The IFLA/LBS Newsletter is issued twice a year.
Editors:
Minna von Zansen
Service Manager
Celia Library
P.O. Box 20
FI-00030 IIRIS, Finland
Tel: +358-9-2295 2231
Fax: +358-9-2295 2295
E-mail: minna.vonzansen@celialib.fi
www.celialib.fi
Jenny Craven
The Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM)
Dept. Information and Communications
The Manchester Metropolitan University
Geoffrey Manton Building
Rosamond Street West
Manchester M15 6LL UK
Tel: +44-0-161 247 6142
Fax: +44-0-161 247 6979
E-mail: j.craven@mmu.ac.uk
www.cerlim.ac.uk
The Newsletter is available on www.ifla.org
In this issue
Welcome from Chair
Right to Read Global Campaign
Ulverscroft Awards
LBS/DAISY Seminar and Visit from Claudia Lux
Interview with Bente Dahl Rahtje
Standing Committee Mid-Year Meeting and Forthcoming Dates
Introduction to New Members with Photos
News
Book Review
Standing Committee Members
Welcome from Chair
The Global Library
In cooperation with the DAISY Consortium we have created a steering group
with the purpose of realising the dream of a global library for print disabled
people. Now we are a step closer to removing barriers that prevent print
disabled people from getting access to the same books and information as
sighted people.
The biggest challenge we encounter is copyright legislation. We have been able
to agree on a common standard for accessible material - the DAISY/NISO - but
national copyright laws are still an obstacle for sharing material. All the
advantages gained with accessible digital media are lost if copyright becomes
an obstacle for exchange.
Successful Seminar in Zagreb
Another issue on LBS' strategic plan is to encourage training and continuing
development of library staff serving print disabled people. This we do in many
ways. In the spring we held a seminar in connection with our mid-year meeting
held in Croatia with the title "Putting Libraries for the blind and print
disabled on the agenda: Taking advantage of cooperation. Introducing IFLA and
DAISY".
Very warm thanks to IFLA President Claudia Lux for finding the time to give the
inspiring key note speech!
Everybody Should Have the Right to Read
On April 23rd the launch of the World Blind Union's International Right to Read Campaign was announced in Amsterdam in conjunction with UNESCO's World Book Day. This campaign will advocate globally for accessible books. The International Right to Read Alliance is a partnership between the World Blind Union and LBS / IFLA. Together with publishers, booksellers and libraries the International Right to Read Campaign works to create a world where blind people can read books at the same time and same price as everyone else.
New Established Standing Committee
Get acquainted with the members of the new Standing Committee in this issue of the LBS Newsletter. You will find skilled and committed people, who all share the goal of gaining good results for the benefit of print disabled people - and the people serving them. Please, don't hesitate to get in touch with each of us if you have something on your mind or in your heart.
Looking forward to meeting many of you in Quebec this August
Bente Dahl Rathje, DBB.
Right to Read Global Campaign
The World Blind Union (WBU) International Right to Read Campaign, which advocates globally for accessible books, was launched April 23rd in Amsterdam. The event was organized in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Amsterdam 2008 World Book Capital (WBC) which celebrates reading this year with the theme "open book". At the launch Dr. William Rowland, President of the World Blind Union, stated, "For far too long the book has been closed for blind people. The International Right to Read Campaign aims to open it".
Maarten Verboom, Managing Director of Dedicon and member of the DAISY Consortium Board of Directors, expressed the Consortium's support for the Right to Read Campaign on behalf of Hiroshi Kawamura, President of the DAISY Consortium. Mr. Verboom stressed the long felt need of the DAISY Consortium membership to be able to exchange accessible materials across borders for use by individuals who are blind or have a print disability.
"Libraries exist to serve ALL members of the public. However, we need more books to be published in Braille, audio and large print in order to fully achieve our mission." said Bente Dahl Rathje, Chair of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Libraries for the Blind Section. IFLA/LBS works actively toward the realization of a global library of accessible materials. At the same time it raises awareness of and advocates for accessibility.
Anne Bergman-Tahon, Director of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), also spoke, underlining the will of publishers to work with individuals who are blind or visually impaired to publish more accessible books. The Federation also works with organizations which produce and deliver accessible content to encourage accessibility among publishers. FEP participates in projects which are targeted at the publishing industry and which promote accessibility, and provides instruction on how to make content accessible. Mrs. Bergman-Tahon promotes collaboration between publishers and agencies as examples of best practice. Excellent examples of this type of cooperation can be found in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France and Italy. The production of accessible content by content providers and publishers will be a central theme at the Accessible Content Processing Conference to be held November 6 and 7, 2008 in Amsterdam.
The International Right to Read Alliance is a partnership between the World Blind Union and the Libraries for the Blind Section of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA/LBS), and it will work with publishers, booksellers, libraries and many others to create a world where those who are blind or have a visual disability can read the same book at the same time and for the same price as those who read standard print. Additional information about the launch of the Right to Read Campaign is available on the WBU Web site.
Maarten Verboom, CEO Dedicon.
Ulverscroft Awards 2008
The Ulverscroft Foundation and the IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section are pleased to announce the outcome of their 2008 Awards Programme. The Foundation and IFLA LBS have cooperated since 2003 in making a series of annual individual and organisational awards to promote the enhancement of library services for visually impaired people worldwide.
The 2008 Awards Programme attracted 7 bids for an individual award and 7 bids for an organisational award. The judging panel which comprised Allan Leach, Chair of the Ulverscroft Foundation, Dick Tucker, formerly Deputy Director of the Force Foundation, and David Owen, formerly Director of Share The Vision and a trustee of the Ulverscroft Foundation and Force Foundation, UK, met in February 2008 and decided to make the following awards:
Individual Awards went to:
– Helene Kudzia of the Mediatheque de l'Association Valentin Hauy
[AVH],Paris: £1500 to spend 20 days at the Library of the Deutsche
Blindenstudienanstalt, Marburg, Germany.
– Hosein Rohani Sadr of the National Library and Archives of Iran: £2000
to study DAISY technology at the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille
[TPB].
Organisational Awards went to:
– Integrated Documentation System of the Cuyo National University,
Mendoza, Argentina [SID;UNCYO]: £6250 for the updating and enhancement of their
Services for Visually Impaired Persons.
– Centro para la Integracion y el Desarrollo del Invidente, Lima, Peru
[CIDESI]: £10,000 for their Assistive Bibliography: Document Accessibility for
Blind Students project.
Allan Leach stated that "We were delighted to receive so many good bids for
this awards programme even if it did make it the most difficult year so far for
us to come to our decisions. We are confident that the chosen recipients will
make good use of their funding to improve library services for visually
impaired people in Europe, Asia and South America.
I am particularly pleased to add that, thanks to the generosity of my fellow
Ulverscroft Foundation trustees, we have been able to exceed our allocated
budget of £20,000 and offer an additional award of £5,000 to the Adaptive
Technology Center for the Blind, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to purchase ICT and
Braille paper so that they can access, download and produce Braille versions of
copyright free books available via the internet."
This year the Ulverscroft Foundation has committed £24,750 to the 2008 awards. The IFLA LBS would like to thank them for their continued support in helping to realize the shared objective of enhancing access to library and information services for visually impaired people worldwide, which is not a peripheral issue but a fundamental part of the universal ethic of librarians.
Joyce Sumner, Secretary Ulverscroft Foundation; Jenny Craven & Minna von Zansen, Information Co-ordinators, Libraries for the Blind Section.
LBS/DAISY Seminar and Visit from Claudia Lux
Putting Libraries for the blind and print disabled on the agenda.
A seminar with this challenging headline was arranged by IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section and the DAISY Consortium in cooperation with the Croatian Library for the Blind. The seminar took place from 27-28th February, 2008, in Zagreb, the beautiful capital of Croatia.
In her opening session Bente Dahl Rathje, Chair of LBS, had the pleasure to introduce Prof. Claudia Lux, President of IFLA, as the key-note speaker. Claudia Lux spoke about the role of IFLA and her important initiative to put libraries on the political agenda. The president of IFLA took the opportunity to become familiar with the specific work of libraries for the blind.
A representative of the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Sanja Frajtag, Director of the Croatian Library for the Blind, invited the seminar participants to an exchange of experiences, aside from a guided tour around Zagreb and the new library service for the blind in Croatia. Hiroshi Kawamura, President of the DAISY Consortium, and Bente Dahl Rathje gave an introduction about future projects and cooperation in the field of improving access to information to people with reading disabilities.
A more detailed description about the history and current work of the DAISY Consortium and the IFLA library section for the blind was presented in the first panel session by George Kerscher, Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium, and Helen Brazier, former chair of LBS.
The next main panel session was dedicated to getting a wide range of reports from the East-European countries:
– The current situation in Croatia
Sanja Frajtag, Director of Croatian Library for the Blind
– The current situation in Estonia
Marja Kivihall, Information Specialist of Estonian Library for the Blind (ELB)
– The current situation in Bosnia & Herzegovina
Sanela Osmanagic, Assistant Manager of Library for the Blind and Visually
Impaired, Bosnia and Herzegovina
– The current situation in Montenegro
Bozidar Dendar, President of Union Blind of Montenegro and Director of
Montenegrian Library for the Blind
All participating countries provided an excellent overview of the developments and strategies of the special libraries for the blind and visually impaired.
The first day of the seminar was enriched by a visit to the Croatian Library for the Blind. The audience was told about the production of Braille books and talking books and visited an exhibition of standard and computerized help for people with visual disabilities.
The second day of the seminar was packed with presentations on exchange of information in the field of assistive technology and the challenging work of DAISY and IFLA to establish a global digital library for the blind.
Lynn Leith, Head of Information Services of the DAISY Consortium, and George Kerscher presented the technology and background of the DAISY format as a better way of reading for users and a better way to publish for information providers. Jesper Klein from the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB), spoke about the XML-centric way of producing and distributing accessible materials in different formats (Braille, audio and large print). Marcus Westlind, also from TPB, informed delegates about the activities of a working group to facilitate a standard for cataloguing digital documents in a wide range of formats suitable for all users.
In a special presentation and an exhibition visitors had plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with DAISY playback devices and other assistive technology.
The first session in the afternoon was dedicated to the developments of library services for the blind and print disabled:
– Cooperation between a public library and the Croatian Library for
the Blind
Dijana Sabolovic-Krajina, Director of the Public Library of Koprivnica
– Integrating library services with audio books in public libraries
Geert Ruebens, Director of Flemish Library for Audio books and Braille,
Belgium
– Introducing Daisy to Finnish Public Libraries
Sanna Schildt, Information Officer at Celia Library for the Visually Impaired,
Finland
In the final session, Aleksandra Horvat, professor at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and Stephen King of RNIB UK, spoke about copyright and the global library for people with reading difficulties.
Thank you very much to the organizers of this inspirational and well prepared conference.
Dr. Thomas Kahlisch, DZB.
Interview with Bente Dahl Rathje
Bente Dahl Rathje is a Chief Consultant at The Danish National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (DBB) and IFLA LBS Chair
Mrs Rathje - could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Bente Dahl Rathje. I'm from The Danish National Library for the
Blind and Print Disabled, and from 1st of January I have been the chair of
Libraries for the Blind Section (LBS) under IFLA (International Federation of
Library Associations and Institutions). LBS has 78 members from countries all
over the world such as Canada, Japan, Australia, Finland and Croatia.
You have just been to Zagreb - at the seminar held 27-28 February.
This February, 2008 LBS and The DAISY Consortium held a seminar together with
the Croatian Library for the Blind. The purpose was to bring knowledge of IFLA
and DAISY to Eastern and Central Europe. The DAISY Consortium was formed in
May, 1996 by talking book libraries to lead the worldwide transition from
analogue to digital talking books. DAISY denotes the Digital Accessible
Information System.
What was the main theme of the seminar?
Taking advantage of co-operation and introducing IFLA and DAISY.
Who were the organizers of the seminar?
Director Sanja Frajtag from Croatian Library for the Blind, Lynn Leith from
DAISY, Marja-Leena Ahola and Bente Dahl Rathje from LBS / IFLA.
Who was the key-note speaker?
The President of IFLA, Claudia Lux gave the key-note speech. Her topic was
Putting Libraries for the Blind and Print Disabled on the Political agenda.
How many participants participated in the seminar?
About 50 delegates, representing Estonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro,
Slovenia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,
Finland, UK, Germany, Poland and South Korea etc.
How were the sessions divided?
The seminar was divided into several sessions; an introduction; country reports
(from Eastern and Central Europe); copyright matters and the idea of the global
library; developments of library services for the blind and print disabled and
finally, DAISY now and in the future.
Was there an exhibition together with the seminar?
There were 3 exhibitors presenting DAISY players and DAISY text.
What part of the seminar did you find most interesting?
Personally, I found the country reports very rewarding. It's not often you have
the opportunity to learn from our colleagues in Eastern and Central Europe.
In your opinion, did the seminar fulfil the expectations?
Croatian Library for the Blind is going to make an evaluation based on
responses of seminar participants but, according to conversations with my
colleagues, my impression is that they are very satisfied with reports,
specially the ones about libraries for the blind in Central and Eastern
Europe.
Were there any other meetings in Zagreb in connection with the seminar?
The host - Croatian Library for the Blind organized a meeting with
representatives of some of the most important Croatian institutions in the
field of librarianship – the representative from Croatian Ministry of
Culture, the President of Croatian Library Council and the President of
Croatian Library Association. The president of IFLA, Claudia Lux and myself
were informed about the way libraries in Croatia, especially public libraries,
work together and how they are financed. We also accepted with approval the
idea of dispersion of library services for the blind and visually impaired in
public libraries.
Was this your first visit to Croatia?
This was my third visit to Croatia, and I must say I enjoyed my stay very much.
The country is so beautiful and the Croatians so very obliging and kind. I have
always felt very welcome and this welcome has been very efficient.
During your stay in Zagreb you also visited the Croatian Library for the
Blind. What was your impression?
My impression of the Croatian Library for the Blind was that they have
succeeded in making a very professional library in a rather short time. It was
a very happy reunion.
Sanja Frajtag, Director of the Croatian Library for the Blind.
Standing Committee Mid-Year Meeting and Forthcoming Dates
Report from the Mid-Year Standing Committee Meeting in Zagreb
The Section Standing Committee held its mid year meeting in Zagreb on 29 February and 1 March 2008. The meeting was well attended with 13 committee members and four observers present. Bente Dahl Rathje took the Chair for the first time. Sanja Frajtag (Croatia), Kari Kummeneje (Norway), Julie Rae (Australia) and Geert Ruebens (Belgium) were proposed and accepted as new members of the committee. These appointments bring the number of Committee members to the maximum of twenty. The Committee also appointed a new Secretary, Thomas Kahlisch; a Meetings Secretary, Koen Krikhaar; and Treasurer, Jenny Craven.
The Committee had some very lively and fruitful discussions. Details of the joint work with the DAISY Consortium and the new Ulverscroft Foundation awards are reported elsewhere in this newsletter. Other topics included:
LBS Conference 2009: The working group announced that the Section's 2009 conference will be held in Mechelen, Belgium, jointly organised by colleagues in the Netherlands and Belgium. The dates for your diary are 17-20 August 2009. The theme will be partnership (a key element of the global library programme), covering partnership with public libraries, publishers, organisations for the elderly and others with reading disabilities.
Projects: The Committee reviewed progress on various current projects and considered priorities for future projects. Marcus Westlind reported on progress made by the working group on DAISY cataloguing standards and the global catalogue. Helen Brazier and Margaret McGrory shared he results of a pilot survey of member organisations' policies on international membership. This survey will be extended more widely during 2008. Proposals for future projects included a manifesto for library services for print disabled people, work on performance measures, and more seminars.
Collaboration with the World Blind Union: The Section is working closely with the WBU to organise an event in Amsterdam, World Book Capital, in April, which will draw attention to the right to read. There was some discussion in preparation for the forthcoming meeting of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. A short version of WBU's guidelines on making presentations more accessible was prepared and submitted to IFLA, where (we are pleased to see) it is already being used.
Strategic plan: The Standing Committee also reviewed its strategic plan and started work on a marketing plan.
Libraries for the Blind Section Activities at WLIC Quebec
Our main contribution to the WLIC programme in Quebec will be a practical session entitled "Achieve more though design for all: how to make your website, buildings, presentations and print materials more accessible to print disabled people". Speakers will include Fran Cutler giving a user's view; Jenny Craven on web accessibility; Lesley McDonald on accessible building design; Penny Hartin on accessible presentations and Jon Hardisty on design of print materials. We hope it will attract a big audience!
Dates of Standing Committee meetings, open to all, are Saturday 9 August and Friday 15 August 2008.
Helen Brazier, RNIB NLS.
Introduction to New Members
Bente Dahl Rathje
My name is Bente Dahl Rathje, and I became a member of the standing committee
August 2007. I'm Chief Consultant at The Danish National Library for the Blind
and Print Disabled (DBB). I have been working with the digitization of DBB for
the last 10 years, and it's my best and strongest conviction that the digital
era is of invaluable importance for the realisation of the vision: that print
disabled people should have the right of equal access to books, knowledge and
information as everyone else, without delay or additional expense. I'm really
looking forward to contributing to the good strong work of this section.
Koen Krikhaar
I am Koen Krikhaar, and I am Manager for Library Services at Dedicon,
Netherlands. Dedicon is the leading organisation in the Netherlands for
producing, developing and distributing accessible materials, including Braille
and Daisy books. My job is to secure and optimise the services we deliver to
the Dutch National front-office through which most of the print handicapped
readers are served. I am involved with the roll-out of Daisy books to public
libraries, through promotion and sales. I take an interest in high-quality and
low-cost innovations that help to break down the barriers between print and
alternative formats, including those of copyright and international library
loans. Partnerships with publishers and commercial companies create a broader
awareness of the needs of the print handicapped and help build future-safe
services. I have worked in this field for more than 25 years and was a member
of the first Daisy board in the last (!) century. I was elected to the standing
committee of LBS at IFLA WLIC, Durban 2007. I am looking forward to at least 3
more years of exciting international networking through IFLA and help to launch
a global library that is accessible indeed.
Marja-Leena Ahola
My name is Marja-Leena Ahola and I have been working as a manager for
Multilingual Services since 2006 at the Swedish Library of Talking Books and
Braille (TPB) in Stockholm, so it is understandable that I really look forward
to the global digital library! Such a library would make it easier for us to
serve people with print disabilities, despite the language they speak. Before
starting at TPB I worked for 20 years at a public library in a multicultural
suburb of Stockholm. I was born in Finland and graduated with a degree in
Social sciences from the University of Tampere. Afterwards I moved to
Stockholm, Sweden, where I got my Diploma in Library Science. I then started my
professional life as a librarian and specialized in multilingual matters.
Jenny Craven
My name is Jenny Craven, I became a member of the standing committee in August
2007. I am a Research Associate at the Centre for Research in Library and
Information Management (CERLIM) at Manchester Metropolitan University and have
worked on a variety of research projects concerned with web accessibility and
usability, with a particular focus on access to information by blind or
visually impaired people. I am currently working on an EC funded project:
web_access, which is developing a joint study programme on Accessible Web
Design with partners from 6 European countries. As a joint Information
Co-ordinator on the IFLA LBS I am looking forward to working with the section
to help improve library services for visually and print impaired people.
Geert Ruebens
I joined the SC at the end of 2007. I am the director of ‘Luisterpunt',
the Flemish Library for Audio books and Braille in Brussels (Belgium). It is my
strong conviction that the success of Daisy for the print disabled can be
strengthened by the structural cooperation between the special libraries and
the public libraries. As a former librarian (the public library of the city of
Bruges, 1988-2000) and the director of the Flemish Agency for public libraries
(2000-2005) I can contribute this knowledge and experience to the SC.
Kari Kummeneje
My name is Kari Kummeneje. I am the Head of the lending department of the
Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille. The lending department consists
of 17 employees. I have worked at NLB for the last 5 years. I have my degree in
librarianship from the Norwegian School of Library and Information Science. I
have also studied law for a year at the University of Oslo.
I am married wit 3 children and live in Oslo.
Minna von Zansen
My name is Minna von Zansen, I'm a librarian and work as a service manager at
Celia Library in Helsinki, Finland. I'm in charge of our customer services,
distribution and service development. Celia is a state-run library that
specializes in serving the print disabled. We offer both library services as
well as learning materials. Our vision is to enhance equality by offering equal
access to information and literature – goals that all of us share. I
think IFLA offers a wonderful context to try and reach these goals by working
together – there is only so much you can do on your own! My family
consists of a lovely Swedish husband, a happy camper of a 6-year-old daughter
and two cats. My favourite pastimes include hiking, baking and reading books
about mountain climbing.
News
The Global Library: At a joint meeting of IFLA/LBS and the international DAISY Board in Zagreb, February 2008, the two organizations agreed that they would jointly undertake an initiative to further the aims of a global library service for those with print disabilities.
The project will be owned jointly by IFLA/LBS and the DAISY Consortium, and will be project managed by the DAISY Consortium. A joint steering committee will be established to provide governance, oversight and direction to the project. The "global library" project will be included in both organizations' strategic plans.
Four major initiatives were identified:
– Discovery and access: end user issues
– Shared collection development and exchange
– Business model for the global library
– Partnership development
These four initiatives and related activities will form the basis of a project Charter, which is currently under development.
Margaret McGrory, CNIB.
Book Review
Craven, J. ed (2008) Web Accessibility: Practical advice for the library and information professional, London: Facet.
The subject of web accessibility is one that has gained a huge amount of much needed visibility over the last few years. It has gone from being a relatively obscure subject to a hot topic with many capable champions. So do we really need another book on web accessibility? Content authors and web developers currently do have substantial existing resources to turn to. However, there is a dearth when it comes to the needs of some specific domains. This is therefore a timely book made up of contributions from many experienced accessibility practitioners and advocates from such diverse fields as Web Accessibility, Assistive Technology and Library and Information Management.
While the book does offer much practical advice for the librarian, its strength is not as a "how to" manual but as a considered overview of the topic offering the authors distilled experience and perspectives on Web Accessibility. I felt a certain empathy with many of the views that are expressed. There is a fundamental need to actively engage people with disabilities in the development of truly inclusive information systems and the benefits of user involvement is a consistent thread throughout the book. The authors do not shallowly parrot mantras like "follow W3C specifications and everything will be fine" - which I found appealing. There is talk of "practical accessibility" and "real world accessibility" which I found even more appealing.
The chapters that deal with Design for All and Universal Design also draw the reader in to reflect on exactly what these terms mean and by inference, to consider the nuts and bolts of how to achieve these lofty goals so they are not merely empty posturing. To conclude, this is a welcome addition to the canon and Librarians will find the book a useful companion to other relevant resources.
Reviewed by: Joshue O Connor, Senior Accessibility Consultant with CFIT (Centre For Inclusive Technology).
Latest Revision: 25th June 2008
Copyright © International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Standing Committee Members
Chair: Bente Dahl Rathje, Chief Consultant, The Danish National Library for
the Blind and Print Disabled (DBB), Teglvaerskgade 37 DK-2100 COPENHAGEN,
Denmark, Tel. +(45)39134600
Fax +(45)39134601,
E-mail: bdr@dbb.dk.
Secretary: Dr. Thomas Kahlisch, Director, Deutsche Zentralbücherei für
Blinde zu Leipzig (DZB), Gustav-Adolf-Straße 7, 04105 Leipzig, Germany,
Tel. +49 (3 41) 71 13-124
Fax: 0049-341-7113 125
E-mail: Thomas.Kahlisch@dzb.de
Meetings Secretary: Koen Krikhaar, Head of Public Services, Dedicon.
Joint Information Co-ordinator and Treasurer: Jenny Craven, CERLIM, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Joint Information Co-ordinator: Minna von Zansen, Service Manager, Celia Library for the Visually Impaired.
Marja-Leena Ahola-vom Dorp, Librarian, Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB).
Helen Brazier, Head, National Library Service, Royal National Institute of Blind People
Courtney Deines-Jones, Principal and Founder, The Grimalkin Group, LLC.
Galina Sergeevna Elfimova, Head Librarian, Russian State Library for the Blind.
Sanja Frajtag, Director, Croatian Library for the Blind.
Francois Hendrikz, Director, South African Library for the Blind.
Hiroshi Kawamura, Information and Culture Center for the Blind.
Kari Kummeneje, Head of Lending Department, Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille.
Margaret McGrory, Vice President + CIO and Executive Director of CNIB Library
Luc Maumet, Librarian, Association Valentin Haüy (A.V.H.).
Margaret McGrory, Vice President + CIO and Executive Director of CNIB Library.
Misako Nomura, Deputy Director, Information Center, Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).
Steve Prine, Jr. Assistant Chief, Network Division, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.
Julie Rae, National Manager, Vision Australia Information Library Service (VAILS).
Geert Ruebens, Director, Flemish Library for Audio books and Braille, Belgium.
Eugenia Viktorovna Shepovalova, Director, St. Petersburg State Library for the Blind.
Beatrice Christensen Sköld, Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB).
Richard Tucker.
Päivi Voutilainen, Library Specialist, Celia Library for the Visually Impaired.
Rainer F. V. Witte, Deutsche Blindenstudienanstalt e.v.