IFLA Best Newsletter 2000 and 2001
The IFLA/LBS Newsletter is issued twice a year: Spring and Autumn.Editors: Lina Kouzi
Information Coordinator
National Council for the Blind of Ireland
Whitworth Road
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
Ireland
Tel: +353-1850-33 43 53
Fax: +353-1-830 77 87
E-mail: lina.kouzi@ncbi.ie
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
Chair
TPB
122 88 Enskede
Tel: +46-8-39 93 74
Fax: +46-8-659 94 67
E-mail: bea.christensen@tpb. se
The Newsletter is available in Braille and on diskette and IFLANet, www.ifla.org
Content
Words from the Chair
My First WLIC Libraries: Dynamic Engines for the Knowledge and Information Society Seoul, Korea, 20-24 August 2006
LBS Standing Committee meetings in Seoul
Dates for your diary 2007
DAISY and Integrated Digital Library
First announcement: IFLA LBS Preconference in Grahamstown, South Africa
14 – 15 August 2007
Mdantsane Public Library - a reality!
Guidelines translated into Croatian
FNB changes name to Dedicon
New leaders
Ulverscroft Grant
Standing Committee Members
Chairperson
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB)
SE-122 88 Enskede
Sweden
Tel: +46-8-39 93 74
Fax: +46-8-659 94 67
E-mail: bea.christensen@tpb.se
Secretary
Helen Brazier, Director
National Library for the Blind
Far Cromwell Road, Bredbury
Stockport SK6 25G, United Kingdom
E-mail: helen.brazier@nlbuk.org
Marijke van Bodengraven, Dedicon*
Lina Kouzi, NCBI Library, Ireland, Information Coordinator
Courtney Deines-Jones, ALA, USA
Elke Dittmer, MEDIBUS, Germany
Marie-Hélène Dougnac, France
Galina Elfimova, Moscow, Russia
Margaret McGrory, CNIB Library,
Canada Misako Nomura, JSRDP Japan
Pete Osborne, RNIB; UK
Johan Roos, South Africa *
Eugenia V. Shepavolova, S:t Petersburg, Russia
Carolyn Sung, NLS, USA
Elsebeth Tank, DBB, Denmark
Dick Tucker, FORCE, Netherlands*
Päivi Voutilainen, Celia Library, Finland
Keun Hae Yuk, Korean Braille Library, South Korea
*) Elected but not active since they changed professional areas
Words from the Chair:
Well here I am back again as your chair. It's the fourth time, but absolutely the last as I will retire in December 2007.
This means that you will have to elect a new chair in Durban, South Africa in August next year. Additionally, we will also need a new secretary/treasurer, as Helen Brazier's term will be over and she will step down from the Standing Committee.
A Standing Committee can have up to 20 members, but today we only have 18 [nobody has retired although some are inactive!]. Of these, 9 showed up in Seoul. As you may understand it is not possible to work on long range issues if active members are not present.
So what to do? IFLA has already sent out nomination papers. Deadline for nominations is February 7, 2007. You may nominate a candidate for four years, who must be able to attend the World Library and Information Congress each year as well as mid-year Standing Committee meetings, usually at the beginning of March each year. The chair also attends the meetings of the Coordinating Board of Division III. Division III is the division for libraries serving the general public. There you meet other section chairs and get information from IFLA Professional Board, and apply for project money etc.
One member of the Section serves as Information Coordinator and editor of this newsletter. Our current editor is Lina Kouzi from the Irish National Council for the Blind. But we need help with the marketing of the Section. We can only afford to send out this newsletter electronically, however this issue will come also in print and paper-braille as a "special offer".
Beatrice Christensen Sköld
Section News:
My First WLIC Libraries: Dynamic Engines for the Knowledge and Information Society Seoul, Korea, 20-24 August 2006
To a Scandinavian, just to be in Seoul was very exotic. Riding on the bus from the airport, the city of Seoul with its 12 million people and 5 million cars seemed to be going on forever. The conference venue, the COEX, was a huge building that could easily swallow the thousands of conference participants and others, mainly happy
Korean families, attending various fairs on the bot-tom floor. The basement houses the incredibly colourful, crowded, noisy and brightly lit COEX mall which is unlike anything you've ever seen before. And then there was the experience of eating lunch the first day: on the table in front of you there were lots of tiny bowls filled with food you could not name, a big bowl of rice to mix it with, and thin steel chopsticks resembling knitting needles to do the job with.
But, by mid-conference, we were all boldly rejecting forks offered by waiters and happily shouting "kim-chi*" when-ever someone wanted to take a picture.
* kim-chi = traditional Korean dish made of fermented Chinese cabbage and red pepper.
Attending the Conference
Naturally, there are conventions that a WLIC "must" follow that all experienced IFLA participants are familiar with: registration and the IFLA conference bag, the opening ceremony, the exhibition with poster sessions, library visits and cultural activities, receptions, cultural evening, the closing session and council. Attending these various functions of the conference for the first time feels like you are being initiated into a strange new world. Of course it helps if you have access to a group of experienced and patient colleagues to guide you along and tell you what not to miss, a free dinner, for example.
The Libraries for the Blind Section program
The Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons Section program preceded the LBS program on Tuesday morning. The LSPD program discussed library services to dyslexic patrons, with excellent practical examples and advice from Gyda Skat Nielsen and Helle Arendrup Mortensen, from Denmark, and Misako Nomura, from
Japan. The LBS program concentrated on how to make your website accessible to all users. I myself gave examples of design principles to follow when building an accessible web service. Jun Ishikawa, from Japan, explained the technical side of accessibility in greater detail and Chungho Kim presented web accessibility measures employed in Korea . And, last but not least, Jenny Nilsson, from the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille, talked about an accessible website designed for children with print impairments. The presentations compliment each other very nicely and the program was well organized and attended. The program took place in one of the largest lecture halls and simultaneous interpretation was offered. In total, approximately 170 people attended the two-hour session. Well done!
The Lesson Learned
Two very important tips were given at the Newcomers' Session: firstly, personalize your IFLA conference bag and, secondly, mingle! Both pieces of advice proved to be invaluable. There were thousands of IFLA bags about, along with their owners. Librarianship might not always be the most hip career choice so it was truly inspirational to find so many like-minded people in one place, concerned about same types of issues, eager to discuss and to exchange opinions and experiences. Being a librarian is indeed a social occupation, and that is why we also like to get together at IFLA. In the words of an Australian newcomer at the Minister's Gala Reception: "What's worse than 5.000 librarians dancing and having fun?" Answer: "Nothing!!" And we should never forget this!
Minna von Zansen
Celia Library for the Visually Impaired, Finland
LBS Standing Committee meetings in Seoul
The nine SC members who made the journey to WLIC 2007 in Seoul were richly rewarded for their efforts as Minna von Zansen's article in this newsletter testifies. We also did a lot of useful business in our Standing Committee meetings and were pleased to have input from ten observers.
Some time was dedicated to planning the Section's next biennial conference which will be held in Grahamstown, South Africa in 2007; Following the conference, we hope that delegates will travel from Grahamstown to Durban, which is the venue for the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2007 where we will have a
programme on best practice in library services for print-disabled children, organised in conjunction with the IFLA Section for Children and Young People. A call for papers was distributed widely in early September.
The section will also participate in a day long programme about libraries and social responsibility organised by IFLA Division III representing libraries that serve the general public.
Please note future dates of Standing Committee meetings in Hamburg and in Durban (below): Standing Committee members should make every effort to attend and observers are also most welcome. The meetings in Durban will be important as it will be time to elect a new Chair and Secretary.
Looking further ahead, the Section is planning a joint workshop with the DAISY Consortium in Eastern Europe in the early part of 2008.
The Standing Committee received reports on three current IFLA-funded projects. Project START, a benchmarking study carried out by Dedicon, Netherlands on behalf of the Section was almost complete. International research into funding and governance of libraries for the blind was well underway and recipients were urged to complete the survey form as soon as possible. The Section is also contributing to Division III guidelines on library services for babies and toddlers. Finally, a new
project was proposed for funding in 2007, to organise a workshop on cataloguing standards for DAISY books, that would lead to published recommendations.
Helen Brazier reported that a page of "quick links" to catalogues of accessible materials around the world had been added to NLB's website. This is the precursor to a strategic piece of work to enable clients to make a "federated search" of library catalogues, which is currently being investigated by LBS and the DAISY Consortium.
The SC received encouraging reports from the WBU Committee on Copyright and the Right to Read and from the DAISY Consortium. Hiroshi Kawamura demonstrated how disaster information can be disseminated quickly in words and pictures using DAISY on a PDA.
It was also agreed to ask the Ulverscroft Foundation for a further round of funding for Best Practice Awards in 2007. See the pleasing outcome reported elsewhere in this newsletter.
Full details of SC meetings can be found in the file archive on the Section's smartgroup. Membership of the smartgroup is free to all. To receive an invitation, please email
Helen Brazier, Secretary
helen.brazier@nlbuk.org
Dates for your diary 2007
27-28 February: mid-year Standing Committee meeting, Hamburg, Germany
14-15 August: IFLA LBS conference, Grahamstown, South Africa
18 August: SCI meeting, Durban, South Africa
19-23 August: WLIC, Durban, South Africa
24 August: SCII meeting, Durban, South Africa
DAISY and Integrated Digital Library
The 2006 Seoul DAISY and Integrated Digital Library workshop was held in Seoul on 17-18 August, hosted by the Korean Braille Library.
200 Braille librarians and other personnel responsible for the welfare of the visually impaired gathered from 17 countries. They shared their opinions about the present and future of Braille libraries. The 2006 Seoul workshop was held prior to the WLIC, a meeting place for representatives from Braille Libraries all over the world. There were participants from South East Asia who took part in the international Braille conference for the first time. This conference provided a unique opportunity for Braille librarians from developing and developed countries to meet each other.
On 17th, the conference was held at the Olympic Parktel. Participants had a chance to discuss the development of digital talking books and digital libraries in each country.
At the reception following the conference, the blind clarinetist Mr. Sang-jae Lee, delivered a great performance for the participants. The following day, the visits to the
Korean Braille Library, The National Museum of Korea and the Massage Center of the Visually Impaired were scheduled.
When the participants visited the Korean Braille library, they had a look at the process of producing Braille and digital talking books, and they shared their opinions on it. They were very impressed and interested in the tactile books and mixed Braille and ink print) books for children.
The participants also visited the massage therapists at the Massage Center of the Visually Impaired. Through this visit program, they had a chance to have a massage and obtain a greater understanding of Korean culture.
Keun Hae Yuk
First announcement: IFLA LBS Preconference in Grahamstown, South Africa 14 – 15 August 2007
Prior to the World Library and Information Congress in Durban, South Africa the LBS Section will arrange a Preconference in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape . Local host is the South African Library for the Blind, also called Blindlib.
To get there you have to fly to Port Elizabeth . People from Europe, Asia and America have to fly to either Johannesburg or Cape Town and take a connecting flight from there to Port Elizabeth, usually called PE. Transport by bus or taxi will be arranged by the local organizers.
Registration will start at the end of February 2007 when there also will be a complete programme. All members will receive invitations, registration form etc. There will also be an exhibition of products related to our special field.
Grahamstown is a charming historical university town, Rhodes University and the big cultural centre " Settlers Monument " dominate. The town is also known for its national Arts Festival each June/July. Blindlib is situated in the High street in the centre of the town.
The temperature in Grahamstown in August is somewhere between 17°- 25°C . However you can experience four seasons in one day! It is recommended that you bring along a jacket.
More information will become available on the Blindlib website www. blindlib.com.
More information about Grahamstown can be found at www.grahamstown.co.za
Draft Programme IFLA Libraries for the Blind Satellite Meeting 14-15 August, 2007
Grahamstown, Cape, South Africa
Theme: Library Service for print disabled people: a tool for literacy
Objective: To help build capacity for library services involved in the production of literature in alternate accessible formats in Africa
Target audience: People working in libraries and organisations that produce books in accessible formats as well as people working in education, from Southern and other parts of Africa where English is spoken
Number of delegates: Around 100 delegates
Venue: JLB Institute in Grahamstown Accommodation: Various; including hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfasts
Conference fee: Approximately 500-600 USD (not yet fixed as we hope for more sponsorship)
The main programme elements will be:
1. Opening/Key note speaker
2. Context/Issues
* What is IFLA?
* The current situation in Southern Africa : issues, data, problems etc
* User perspectives
* Impact and "politics"
* Copyright and interlending
3. Library materials now and in the future Best practice examples and their suitability for different audiences
* Braille
* DAISY – digital books for the print disabled
* Children's books
4. Accessible online services
* Networks challenges
5. Library services
* Mdantsane Public Library integrating DAISY services in a public library in South Africa
* What Blindlib can offer
6. Catalouging
There will be an exhibition in conjunction with the conference.
For more information contact Beatrice on e-mail: bea.christensen@tpb.se
MDANTSANE PUBLIC LIBRARY - A REALITY!!
Mdantsane in has one Public Library which serves a population of about 170.000 people. Studies show that of this population, 1.693 people have some form of visual impairment which can be broken down further into age groups as follows:
0-4 years 121 people
5-14 years 315 people
15-34 years 639 people
35-64 years 512 people
65 and older 106 people
This project aims to extend Blindlib's free library and information service to blind and print disabled people residing in the Mdantsane, Buffalo City district in the Eastern Cape ( South Africa ), in partnership with the Raith Foundation. Visually impaired people residing in Mdantsane who have special reading needs will soon be able to enjoy access to reading material in the format and language of their choice.
The roll-out of this project includes the setting up of and the administration of a Minilib, by providing a digital library and information service to those who read differently in the Mdantsane district. This will include the installation of an adaptive computer workstation which will be resident in the Mdantsane Public Library. The workstation will store a selection of books which will be periodically updated (monthly) with new titles distributed by Blindlib on a CD/Flash Drive . Old books will be weeded from the system to ensure that the hard-drive does not exceed storage
capacity. This means that Mdantsane will be Blindlib's first Minilib that will be circulating DAISY books - a noteworthy milestone!
This workstation will also facilitate the downloading of DAISY books onto DAISY playback devices which may be borrowed from the Mdantsane Public Library. This will enable blind and print impaired readers to take books home to read, thereby enabling visually impaired students with their study work.
Libraries should be places of refuge for everyone, including those who are blind or have print disabilities. This project works towards encouraging partnerships to bridge the technological divide that exists between the blind and print disabled persons on one hand, and their sighted counterparts on the other.
"The end result of this project ‘Mdantsane Minilib' will go a long way towards achieving our overall goal – for every blind and print disabled person in South Africa being able to read the book of their choice in the language of their choice in the environment of their choice" says Blindlib Marketing Manager, Wendy Ling. "But
without the help received from The Raith Foundation, this project would still be sitting on the planning ‘backburner'", she concludes.
Wendy Ling, Blindlib South Africa
Guidelines translated into Croatian
In 2004 IFLA published "Libraries for the Blind in the Information Age: Guidelines for Development" by Rosemary Kavanagh and Beatrice Christensen Sköld. These guidelines have now been translated into Croatian and was launched on November 6, in the City Library of Koprivnica, Croatia .
FNB changes name to Dedicon
The Federation of the Dutch Libraries for the Blind, FNB, has changed its name to Dedicon. This happened on July 1st 2006. More information about the name change and other changes in the organization can be obtained from www.dedicon.nl
The 1 st of November 2006, Mr Maarten Verboom succeeded Ms Marijke van Bodengraven as Director of Dedicon. Mr Verboom is Dedicon's former Deputy Director.
New leaders
Penny Hartin head of new WBU Office
A new office of the World Blind Union has been established in Toronto, Canada . Dr Penny Hartin, is well known to WBU, as she is currently its North merica/Caribbean Regional President. She is a longstanding member of CNIB's staff and has for the past couple of years been the Director of CNIB's new international programme called Blindness International.
New Director in Norway
Øyvind Engh (MBA) has been appointed Executive Director of the Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB). He has previously employed been by Econ, a leading Nordic consulting firm in economic analysis, where he worked as a senior advisor. He has solid experience of the Norwegian public sector, analysis of government organisations and appropriation issues.
New leader of Blindlib
The new Director of the South African Library for the Blind (Blindlib) is Francois Hendrikz. He obtained his Masters degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Pretoria in 1986. His latest employment was as director of Mpumalanga Provincial Library and Information Science.
Ulverscroft Grant
The Ulverscroft Foundation has generously agreed to make a grant of GBP 20.000 in 2007 for another round of Ulverscroft Foundation – IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section best practice awards.
There will be a press release shortly at www.foundation.ulverscroft.com This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals and organizations to make international links and progress projects of wide ranging benefit.