi
A seminar in Nairobi arranged by FORCE was attended by 40 delegates. The Kenya National Library Service acted as host and had done the major share of the planning. Delegates came from Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania, the UK National Library for the Blind (at the invitation of FORCE) and from Kenya (part funded by FORCE). The meeting was opened at the Silver Springs Hotel by the Hon. Mrs W. M. Marere, M.P, Assistant Minister at the Office of the Vice President and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Heritage and Sports.

Following the Keynote address by Mr Ng'ang'a, Director of the Kenya National Library, reports were presented on the present state of production in the participating countries. These figures will be published on the FORCE website.

Programme
The programme for the conference was as follows;

25th October
Introductions/conference objectives/announcements - Mr S.K Ng'ang'a & Mr Dick Tucker

26th October
Country reports - South Africa, Uganda, Malawi
Official opening by Hon. Mrs W. M. Marere, M.P, Assistant Minister at the Office of the Vice President and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Heritage and Sports
Keynote paper - Nr S.K Ng'ang'a Country reports - Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya Comments and reactions
Production of Braille Materials - Mr Wilfred Maina, Africa Braille Centre, Kenya
Digitalization and use of new technologies in Braille Production, George.W.Kutosi, UNISE, Uganda
Tour of ABC, KIB, KSB and KNLS Headquarters
Training of VIPs in Adaptive Technology - Mr Peter Muasya, Kenya Society for the Blind
Use of Information Technology in provision of library and information services to VIPs - Mr Nic Snyman, South Africa Library for the Blind/Blindlib, South Africa
Production and Provision of educational materials - Schalk Hugo, Pioneer Printers, South Africa

27th October
Use of Information Technology in provision of library and information services to VIPs in developed countries - Mr Dick Tucker, FORCE Foundation
The development of networks between libraries for visually impaired readers: the UK experience - Helen Brazier, National Library for the Blind, UK
Planning a purposely built Resource Centre/library for visually impaired users: the key issues - Chris Day, FORCE Foundation
Access to library and information materials by VIPs in Education Institutions in Kenya - Mr Ongwang, Kenya
Access to library and information materials by VIPs: the Zimbabwean experience - Sister Catherine Jackson, Dorothy Duncan Centre, Zimbabwe
Reliable Internet Connectivity: challenges, trends and the future
Plenary discussions on networking and resource sharing
Visits were also made to the National Library, with particular reference to the braille section. Local students and primary school children were on hand to demonstrate the facilities. The delegates also visited the Kenya Institute for the Blind, The Kenya Society of the Blind, the Centre for adaptive technology and the Africa Braille Centre.
Resolutions/recommendations/Plan of Action
At the end of more than two days intensive discussions, both formal and informal, the delegates agreed to work together in the future to make maximum use of library resources available to visually impaired persons throughout the region.

Working Groups
Two working groups were established to consider the two major issues of working together.
Cataloguing
The first will look at cataloguing, since if the libraries are to make their information available in a form which will be searchable by others then it must be compiled in a standard form and conform to appropriate international standards. The group will gather information on current practice in the libraries and production units. Then they will investigate the most practical and effective ways of unifying cataloguing practice. This will be done in the context of the practice of the major sources of alternative format materials outside the region.

The group will be lead by Nic Snyman, South African Library for the Blind. The first deadlines for this work are;

December 15th 2000: To have identified the appropriate institutions and persons to participate in this working group.

January 15th 2001: To have produced and circulated a list of the items on which agreement will be necessary. In addition a set of further deadlines will be drafted and circulated for agreement. All parties to have agreed to the time table by 30th January 2001.

Production
The second working group will consider standardisation in production. The desired exchange of braille files will be less problematic if there are production standards including translation software, page layout, and braille codes.

The group will be lead by Wilfred Maina of the Africa Braille Centre, Nairobi. The timetable for action is:

15th December 2000: to have identified the people within each of the institutions to work with this group.

15th January 2001: to have listed the specific items on which agreement is needed and then to set out a timetable by which to achieve those agreements. Each of the groups will work by e-mail and has the task of identifying the key people and institutions. Then tasks and target dates will be defined.

All the participating institutions, to be fully identified on the list to be circulated by the Kenya National Library Service, are to send a copy of their catalogue or holdings list to all the other institutions by December 1st. All present agreed to join the list server already established by FORCE and to use it as a forum for discussion and the development of the regional network.

New Director of the Federation of the Dutch Libraries for the Blind
On September 1st 2000 Mrs Marijke van Bodengraven, MBA, became Executive Director for the Dutch Federation of the Libraries for the Blind. She succeeds the acting Director Mr Luc van Gompel-Plinsenga.
The Federation of the Dutch Libraries for the Blind is a new organisation responsible for governing and co-ordinating the provision of literature for people with a reading handicap. In addition it has the role of research and development. The Federation, in its present form, is the result of the amalgamation of the member organisations, the Center for Spoken Literature (CGL) and the Dutch Library for Visually and Print Impaired Students and Professionals (SVB).

Marijke van Bodengraven previously worked in international business development as director of PLAN International, the parent organisation of Foster Parents Plan.

Movie Premiere for The Blind
On November 26th the film "Stardom" starring Dan Ackroyd was premiered in Toronto, Ontario Canada with a described version for both blind and visually impaired audiences. Hosted by Alliance Atlantis, the CNIB Library for the Blind, and Audiovision Canada, Marc Rosen of Audiovision Canada noted it was a historic moment with several firsts - first for a described movie aired in a theatre and a first described movie for a premiere. Toronto's blind community turned out in full support to mark this historic event. Rosemary Kavanagh emphasised the importance of making the event a social statement on the inclusion of blind and visually impaired people in their culture and as well the arts and entertainment in the communities in which they live.