Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons

Annual Report 1998

Scope

This Section provides an international forum for the discussion of ideas, sharing of experiences and development of projects designed to promote and improve the effectiveness of library and information services to such groups, and the promotion of national and international cooperation at all levels.

Membership

Officers

Officers

Secretary/treasurer
Bror Tronbacke

Information Co-ordinator
Vibeke Lehmann

Meetings

1. Mid-Year Meeting March 2-3, 1998, Barcelona

   The Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons (LSDP) held a two day Mid-Year meeting in Barcelona. There were 13 members in attendance including one of the Section's corresponding members. The first day of the meeting was held at Servei de Biblioteques (Library Service) of the Diputacio de Barcelona (Barcelona Provincial Council) and the second day at the Biblioteca Popular Can Castells in Sant Boi de Llobregat just south of Barcelona. Guided tours were arranged in both libraries and a visit to Barcelona's womens prison library was also arranged.

2. Annual Conference Meeting August 15 & 21, Amsterdam

   There were 14 members, including one corresponding member, present at the Annual Conference Standing Committee, plus 4 observers.

Projects

1. Production and Translation of Guidelines for Easy-to-Read Materials

   Leader: Bror Tronbacke
   English version now available and marketing flyer produced. Spanish draft is now complete and German translation is in progress.

2. Production of Guidelines for Library Services to Patients

   Leader: Nancy Panella
   Due to recent fundamental changes and developments in the provision of library and information services to patients - the Section decided to review the rationale of this project. Under the new leadership of Nancy Panella an extensive literature review and survey have now been conducted. The results of this work will be presented at the 1999 Mid-Year Meeting and the Section will then decide how to proceed with this project.

3. LSDP Section Resource Book

   Leader: Anne Galler
   Following an extensive literature survey and other preliminary groundwork, a project proposal was submitted to the CB to produce a Resource Book for the LSDP Section. This two year project will include a history of the Section, a bibliography of Section and other relevant IFLA conference papers and articles as well as annotated subject bibliographies relating to individual disadvantaged user groups.

4. Revision of Guidelines for Library Services to the Deaf

   Leader: John Day
   As a result of recent changes in library and information provision to the deaf, especially technological advances, the Section agreed to revise this 1994 publication. The first draft will be presented at the 1999 Mid-Year meeting.

Publications

Anne Galler. "The inclusion of library services to disadvantaged persons in library
school curricula: A survey." IFLA Journal 23.5/6 (1997): 365-370. (Print)

Anne Galler. "The inclusion of library services to disadvantaged persons in library
school curricula: A survey." Feliciter 44.7/9 (1998).(Print)

The Section has published two Newsletters (Fall '97 and Spring '98) both of which also appear on IFLA-Net. (Print and electronic www.ifla.org/VII/s9/slsdp.htm)

In 1998 the Section brochure was translated into German. Plans are now underway to revise the brochure and translate it into Russian, thereby completing the quota of all five IFLA languages. (Print)

Conference Programmes

Open Session

Attendance: c60 Simultaneous interpretation

Teresa Pagès Director, Biblioteca Can Castells, Barcelona, Spain
'On New Information Technologies and Disabilities'.

Abstract:
NITs (New Information Technologies) increasingly invade our daily lives. They change our relationships with others altering in particular the space-time relation. The normality of our behaviour vis-à-vis NITs makes us forget that people with disadvantages, who live and work in our midst, lack the possibility to react the same way we do. If within the context of pilot projects some disadvantaged persons have been able to come into contact with and use NITs (computer facilities in special centres, sophisticated mobile equipment, and so on), the fact remains that most of them are marginalised from NIT employment in general. It is within the context of "standard" NITs that we will try to examine how the technological society sees our attempt to "over-marginalise" people with disabilities at the dawn of the 21^st century.

Joe D Hendry, County Heritage Services Officer, Cumbria, United Kingdom,
'The contribution of public libraries to higher education opportunities for the socially and economically deprived in rural societies'.

Abstract:
This paper considers the role of public libraries with regard to higher education opportunities for disadvantaged groups in rural communities. Cumbria is one of Britain's most isolated rural areas and developments in information and communications technologies have the potential to significantly reduce such isolation. This paper discusses the Genesis Project, a recent initiative which in harnessing these technologies, is seeking to develop a new community-based method of providing life-long learning at every level.

Full day joint workshop with Section for the Blind

Attendance: 68 Sign language interpretation

Sue Lithgow and Beatrice Christensen Sköld:

Introduction

Lotta Rosenström,

The Swedish Easy-to-Read Foundation, 'Reading representatives - a model for library services to Easy-to-Read customers'.

Shin Kadokawa, Japanese Deaf-blind Association,

The information needs of the deaf-blind reader

Marij Schols, Nederlandse Luister-en Braillebibliotheek,

'Large print in the Netherlands'.

Cathy Evans, Worcestershire County Council, UK,

'The Disability Discrimination Act in the UK'.

Marie-Pierre Tallec, Mediatheque de la Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, Paris,

'Visually impaired readers in public libraries: the Louis-Braille Reading Room'.

All the above speakers:

panel discussion

Relationships with other bodies

Swedish Easy-to-Read Foundation - see workshop above. In addition this company has also sponsored conference paper translation, marketing literature and other supporting activities.

World Federation for the Deaf - together with the IFLA Executive and Professional Board, the Section is currently investigating the feasibility of sign language interpretation at future IFLA conferences

FORCE Worldwide Support Libraries for Print-Handicapped - liaison for future co-operation.

Other events