Newsletter of the Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons

Issue 48
Spring 1999

EDITORIAL

At their March meeting, the Standing Committee gave much attention to finalizing the LSDP program for the upcoming Bangkok conference. The Open Session will focus on the training and qualifications of professional staff who serve the broad spectrum of users with special needs, i.e. those who are not "traditional" library users or who are "disadvantaged" for various physical, educational, or social reasons. Persons with dyslexia, a learning disability, fall under this category, and as an introduction to our poster session in Bangkok on this topic, we here include the informative article by Gyda Skat Nielsen.

The sample of activities highlighted in our "Happenings" section also confirm that special services and outreach programs are alive and thriving around the world in spite of economic hard time in many places, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our profession!

BANGKOK PREVIEW

Meetings are scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 14:00 - 18:00, and Friday, August 27, 8:30 - 10:20.

LSDP Open Session:

Wednesday, August 25, 9:00 - 11:20. The main theme of the session is "The Training Needs of Library and Information Professionals Providing Services to Disadvantaged Persons." Four speakers are featured:

• Jan Murray (Australia), "Enhancing the Skills of School Library Staff in Catering for Individual Student Needs"
• Sujin Butdisuwan (Thailand), "Serving the Disadvantaged: A Challenge for Information Professionals in Thailand"
• Rangashri Kishore (India), "Voice of India's Disabled: Demanding Equality in Library Services"
• Vibeke Lehmann (USA), "Prison Librarians Needed: A Challenging Career for Those with the Right Professional and Human Skills."

Poster Session on Dyslexia:

Tuesday, August 24, 12:00 - 14:00, and Wednesday, August 25, 12:00 - 14:00.

Two members of the LSDP Standing Committee will present the poster session, Gyda Skat Nielsen, Head of Outreach Services, Søllerød Public Libraries, Denmark, and President of the European Dyslexia Association, and Birgitta Irvall, Director, Østeråker Public Library, Sweden. They will provide information on dyslexia, an "invisible" learning disability that affects approximately 8% of the world's population, half of them seriously. Because of their disability, dyslexic persons rarely visit a library, where they may not feel welcome, and many librarians do not have enough information to reach out and serve these persons appropriately. The poster session is designed to increase awareness of dyslexia among library professionals and to present them with ideas for enhancing services and information access to a significant group of patrons with reading difficulties.

DYSLEXIA, AN INVISIBLE HANDICAP: A CHALLENGE FOR THE LIBRARIES

Translated by Vibeke Cranfield

Reading and writing difficulties, dyslexia, is a handicap which has an impact on every day life for a very large number of people all over the world. The European Dyslexia Association (EDA) estimates that about 8% of the population in its membership countries in and outside Europe are dyslexic. This means that in the EU countries alone, more than 25 mill people have problems reading and writing. In a world full of letters, not being able to read is a major problem, and it becomes an even greater one, because it is invisible. If a person has got only one leg or is blind, other people realise this. But you do not know whether the person, you have just passed in the street, is dyslexic. Therefore, there is often a lack of understanding and tolerance towards this handicap group. People, who have problems reading and spelling, have often experienced a sense of failure in their lives, particularly during their years at school, and in many cases this has made them very vulnerable.

It is important at this point to stress the fact that being dyslexic does not mean being less intelligent than those who are proficient readers. On the contrary, many dyslexics are very bright. Famous scientists like Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr had great difficulty reading and writing. It is a well-known fact that many dyslexics have great creative ability, and that many famous exponents of literature, painting, film and theatre have problems reading and writing.

During the past few years Danish society - including the Danish library world - has shown increasing understanding of the problems associated with reading and spelling difficulties. This is largely due to active parents of dyslexic children, adult dyslexics and dedicated professionals. Their efforts have contributed to more and more dyslexics being able to speak openly about their handicap today. No doubt, it has been a considerable advantage that well-known people like actors, painters and politicians have come forward and spoken about their reading and spelling problems. Gradually the public - thanks also to the interest of the media - has come to realise that dyslexics are often very talented people with widely varying backgrounds.

Do dyslexics feel welcome in the public libraries?

It is important to remember that many weak readers feel rather uncertain about the libraries. They really feel that the libraries have nothing to offer them. "I don't visit the library, because I don't want any more failures," a dyslexic once said. For us who work there, it may be quite difficult to understand that venturing inside a library to some people presents a real barrier. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the entire library staff to make sure that the weak readers are well looked after when they do come. We ought to remember that dyslexics often have a very low self-esteem. Some may be unemployed as a result of their handicap, which does not help at all.

Increased awareness in library staff

One some times gets the impression that some librarians tend to focus more on the well-functioning and well-educated borrowers than on the weak readers, which are often considered to be "troublesome". This attitude might be due to the fact that neither the basic nor the postgraduate training of librarians and other library staff provides enough information about the various handicaps and how the libraries ought to deal with them. Fortunately, I must admit that I have noticed a tendency in the Danish public libraries to begin to realise that a large group of users do need a special form of service.

Søllerød Public Libraries

For quite a number of years the Public Libraries of Søllerød north of Copenhagen have been focusing on the weak readers. We have learnt that they are very difficult to reach, because they are unable to read the printed notices about the library's activities and possibilities. They depend to a large extent on their families and friends to pass on the message contained in any printed information from the library. In the main library of Søllerød we have a special section for borrowers with various reading handicaps - for example dyslexia. In the following I shall give some examples of the special services we are able to offer young people and adults, who are dyslexic or weak readers.

Talking books

Over the past few years Danish publishers have produced thousands of books recorded on tape. These talking books, which are always recorded in their entirety, may today be borrowed from all Danish public libraries. The talking books are not only used by people who are unable to read printed text, but by everyone who prefers to absorb the text of the book through the ear instead of the eye. This means that it has become much less a "handicap" to listen to a talking book than it was when only the handicapped were allowed to borrow them.

Some years ago the Danish National Library for the Blind opened its collections of talking books to dyslexics, and the library listens carefully to their opinions, which are voiced in several of its committees. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible for dyslexics to borrow talking books directly from the Danish National Library for the Blind in the way that blind and visually impaired people do; they have to approach their local public library first.

Easy readers

For years a group of librarians and teachers have been striving hard to convince the publishers of the great need for more easy-read fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. These books could be written specifically for the target group by writers and reading teachers together, or they could be "normal" books that have been abbreviated and partly rewritten to make them more accessible. Some easy-read books are published together with one or more tapes with the text recorded, the so-called "book + tape". In some cases the text has been recorded at moderate speed to make it easier for the dyslexic to listen and read simultaneously and in this way practice his reading abilities.

Talking periodicals

Dyslexics, like everybody else, need to read periodicals on various topics. The Danish National Library for the Blind produces a number of periodicals on tape, which the public libraries can buy. These materials are of great interest to people with reading difficulties, as without them it would be impossible for them to keep up with what is happening in science, history, medicine, interior design, the consumer world etc.

Pamphlets and leaflets on tape

The Danish National Library for the Blind each year publishes a number of pamphlets and leaflets recorded on tape with information from state, local authorities and other institutions. Most of these materials are available in our library and must be regarded as an important information service to our weak readers.

Talking newspapers

A number of Danish public libraries today publish weekly talking newspapers on tape with material from local newspapers in the area. These talking newspapers are aimed at all reading handicapped persons: the blind, the weak-sighted, people with physical handicaps, dyslexics and weak readers. Everybody should be entitled to play an active role in their local community - also those people who are unable to read printed texts. In the long run, talking newspapers will undoubtedly - like talking books, etc. - be produced and distributed in other ways than are being used today.

The Public Libraries of Søllerød were among the very first to publish a talking newspaper - that was just over 16 years ago. Our talking paper is produced once a week on the basis of material from the local papers, recorded in our studio, copied and then mailed to about 70 people. The talking newspaper is free - like all our services to the handicapped.

The reading service

About five years ago we started a reading service in Søllerød. Citizens with reading problems can bring in their private letters, articles, instructions, official letters and other printed material and have them recorded on tape. This service, too, is free. Unfortunately we do not yet have many such recording services in Denmark.

"Yak-Yak"

Last year a local association donated a large amount to our library for the purchase of equipment for various handicap groups. Some of the money was spent on a computer with a new Danish spelling programme, called "Yak-Yak". The programme is designed for people with spelling problems. Thanks to "Yak-Yak"s artificial intelligence and synthetic speech, even strongly dyslexic people can write texts, like for example letters. By using a scanner you can have the text recorded on sound. As the library staff has not really got the time to instruct the users themselves, we have arranged a course together with a specialist teacher as an experiment. Right now we are planning to arrange some courses together with a local education association.

Internet

Like many other Danish public libraries, the Søllerød Libraries are able to offer its borrowers access to the Internet. Most dyslexics today are not really able to take advantage of this service, but given the necessary extra equipment, like for example scanners, dyslexics and weak readers will in future also be able to use this medium.

CD-ROM

We offer our readers a large number of CD-ROMs, but so far unfortunately no CD-ROM programmes in Danish have been produced which are particularly aimed at adult dyslexics and which can be used in a library context. Such programmes are, however, being developed and we are following this development with great interest to make sure that we will be among the first to offer our weak readers yet another possibility of access to information. We are also keeping an eye on the development of the "DAISY" programme - a programme which is being developed by libraries for the blind all over the world in cooperation with Plextor, and which will no doubt play a major role in our future work.

What do we do to make our weak readers feel welcome in the library?

A very important question is: What can we do to make people with reading problems feel welcome in the library? And how are we going to do it with our limited economic resources?

It is essential that the materials for people with a reading handicap are placed in a central position to catch your eye the moment you enter the library. People who are not regular visitors should be able to find their way to the "their" materials, without having to ask the way and thereby reveal that they are handicapped.

Like everywhere else in the library, signposting must be clear - perhaps a stripe on the floor which leads to the relevant materials, and the section for weak readers should be attractively designed. A tape recorder should be available for use when selecting your talking books.

This model can be used in both large and small libraries. You don't need a great deal of money to create an "oasis" in the library for the weak readers. It is first and foremost a question of having the right intentions.

The responsibility of all libraries

It is absolutely essential that the entire library staff are well-informed about the various forms of handicap they might have to deal with in the course of their work. It is a good idea to invite a dyslexic to come to the library and tell the staff about his more or less positive experiences as a library user and about the kind of expectations he has of the library. We have tried this at Søllerød Libraries a couple of times - and it was a great success. It makes a profound impression on everyone to be told exactly how it feels to visit the library, when you have a reading problem.

"My private librarian"

For most dyslexics it is a great help to have their "private librarian", a librarian with a specialist knowledge of reading difficulties and about the materials available to this user group. The main library in Søllerød has realised this, and we are inviting our reading handicapped to come and meet their "private librarian" in the Department for Outreach Library Services at certain fixed times - or by appointment. Everybody is welcome and we are prepared to help in a number of ways: finding the material they want or answering practical questions in relation to their handicap, like e.g. "Where can I get help to improve my reading?"

The"dyslexia officer" must have a wide network, which includes schools, local authorities and various institutions and associations, like for instance the local dyslexia association, to help her provide the best possible service to the borrowers.

How do we make ourselves known?

In order to highlight the problem of reading difficulties we launched in Søllerød a couple of years ago a Dyslexia Campaign in cooperation with the Danish Dyslexia Association, a local boarding school for young dyslexics, and a number of other institutions and organisations. Various lectures, a "market square" with 10 different stalls, and articles in the local press put the focus on dyslexia and hopefully it contributed to creating a deeper understanding in the local community of the weak readers' problems and needs. The campaign also had the effect of making local politicians aware of the many problems associated with being dyslexic, whether your are a child or an adult.

Worth remembering

One should not expect a "boom" of dyslexic readers when the library is opened to them. Many dyslexics are very hesitant at the thought of using the library. It is therefore very important that they are encouraged to come and are made really welcome, so they feel they too belong in the library. If the staff let them down just once - for example by being patronising to them - they are unlikely ever to put their foot inside the library again.

International library work for dyslexics

In cooperation with IFLA's Section of Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons, the Section on Reading, and the Danish Professional Group of Outreach Library Services, the European Dyslexia Association in connection with the IFLA conference in Copenhagen 1997 arranged a workshop entitled "Access to Information: Serving Persons with Dyslexia". The many participants from a large number of countries and the great variety of questions underlined the general need for information about library services to dyslexics. The Section of Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons has just decided to focus on dyslexics in its future work and has appointed a working group, which is to prepare suggestions as to which measures to take.

There is no doubt that a major effort is required to provide equal opportunities for access to information for dyslexics all over the world, and it is equally obvious that it would mean a great advantage if this work could be carried out by a combined effort between professional organisations and user organisations. I should like to urge the libraries, both at national and local level, to join in a constructive cooperation with the users and the organisations. Such a joint effort could prove very successful - and would no doubt influence the attitude of the authorities empowered to make grants! For far too long dyslexics have been overlooked as a user group in the libraries. A change of attitude on behalf of the libraries would therefore be greeted with applause.

This article was first published in Scandinavian Public Library Quarterly (No. 3, 1998, p. 7-10). Reprinted with permission.

BOOK REVIEW

Guidelines for Prison Libraries.

Edited by Roy Collis and Liz Boden, for the Prison Libraries Group of the Library Association. London: Library Association Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1 85604 265 0. £15.95

Reviewed by Sue Lithgow, Open Learning Unit, Department of Information and Library Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.

The second edition of the Prison Libraries Group of the Library Association Prison Library Guidelines, are intended as a resource book for all those involved in prison library and information service provision. In this respect, the intended target group includes both the appropriate Prison Service and public library authority personnel. This second edition constitutes a comprehensive revamping of the 1981 Guidelines and this reflects the significant changes in prison library provision over the intervening fifteen years. In particular, the implementation of Service Level Agreements between library authorities and individual prison establishments, together with the appointment of professional librarians in all prison establishments has led to the need for a practical handbook of this nature. The practical value of this publication is further reflected in the experience of its editors, Roy Collis and Liz Boden, both of whom are long serving prison library practitioners.

Central to these guidelines is the recommendation of minimum standards in terms of the level of service provision required. In this respect the editors deal with all the main service components in turn; the nature of the service required, provision of library materials, promotion of library services, staffing of library services, accommodation and finance and management. These standards are also usefully summarised at the beginning of the book.

The guidelines begin by considering the 'Nature of the service required'. This is discussed in terms of the changing nature and purpose of custody itself as well as the nature of the prison population. In doing so, the editors enable us to see that whilst the traditional information, cultural and recreational role of the public library is equally relevant in a prison context, due to the constraints of the environment these objectives are more difficult to maintain in a prison setting. In this respect, reference is also made to the legislation governing prison library provision.

In keeping with the shared objectives of public library services, the editors maintain that prison libraries should adhere to similar policies in terms of the range and level of stock that prison libraries hold. Suggestions are given as to the type of materials that this will generally include. Above all else the stock needs to reflect the needs of the prison population, and where necessary this should be supplemented by an appropriate request service which should draw upon regional, national and international networks if necessary. This section moves beyond broad guidelines and suggests minimum standards in terms of stock levels with a minimum stock of 2000 items or 10 per prisoner, whichever is the greater. Guidance is also given on stock maintenance and control. Censorship is also touched upon and the editors remind us that this is kept to a minimum and any material that is removed is only done so in the interests of 'good order and control'. A feature of this publication is that where necessary, readers are usefully directed to supporting information in the Appendices. In the case of censorship, a relevant article from Extend the Horizons of Your Prison Library has been included.

These guidelines also include a very useful Chapter on the 'Promotion of library services'. Library promotion is particularly important in a prison setting, partly because of the additional need to raise awareness and seek acceptance within a closed environment but also because of the prevalence of first time or inexperienced users. Guidance is therefore given on the arrangement of stock, guiding, display and promotional activities. Throughout this publication emphasis has been given to the fundamental importance of professional librarians in prison libraries. This is particularly so in the case of library promotion where in spite of effective signposting, guiding and display there is no substitute for the on-site presence of knowledgeable, approachable and helpful professional library staff. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the need for a user education programmes for both staff and inmates alike.

The staffing of prison libraries is also given separate consideration in Chapter 4. Once again minimum standards are given, this time in terms of professional librarian hours per size of population. The baseline is that weekly librarian hours should at least equate to the library's opening hours. This Chapter also discusses the composition and function of the library management team, together with the role of the library orderlies and prison library officers. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of staff training for librarians, officers and inmates. It is crucial that new librarians receive a prison induction but it is equally important that relevant prison staff receive a library induction. Only in this way can a shared understanding of the service provision needs and constraints ever be achieved.

Chapter 5 is given over to prison library accommodation. Ideally, the prison library will be purpose built but the editors note that libraries are often housed in 'whatever, space is available, however inadequate'. The acknowledgement of such difficulties adds to the practical value of this publication. The editors realise that local conditions will prevent certain establishments from acting fully upon their guidelines and therefore advise that as far as possible, they at least apply the principles of what is being put forward. In this light, guidance is given on such factors as the size and location of the library, together with its layout and technical requirements.

The final Chapter of this book is concerned with the 'Finance and management' of prison libraries. The dual nature of prison library provision complicates the issues of finance and management and it is particularly important that these areas are clarified. The partnership funding between public library authorities and HM Prison Service is clearly summarised in tabular form, thereby providing an excellent reference tool. The section on management underlines the importance of cooperation and also the need for clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all those involved in prison library provision. The Service Level Agreements (SLA) have a key role to play in this and they should include appropriate definitions. These definitions, especially those which relate to service levels, must be clear and exact if they are to be achieved. Essential to the success of SLAs is their continued evaluation and incorporation into an effective quality assurance programme. The development of quality standards for prison libraries is currently under development.

This second edition of Guidelines for Prison Libraries is a unique publication, primarily because for the first time all the key documentation relating to the operation of prison libraries has been published in one volume. In this respect the guidelines provide an invaluable working tool. At the same time however, perhaps it would have been an ideal opportunity to exploit this position and include further documentation. For example, a more comprehensive bibliography or more examples of best practice from other establishments. These guidelines do however, very successfully satisfy an urgent need from within the profession. They will provide an invaluable source of reference, particularly for those staff who are new to prison library provision but also for library educators, students and researchers alike because they do represent the only comprehensive, operational guide to prison library provision in England and Wales.

Reproduced with kind permission of RJ Hartley, Book Reviews Editor, Education For Information, originally appeared in Education For Information, 16.2 (June1998): 156-158.

HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD

NORWAY

During the last year Norway has not experienced any significant changes in library services to the various disabled population groups. Government funding for libraries has increased slightly in line with the costs of living, but salaries for library staff have eaten most of this increase, leaving very little money for materials. Prison libraries in particular are suffering under this situation.

SPAIN

Libraries for hospital patients:

The Catalan Library Association in 1998 created a working group on hospital libraries for patients. So far, the group has focused on the following areas:

• Defining the responsibilities of the hospital, the local public library, and local government;
• Defining the job responsibilities of hospital library volunteers;
• Defining a basic core collection for patients.

In 1999, the working group will concentrate on promoting the exchange of information among all hospital libraries in Spain and involving more public libraries in service to hospital patients.

Easy-to-Read:

At the 1998 LIBER event (important book fair which is held each year in either Madrid or Barcelona), Carme Mayol, LSDP Standing Committee member, presented a paper on Easy-to Read publications. Her presentation was covered by the Barcelona and Madrid press, and a good deal of positive publicity was generated. Likewise in 1998, Carme Mayol and E. Salvadó submitted their report "The Possibility of Producing Easy-to-Read Materials in Calalonia" to the Bofill Foundation. Included in the report were the IFLA Guidelines for Easy-to-Read. The authors are working hard to obtain support for their recommendations from political, social, and cultural institutions in the country.

Student projects:

At the University of Barcelona Library School, students in the "Special Library Services" class have been analyzing neighborhood demographics and have developed specific service proposals for targeted special needs populations. Recommendations are tailored to the size and capabilities of each branch library. The cultural department of the city government has shown great interest in this initiative and will support actual pilot projects next year.

Services to the homebound:

With temporary funding, the Biblioteca Can Castells (St. Boi de Llobregat) in 1999 has been able to employ two persons to assist with services to homebound persons. They work with social service agencies in identifying potential customers; the library is also distributing a brochure adverting the homebound service program.

CUBA

Reaching out to the elderly:

The Cuban public libraries have a long history of providing services to the elderly. During this year (1999), however, a more systematic effort has been undertaken to reach readers in the "third age": special events are taking place in residential homes and activity centers for the elderly. More training is being provided to library staff in the theoretical and practical aspects of serving this age group; this initiative is part of a heightened national attention to the overall needs of the elderly in the community. Before the end of the year, a major celebration "Geriovida" will take place in the convention center in Havana, where several library related projects will be showcased and research presented on how to meet the needs of older citizens. This effort constitutes a new challenge for public libraries to demonstrate and promote their rich resources and different services to all users regardless of age.

CANADA

Accessibility:

In 1998 John English, University of Waterloo history professor, was commissioned to write a report on the role of the National Library as well as the role of the National Archives. He consulted dozens of librarians, archivists, historians and government officials and developed 20 recommendations on the mandates of the library and the archives. Although the report has not yet been published, some of the recommendations are known to relate to accessibility for all so that "the two institutions have a heightened presence within their communities in Canada and that their collections be more accessible to Canadians."

Both the National Library and the National Archives have been hit with major funding cuts during the last five years - the library alone has seen 20 to 23 percent of its budget disappear since 1994. With the funding went dozens of staff members who provided service to the public or traveled throughout the country to represent the institutions. These cuts have affected children's services as well as services to the handicapped. The full report is expected from Dr. English by mid-1999.

Services to the elderly:

The Interest Group on Library Services for the Aging of the Canadian Library Association is sponsoring a workshop during the June 1999 CLA Conference in Toronto with speakers on the following topics:

• Allan Kleiman, Cranbury Public Library, N.J., "Serving Seniors in the 21st Century"
• Rosemary Griebel, Calgary Public Library, and Allan Kleiman, "When I am 64: Responsive Library Service for Older Adults"
• Pat Varley, United Generations Ontario, and Darlene Edmonds, Halton Social Planning Council, "Linking Generations Through Literacy".

USA

Focus on youth with special needs:

At the state government level in Wisconsin, the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning has just published the report "Public Library Services for Youth with Special Needs: A Plan for Wisconsin." This document is the result of a statewide planning effort to improve services to low income children, teens, and those with disabilities. The year-long planning process included a statewide survey, a major conference, and input from several regional focus groups. The plan identifies six major goals related to the inclusion of youth with special needs in all library activities; staff training; diversification of services, materials, and equipment; collaboration with other agencies; accessibility to library buildings and outreach programs; and marketing of special services. Listed under each goal are objectives and suggested activities appropriate for the local library, the library system, and the state library. Core activities that can be undertaken with little time and money are highlighted. In addition to the goals, the document includes a section on demographics, a listing of agencies that libraries may want to partner with, the results of the statewide survey, a description of model projects that have been funded with federal grant money in the last few years, and an annotated bibliography. The plan can be found on the web at http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/ysnpl.html.

Literacy programs in state prisons:

Twelve prison libraries in the state of Wisconsin now have adult literacy programs certified by the national Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) organization. The programs also include English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) components aimed at mostly non-English speaking Hispanic inmates. The librarians and adult basic education teachers have been trained and certified as tutor trainers; they train inmate tutors who then work one-on-one with inmate students. The prison library provides training, texts, computers and computer programs, and space for tutoring activities. The teachers evaluate and select inmates in need of literacy services.

The prison library as job & career information center:

Seventeen adult and juvenile prisons in Wisconsin are establishing job & career information centers in their libraries with resources and programs that enable the inmates to thoroughly prepare themselves for employment at the time of release. Research has shown that an ex-offender is much less likely to return to prison, if he has a steady job. The vocational education programs offer technical college certified training to inmates, but ex-offenders - even those with good job skills - face many obstacles in obtaining and retaining employment. The new job and career focused collections will include software to assess career interests and skills; information on a wide range of careers; videos and print materials on job seeking strategies, communication skills, and job interviews. There will be featured speakers and meetings with potential employers. The libraries will also provide "simulated" online access to Wisconsin's web based JobNet -- the web site will be regularly downloaded to a stand-alone computer, since the inmates cannot (yet!) have free access to the Internet.

MEDLINEplus:

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) recently introduced MEDLINEplus, an online consumer-oriented health information resource. Available at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus, the site includes free access to MEDLINE, the world's largest database of peer-reviewed biomedical information, as well as links to: the National Institutes of Health (NIH) consumer health information; various health-related organizations and clearinghouses; and self-help groups. MEDLINEplus offers access to thirty-four databases covering individual topics such as: AIDS; alcoholism; cancer; clinical trials; clinical guidelines; technology assessments; NIH Consensus Statements; health education, educational rehabilitation and learning disorders; disability and rehabilitation research; drugs and pharmaceuticals; and preventive medicine. It also provides full-text medical dictionaries; recommendations for free sources of health-related print materials; directories of hospitals and medical doctors; and the full-text of selected heath newsletters. According to NLM, MEDLINEplus aims to "bring together the growing amount of high quality medical information being published on the web by Federal government health agencies, professional associations, health libraries, research organizations, and universities."

UNITED KINGDOM

National Year of Reading:

The National Year of Reading (NYOR) runs until the end of August 1999 and is a major component of the Government's National Literacy Strategy. Nobody is excluded from the National Year of Reading, it's aimed at everyone from adults and children to bookworms and first time readers. The NYOR acknowledges that reading is for life and, through a multi-agency program of projects and events, plans to promote the reading habit nationwide. In this way it is encouraging people to:

• read with confidence and pleasure
• read for information
• read more often and for longer
• read more widely
• read challenging/stretching material
• read all kinds of material - fiction and information books, magazines, newspapers and computer screens.

The National Year of Reading is closely linked to the Government's Literacy Strategy which aims to ensure that by 2002, 80% of all 11-year olds in the UK will reach the standard of English expected of their age group. Future Literacy Strategy initiatives include:

• intensive training of primary teachers in teaching literacy, reading and writing
• a dedicated hour for literacy in every primary school (from September 1998)
• funding to buy books for whole class teaching
• strategies for involving parents, including those with poor literacy skills, in boosting children's progress, homework study programs and family literacy schemes
• intensive support for some children, e.g. summer literacy schools and premier football league club study centers
• nursery education for every 4-year old whose parents want it.

References:

http://www.year of reading.org.uk/

http://www.dfee.gov.uk/reading/

SWEDEN

Easy-to-Read Update:

The topic of reading problems has been widely recognized and discussed during the last few years. A national campaign on dyslexia has played an important role in that connection and has focused much attention on reading difficulties. Studies and evaluations show that as much as 20 percent of the population in Sweden and most other countries may not be able to read and comprehend an ordinary newspaper article. The government, local communities, schools, labor unions, and private employers have recognized the need for special intervention. A Swedish information campaign on the Holocaust during World War II included materials in easy-to-read format. Easy-to-read versions of official reports have also been published. The Standard Rules of the UN on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities are published in easy-to-read versions of Swedish, English, German and Japanese.

The Easy-to-Read Foundation has noticed a growing interest in its products. The Foundation publishes materials which are easy-to-read and easy-to-understand. The target groups for these materials represent 5 to 6 percent of the population. The Foundation will continue to publish materials for these groups, but will also try to reach the larger 10 to 20 percent of the population who may be classified as "untrained" readers and those with minor reading problems.

Easy-to-Read Network:

The Easy-to-Read Foundation is taking the initiative to establish an international network of easy-to-read information providers and consumers. The purpose of this network will be to disseminate and exchange information, sponsor meetings, and undertake cooperative projects.

Status of special services:

Swedish public libraries have had to absorb severe budget cuts during the 1990s, even though use of the libraries has risen. Students of all ages from primary school to adult learners use libraries in increasing numbers. Most public libraries are automated and provide public access to the Internet and various online databases. This service has also contributed to increased use. Unfortunately, traditional services to the elderly and the handicapped have been reduced.

The Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs has just published two studies on the available options for handicapped persons and the elderly to participate in cultural activities and library services: