Newsletter of the Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons

Issue 46
Spring 1998

EDITORIAL

In this issue we take a look at how hospital libraries are coping in Russia today -- this type of library has a long and interesting history, but recent political and economic changes have challenged the library profession in all areas and have caused a new awareness of the need for universal guidelines and standards, as well as for closer cooperation with colleagues in other countries.

Sweden has for many years been known for excellent library services to all citizens, and in particular to those who need outreach and other special services. But even a progressive Scandinavian country must sometimes "tighten the belt" in the face of reduced government funding. Our Swedish contribution describes how users with special needs have fared in the wake of staff reductions and diminished resources in the public library sector.

And once again we bring our readers "news from around the world" with highlights from the information sharing that took place during the Standing Committee meeting in Barcelona in March.

Most of the information and news items in this issue were furnished by the LSDP Standing Committee members. The editor, however, strongly encourages all section members and other interested persons to submit items and articles for publication. This newsletter has a worldwide audience, and we would like to give global coverage to events and information that concern librarians engaged in outreach programs and all types of services to disadvantaged persons. So keep the news coming!

HOSPITAL LIBRARIES IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Introduction

In Russia patient libraries are part of many hospitals, and one of their main purposes is to make patients feel more comfortable during their hospital stay. Some of these libraries have been in existence for a long time and have experienced staff and reasonably good collections. The roles of the libraries are not always clearly defined, which gives the hospital administration a great deal of discrepancy in deciding how the libraries will function. Most hospital libraries are in dire financial situations today and have inadequate space and collections. Many demands are being placed on the library staff, who are often not sufficiently trained to provide an effective service program. The development and adoption of guidelines and standards for Russian hospital libraries would be a major step to improvement.

Background

In 1970 there were libraries in more than four thousand medical establishments in the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet state no data have been available on the exact number of hospital libraries that survive. Today in the Russian Federation there are no definite numbers either, but Russia had retained the network of specialized libraries established by the various government agencies during the Soviet years. Hospital libraries are part of this network, and important establishments exist in Moscow, St Petersburg, Tver, and Krasnojarsk.

Many problems faced by these libraries stem from the fact that their mission and roles within the medical facility have not been clearly defined. The governance and funding structure is unclear, with certain mandates issued by the Ministry of Culture, others by the Ministry of Public Health. Staffing levels are strictly determined by the Ministry of Public Health (one librarian per 300 beds), but functions and services come under the standards for public libraries, which are not appropriate for the circumstances of hospitals; neither are these standards obligatory for hospitals, so many provide no library service. The hospitals that do provide library services fall into four categories:

• staff libraries with professional medical collections;
• patient libraries with recreational collections;
• libraries with recreational collections for both staff and patients;
• libraries combining all the above functions.

The total collections of all four types of libraries are significant. The content of the medical staff libraries corresponds with the general purpose or specialization of each facility (general hospital, psychiatric hospital, cancer clinic, research facility, etc.). Many encyclopedias, reference works, and serials were acquired over the years; today, unfortunately, many of these medical collections are dated and of limited use.

The older recreational libraries for patients had more diverse collections. As a rule, they acquired a minimum core collection of reference, classical, and ideological titles; the rest was selected according to availability on the book market and the personal preferences of staff. Today most of these materials are no longer in demand but may, after a thorough "weeding", still serve as a basic core collection. It is safe to say that the philosophy of collection development has changed profoundly during the 1990s; the emerging market economy and new technology have imposed different conditions that demand further study by the library profession.

The medical and patient libraries in Moscow deserve special mention. Their number has been reduced and the remaining libraries face difficult economic times. The patient libraries have collections ranging from 1,000 to 8,500, which do not include journals. The hospitals themselves purchased these materials. Library staff range from one to twelve persons. The location of the libraries is not always convenient for patrons and often does not meet acceptable standards. The physical access differs between single- and multi-building facilities. In single-building hospitals, the library may consist of two rooms -- one for housing the collection, the other for the circulation desk. The collection may reach 4,000 books, consisting mainly of fiction and a few reference works. The library may have a staff of two persons, who not only work in the library itself, but also provide materials to patients on the wards.

In Moscow most libraries are found in multi-building complexes, where the library service is decentralized among the buildings. These patient libraries have a long history and have sizable collections. Good examples are the Botkin Hospital and the Burdenko Military Hospital. The latter was founded in 1707 under Peter the First. Its library was established before the October Revolution but was not well managed until after 1920. A separate medical collection was also built at this military hospital. Before the Civil War, it was mainly nurses who provided patients with materials from the library. After the Civil War, books became more widely available to the broad masses who were eager to improve their learning and knowledge; at that time the hospital also increased funding for new acquisitions.

During the Second World War, the Burdenko Military Hospital was filled with wounded soldiers, and the library worked hard to meet their reading needs. Staff read newspapers and magazines aloud to the wounded, and various exhibits showcased themes related to the "Great Patriotic War." Today the collection numbers 85,000 volumes of general literature, and it also includes many rare books. Between 1,500 and 2,000 items are added each year. There is a staff of eight who serve approximately 4,000 readers per year. Because of the physical layout of this old hospital, it is impossible to use book trucks to transport materials to the wards, and the librarians must carry the books in their arms -- not an ideal situation! The Uolynskaya Hospital is in a more fortunate situation, having underground tunnels connecting its various buildings, so that books trucks can be used to transport about 150 books each.

Other hospitals have decentralized library service at several locations; this is the case of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Managing Department of the President of Russia. There is a central library in the largest building and smaller branches in the other buildings with fewer beds. The combined system is under the direction of a single chief librarian. The collections comprise a broad spectrum of subjects and are fully cataloged. The library staff are sensitive to the varying needs and interests among patient types and consider these factors in their selection of materials. The patients may personally check out books in the library or may have materials brought to their bedside. The book trucks visit the wards weekly. This hospital also operates a medical staff library, which is housed in a separate area, although all services are centrally administered. In the library of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Presidential Administration, library service is very similar, except this facility does not have a staff library.

Current Situation

Today all Russian hospital libraries face the same problems, primarily inadequate funding and insufficient/inappropriate space. The librarians are familiar with IFLA's standards for hospital libraries which, unfortunately, have not been widely accepted by the medical establishments. Also, there is no special training for hospital librarians; at best, staff with a general library education are employed, but more often they are specialists in other areas. Some library staff have only a general secondary education.

Russian librarians are familiar with the concept of bibliotherapy, but the practice has not been integrated into patient treatment programs. No research is being conducted in this field and, until recently, information from other countries on this subject was scarce and often too general to be of any use. Now, however, through contact with IFLA, and in particular members of the Section of Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons, information on bibliotherapy and hospital libraries in general has become much more available. The draft of the revised Guidelines for Hospital Libraries has also elicited a lively discussion among Russian librarians. We are hopeful that a closer relationship with IFLA will increase our knowledge about hospital libraries, so that we can disseminate this information throughout the country and thereby improve our libraries.

(V.V. Eltsova-Strelkova is Chief of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Presidential Administration of Russia; A.I. Goncharova is Chief of the Managing Department of the President of Russia. This article is an abbreviated version of an original 1997 article in Russian.)

THE 1990s: SURVEY OF OUTREACH SERVICES IN SWEDISH PUBLIC LIBRARIES

After a substantial growth in services during the 70s and 80s, public libraries had to cope with severe budget cuts in the 90s which, of course, also impacted on services to disadvantaged persons. In spite of a growing number of customers and rising circulation figures, services had to be consolidated to the larger main libraries, with many branch libraries, bookmobiles, and extension services closing down. This has been felt especially by the elderly, the disabled and children, who are unable to travel to the central libraries. Now, fortunately, the financial woes seem to have abated, and public libraries are concentrating on finding innovative ways to serve these patrons, if only with diminished resources.

Service to the elderly in residential facilities:

Local municipalities are responsible for the care of the elderly in residential homes. Most public libraries keep deposit collections in such institutions. Librarians pay regular visits to exchange books and talk to residents and staff, sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly, depending on the size of the institution. Many residents are very old and frail and unable to read much; they do, however, enjoy music cassettes, picture books and talking books. Some public libraries provide training for nursing staff to become "cultural agents"; these persons learn about the many uses of library materials and how to integrate them into a variety of activities with the residents. The "cultural agents" meet a couple of times a year to upgrade their knowledge and go back to inform the rest of the staff and the residents about new library materials and services.

Service to homebound readers:

Elderly and disabled persons living in their own home can have library materials delivered to them. This is an old and well established service, but not all public libraries provide it. The patron telephones the library and talks with a librarian who then recommends titles according to the patron's interests and needs. When a patron first signs up for this service, a librarian usually visits the home and establishes a personal contact with the user; some librarians pay regular return visits thereafter. Not all municipalities advertise this service effectively to the homebound, partly because they lack the resources to serve new readers.

Talking book service:

The central government supports the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB) which functions as a resource library for the whole country. The borrower requests titles through his/her local library; even small libraries have a certain stock of popular talking books, but a large number of requests are referred to the county level libraries and, if not filled there, further to the TPB. Talking books are mailed without charge. They may be borrowed by the visually handicapped, the mentally retarded, dyslexic persons, persons suffering from aphasia, and those who are physically unable to hold a book. Most libraries also have talking newspapers and magazines, and many provide a personal "reading" service that allows print handicapped persons to have short printed texts converted into a talking cassette version. Talking books are very popular and the number of patrons (not all disabled) who enjoy this format is steadily growing. The very successful 1996-97 dyslexia campaign undoubtedly contributed to this popularity.

Prison libraries:

Library service to prisons in Sweden is provided by the public library in whose service area the prison is located. The prison pays operating costs and the public library manages the service. Large prisons have libraries that are open most of the day; in the smaller prisons the librarian visits a certain number of hours per week. In detention centers where inmates are confined to their cells most of the time, the librarian brings materials around on a book truck which supplements small deposit collections. Since the prison library collections are fairly small, additional materials are obtained from the public library and through interlibrary loan. Many prisoners speak languages other than Swedish, and deposit collections in a variety of languages are made available.

Hospital libraries:

Many patient libraries have been scaled back or have closed completely during the last four to five years, in particular in the bigger cities. The remaining libraries are smaller and employ less staff. In some hospitals, service consists of "self-service" deposit collections on the wards and in waiting rooms; in other places there is regular book truck service to the wards. The hospital libraries employ trained salaried staff and do not depend on unpaid volunteers.

Conclusion:

In spite of hard times, many effective library outreach programs survive. The availability of talking books, large print books, and easy-to-read titles has increased in the last few years, and these materials have become an integral part of almost any public library collection. Most libraries today are wheelchair accessible, and public libraries continue to serve the home bound, prisoners, and hospital patients. Public librarians, however, now face some significant challenges: 1) to heighten awareness among politicians of the important role outreach services play in the lives of many citizens; 2) to better publicize existing services to patrons; and 3) to develop more cost-effective ways of delivering those services.

(Information furnished by Birgitta Irvall, Stockholm)

STANDING COMMITTEE MIDYEAR MEETING IN BARCELONA

On March 2-3, 1998, thirteen members of the Standing Committee met in beautiful Barcelona to conduct the sometimes tedious business of the section and prepare for the annual IFLA conference in Amsterdam. Our two local co-hostesses, Teresa Pagès and Carme Mayol, had worked hard to take care of the practical arrangements for our busy days which, besides the business meetings, included several social events and library visits.

On the first day we met at the comfortable meeting facilities of the Servei de Biblioteques (Library Service) of the Diputació de Barcelona (Barcelona Provincial Council). This agency functions as a central library service to the municipalities in the province. It monitors adherence to standards by the public libraries (115 libraries and 6 bookmobiles); provides financial support, material resources, training, technical support and consultation; and coordinates activities of the provincial public library network. The SC members toured the premises and observed how materials are received, sorted, and distributed to member libraries. Business continued the following day at the Biblioteca Popular Can Castells in Sant Boi de Llobregat just south of Barcelona, where Teresa Pagès is director. The participants toured the beautiful building which was once the private home of a wealthy local family. The SC meeting had been arranged to coincide with the inauguration of a new service -- the first of its kind in a pulic library in Spain, the "Servicio de access compartido" (shared access service). In partnership with the company Activa-Icon, the library will use Smart Card technology to provide access to the following services:

• full Internet access;
• establishment of personal e-mail accounts;
• shared access to other information sources and systems;
• electronic payment of bills.

Activa-Icon gave a demonstration of these services to the SC members and many other guests and local dignitaries. Afterwards a delicious lunch was served on the terrace overlooking the garden. But business had to go on, and in the afternoon the Standing Committee reconvened at the Library School of the University of Barcelona. A tour of the facility followed with the opportunity to admire a special exhibit that featured student works, writings and research related to library services to persons with disabilities and special needs. Carme Mayol, professor at the Library School, had organized this exhibit; she is also the driving force behind the school's courses on library services to disadvantaged persons. With the business agenda concluded, the participants had a chance to talk with students and faculty over a glass of Catalan "cava." That evening, the Diputació generously hosted a marvelous dinner at an elegant harborside restaurant, and lively conversation flowed until late at night.

With the official agenda wrapped up, some SC members on the third day took the opportunity to visit a prison library near Barcelona, while others added some sightseeing to their stay in this most elegant and historically interesting city.

NEW STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER

After graduating in 1964 with a masters degree from the University of Stockholm, I started working with cataloging in the Swedish Royal Library. From 1968 to 1972 I worked in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress, where I cataloged Scandinavian literature for the Shared Cataloging Program. It was four very exciting years, but I decided to return to Sweden and study towards a degree in library science at the library school in Borås.

After graduation in 1976, instead of returning to work in a research library, I changed my focus to the public library sector and started working for the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille. I came to that library at a very exciting moment. In 1980, the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille became a government library and funding was significantly increased. I stayed fifteen years and worked first as head of the production department for talking books and braille and later as head of the information department. In the 1980s the library was very busy producing talking books and building a cooperative network with all the public libraries in Sweden. It was a period of economic growth and creativity, and to be part of this development was a very rewarding professional experience for me.

In 1991 I took a new position as library consultant with the county library in Stockholm. My area of specialization was service to the elderly and the handicapped. I helped the 25 libraries in the county build good services for these patron groups, primarily through professional development and training of library staff. Then in March of this year I was appointed director of the public library in Österåker, a municipality of about 30,000 north of Stockholm.

Since 1992 I have served as a board member of the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille and since 1994 as chairperson of the Committee for Outreach Services of the Swedish Library Association. I was very proud to be nominated as a LSPD Standing Committee member, and I hope I will be able to make a contribution to the work of the Section.

AMSTERDAM PREVIEW

HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD

SPAIN

Service to Hospitals: The Center of Coordinated Libraries in the Consejeria de Cultura in Malaga in late 1997 began its service to hospital patients. The service is provided as an extension program of the Provincial Public Library but is financed as a "special" service by the Consejeria de Cultura. Approximately two and a half million pesetas over two years have been allocated to collection development, printing of catalogues, and other program costs. A basic collection of five hundred titles is available, consisting of fiction, story collections, and non-fiction subjects. The books are housed in the Provincial Coordinating Center, and initially one 70-bed hospital is being served. Once a week four volunteers from the Red Cross visit the hospital with two trunks of books and the general catalogue. Four social workers at the hospital serve as local coordinators and liaison staff between patients and the Red Cross volunteers and gather information about the medical conditions and the reading interests of the patients. During the first three months of the program, forty-five books were borrowed by patients who, like the medical staff, have welcomed this new service. The program is still being fine-tuned, but the service providers are optimistic about the future of their hospital extension program. (Maria Luisa Toran)

More on Hospital Libraries: In October 1997, the first seminar on hospital libraries was held at a hospital near Barcelona with attendance of more than 130 librarians from all parts of Spain. Discussed was, among other things, the result of a national survey on the status of hospital libraries. The survey was sent to 170 hospitals but, unfortunately, had a response rate of only 28%. Thirty-six hospitals indicated that they provided library service to patients, generally through the local public library. A guest speaker at the seminar was Maija Berntson from Finland, who talked about the long existing service to hospitals in Helsinki dating back to 1945. A working group was established to develop a directory of Spanish hospital libraries and a basic bibliography for patient library collections. (M. Teresa Pagès)

Seminar on Disadvantaged Persons and Public Libraries: In October 1997 the Andalusian Public Library held its first seminar on the subject of public library service to disadvantaged persons. Participating in this event were librarians, students, and representatives of organizations serving various disadvantaged population groups, including cultural minorities. A special guest speaker was Kjerstin Thulin, Director of the Stockholm County (Sweden) Library and former chair of the IFLA Section of Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons. She stressed the important role public libraries can play in the lives of these people and introduced some new ideas to the Spanish participants. A lively debate followed on the various needs of special users and the services and programs currently offered by the public libraries to meet these needs. (Maria Luisa Toran)

Public Library in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Catalonia): The Biblioteca Can Castells has an extensive program of serving homebound readers, hospital patients, and the elderly in residential facilities in the community. The library is also working with the local social services department on a program to better integrate disabled persons into the community. The program is called "A World Without Barriers," and the library is assessing existing access barriers to its building, collections and programs. ( M. Teresa Pagès)

Growing Interest in Easy-to-Read Materials: The idea of producing and adapting publications specifically for persons with reading disabilities is gaining many advocates in Spain. The idea is being promoted by library educators at seminars and conferences and through research and publications. The new IFLA/LSDP "Guidelines for Easy-to-Read Materials" are being widely discussed - the publication has been translated into Catalan - and various models from other countries for the production of easy-to-read materials are being studied. Support from private foundations is available for the publication of such materials in the Catalan language, as soon as final recommendations are agreed upon. (Carme Mayol)

DENMARK

Serving Patrons with Senile Dementia: The Sollerod Public Library has a long history of serving elderly persons in residential care facilities; now the library has a new program that specifically targets persons with senile dementia. Visiting library staff provide stimulating activities like storytelling with colorful illustrations, music and songs, and engage residents in discussions about program related topics. Special programs are planned around holiday celebrations. The monthly visit by library outreach staff has already become an eagerly awaited event in the lives of the elderly residents. (Gyda Skat Nielsen)

Textbooks on Tape: The Danish Dyslexia Association, in cooperation with librarians working in the field of dyslexia, has established a committee (chaired by LSDP standing committee member Gyda Skat Nielsen) to develop a plan for coordinated production of textbooks on tape, the central registration of such materials, and a central copyright depository library. Publishers and agencies producing textbooks on tape have been invited to an initial planning meeting. The committee is confident that central coordination among producers, public agencies, and support organizations will result in better service to dyslexic students and other persons with reading disabilities. (Gyda Skat Nielsen)

NORWAY

Video Book Project: A three-year Norwegian video book project was just completed with the production of more than thirty titles. Copies of these books are distributed at no cost to about seventy public libraries around the country. They are targeted at deaf patrons, and members of the deaf community were involved in the development of the project. The government allocated about nine million Norwegian kroner to this program. An orientation about the video books will be given at the April 98 Norwegian Library Conference in order to familiarize librarians with the use of these resources. An annotated catalogue gives full details about each book: length, inclusion of spoken and/or signed language, adult or juvenile content, etc. Most of the video books contain both spoken and signed language so that both hearing and deaf persons can enjoy these materials. (Ka-Jo Carlsen)

Talking Books: Talking books are very popular with all types of library users. It is estimated that in 1997 total circulation figures will surpass one million - and that is in a country with a population of 4.5 million. (Ka-Jo Carlsen)

UNITED KINGDOM

Disability Discrimination Act: The Disability Discrimination Act which came into force some time ago is now beginning to demonstrate its strengths and weaknesses. Mainly weaknesses, since much of the legislation is permissive rather than obligatory. Even so, those who seek to serve the people at whom the Act is aimed do have a template they can apply directly and persuasively. It is encouraging to see libraries addressing the needs of people with disabilities in the development of services, and there are many examples of this happening. Likewise, many organisations are producing their information in alternative formats. (Peter Craddock)

Equal Access to Information: The British government recently published a discussion paper on an intended Freedom of Information Act - a significant event, even though such legislation is thirty years overdue. Important is, however, that the need for equitable access for those who have difficulties in reading is implicit to legislation of this kind. A leaflet explaining the proposed legislation perhaps demonstrates an awareness of this issue by the government - it is available in large print, Braille, and audio cassette, as well as the following languages: Welsh, Bengali, Gujarti, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and Chinese. (Peter Craddock)

"The New Library: The People's Network": This report was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and published by the Library and Information Commission in 1997. It considers the future of the public library in a networked society. If the public libraries are going to maintain their position in the information society, they need to make full use of new information and communications technologies (ICT). This report considers how public libraries can best exploit these technologies. Central to the discussion are user needs, service provision, and training. In outlining the benefits of "tomorrow's new library," the report identifies six major roles:

• education and life long learning;
• citizen's information and involvement in society;
• business and the economy, training and employment;
• community history and community identity;
• the National Digital Library;
• developing the libraries' role.

The report recommends development of a Public Library Networking Agency to coordinate UK-wide networking developments. Such a development would include 1) a centrally managed network to provide core "backbone" services; 2) a standard connection to the existing library authority networks; and 3) central funding for library authorities to upgrade their existing networks and access devices. Costs are estimated at approximately £730 million and would come from a variety of sources, including central government, local government, and the private sector. Reaction to the report from the library profession has been extremely positive. The Library Association concludes that "it not only articulates the role and value of public libraries and librarians in the emerging 'information' or 'learning' society but maps out the route to achieve this vision. It is a report that should be owned and promoted by the whole library community as it represents the best opportunity for growth and development that public libraries have been offered for a generation." The full text of the report can be found on the Web at http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/lic/newlibrary/(Sue Lithgow)

USA

Three major issues have occupied the library community throughout the US during the last year:

"Outsourcing": There is strong debate about the practice of contracting with vendors to provide specific services that used to be part of core library functions, e.g., book selection and cataloging, as well as new operations like technology support and network systems. The key concern is the impact of "outsourcing" on the library profession and the definition of a professional librarian, as the profession is changing in our modern knowledge society. (Vibeke Lehmann)

Internet Filters: The key issue is whether the library should provide access to all information on the Internet or be obliged to install filter software to protect children from potentially "harmful" materials, like pornography. Since there is no consensus on what constitutes "harmful" information, this issue has become very troublesome, in particular for public and school libraries, some of which have come under heavy political pressure and threats of law suits to act one way or the other. Local communities are divided on the issue; the American Library Association (ALA) has taken a firm stand against filters and defends free access as a fundamental constitutional right of citizens. (Vibeke Lehmann)

Copyright Legislation: The US Congress is about to act on the most sweeping revision of the current copyright act since 1976. Librarians along with a broad coalition of other organizations (Digital Future Coalition) are working hard to preserve a fair balance between the needs of information users and information generators. The "fair use" clause of the existing copyright law gives considerable exemptions to libraries and educational institutions for the use and distribution of copyrighted materials, and the fear is that this right may be significantly curtailed or completely eliminated under the proposed revision. (Vibeke Lehmann)

Statewide Information Network: In the state of Wisconsin, a major conference took place in February 1998 to forge strategies for the development of a statewide information network for the 21st century that would include all types of libraries. The conference was the culmination of many months of planning by representatives from public, academic, school, and special libraries, as well as legislators, library trustees, and local governments. The conference participants debated hard to gain consensus on what such a network should look like, how it would be funded, and how the responsibility for implementation would be divided between local authorities and the state library agency. The final report is due by the end of the summer. (Vibeke Lehmann)

Prison and Mental Health Institution Libraries: The prison and mental institution patient libraries in Wisconsin have also gone through an elaborate strategic planning process over the last year and a half, using an institution library planning model and accompanying step-by-step manual as a guiding tool. Emphasis has been on defining appropriate and realistic roles for the libraries and developing a long-range plan for each of twenty-four facilities. These plans are to reflect the uniqueness of each institution and at the same time to adhere to nationally accepted standards, as e.g. the 1992 ALA/ASCLA Library Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions. This planning process has been a profound learning experience for the participants and an extraordinary opportunity to reexamine priorities. (Vibeke Lehmann)

IFLA Working Group on Literacy and Reading Promotion: Short Progress Report

New Literacy Report From IALS Released

BOOK REVIEW

Both authors are eminently qualified to write about the topic. Diane P. Wormsley is Coordinator of the Education of Children and Youth with Visual and Multiple Impairments Program at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. In addition, she is Education Manager at Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to that she was Director of the American Foundation for the Blind's National Initiative on Literacy. She is also the co-author of Foundations of Braille Literacy and the Understanding Braille Literacy video.

Her co-author, Frances Mary D'Andrea, is Manager of the National Initiative on Literacy and coordinates the National Braille Literacy Mentor Project of the American Foundation for the Blind in Atlanta, Georgia. She is editor of DOTS for Braille Literacy and was previously a teacher of visually impaired students in various schools.

The authors' stated purpose, as indicated in the foreword, is to attempt to capture the oral tradition of teaching Braille reading and writing. This oral tradition began when Braille became the literacy medium for blind or visually impaired children and adults. The reason for producing this publication was also the fact that many of the pioneers of this oral tradition, Braille literacy teachers and instructors with years of experience, are now reaching retirement age. Thus it was high time to compile this book and record the findings of the authors for future generations.

The book is divided into eight chapters, covering everything from "Braille as the Primary Literacy Medium" in the first chapter, to the latest in technologies "Access to Information: Technology and Braille" in the last chapter.

Each chapter starts with a paragraph describing a special case of either a blind reader a visually impaired person, child or adult, in need of using Braille. For example, in chapter 1, "Braille as the Primary Literacy Medium: General Guidelines and Strategies," the case of Cassandra is cited, a student with low vision in the sixth grade. The case of an adult, a keynote speaker at a national conference, is also mentioned, because he worked partially from his Braille notes which allowed him to maintain eye contact with the audience.

Chapter 2, "Fostering Emergent Literacy," also starts with two brief case histories, the first of a two-year old who is legally blind, and the second of a four-year old little boy, blind from glaucoma. This chapter tackles in great detail how children are introduced to literacy when they are blind. Promotion of early learning experiences, language development, early learning experiences, interaction with the environment, and body image, are all covered from the child's perspective.

Some of the most interesting chapters of the book are those entitled "Teaching Braille to Students with Special Needs" and "Teaching Braille Reading and Writing to Students who Speak English as a Second Language." It is, of course, a special challenge to teach Braille to children who are legally blind or visually impaired. However, since 60 percent of young children with severe visual impairments happen to have multiple disabilities, these students may in addition to their visual impairments have other, very special needs. And, of course, there are all the visually impaired children and youngsters who came to the United States from other countries like Mexico, Thailand, Haiti, and whose special language needs, in addition to their visual needs, have to be individually addressed. These children often need more attention as their disabilities may have been neglected in their countries of origin, where facilities, such as can be found in the United States, are regrettably unavailable.

The book contains a lengthy, although not exhaustive, list of resources at the end, which will be of great help to teachers providing instruction in Braille reading and writing. The list includes curriculum materials, products, and teaching materials, as well as resources for parents and the names of relevant national organizations.

It is worth mentioning that a companion volume to this publication, also published by AFB Press, is entitled Foundations of Rehabilitation Teaching with Persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired, authored by Paul E. Ponchillia and Susan V. Ponchillia.

Reviewed by Anne M. Galler, Associate Professor of Library Studies, Department of Education, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.

IFLA Section for Libraries for the Blind
IFLA Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons
Full Day Workshop, Thursday August 20, 1998

Programme

09.00 Introduction
Sue Lithgow SLSDP, Beatrice Christensen Sköld SLB

09.15 The Disability Discrimination Act in the UK
Cathy Evans

10.00 The Needs of Information of the Deaf Blind Reader
Shinichiro Kadokawa, Chairman of the Osaka Deafblind Friends Association, Japan

10.40 Large print in the Netherlands
Marij Schols, Nederlandse Luister en Braillebibliotheek (the Dutch Library of Audio and Braille)

11.10 New technology and the elderly
Dr Britt Östlund of the University of Linköping, Sweden

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Reading representatives - a model for library service to Easy-to-read-customers
Bror Tronbacke and Lotta Rosenström, The Easy-to-read Foundation, Sweden

13.50 The Mediatechque of La cité in Paris
Marie-Pierre Tallec

14.40 Panel discussion
The above speakers and the auditorium

15.30 Conclusion
Sue Lithgow and Beatrice Christensen Sköld

Newsletter of the IFLA Section of Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons
Edited by Vibeke Lehmann, Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 7925, Madison, WI 53707, USA
FAX: +608-266-5069
E-mail: vibeke.lehmann@doc.state.wi.us

Deadline for fall 1998 issue is November 1, 1998