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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies

Part2:Country studies

Japan

The view from the user’s perspective

New work of fiction

A user can call libraries for visually impaired people or public libraries and borrow the material by mail (all free of charge). Even the bestsellers are available in about 2 months after they are released. Registration to these libraries can be done by telephone. Each library searches for the requested material through the national union catalogue, etc. and libraries share books by mutual lending. Streaming of audio data and downloading of Braille data through internet is also available. Users can read Braille data on Braille display or play them in synthetic speech.

Fiction

The process of using libraries is the same as above. The newly requested materials will be produced though it may take several months. Many libraries provide face to face reading services.

Reference work

Many public libraries and libraries for visually impaired people provide reference services. Some offer quick telephone services and recently e-mail services have also been made available in some libraries. Users can also use reading services, where libraries prepare materials and provide face-to-face reading services. (Faceto-face reading services are available in 20% of all the public libraries and in 80% of libraries for visually impaired people).

Newspapers and magazines

Libraries for visually impaired people and public libraries regularly produce recorded audio magazines in cassette tapes containing some parts of newspaper articles and provide them by mail. There is a obviously a time lag. Users can use face-to-face reading services in order to read the newspaper of that day. People with visual impairment who can use the internet can browse accessible newspapers at home.

Libraries for visually impaired people and public libraries produce various recorded audio magazines in cassette tapes and lend them through a national network. Users receive them regularly from each library. However, many of these magazines are just extracts from the originals and there is a time lag before publishing. Newmagazines are available through face-to-face reading services. Although most of the audio magazines were in cassette tapes before, DAISY magazines with high searching functionality are gradually increasing.

There is also a service providing “Braille JB News”, transcribing a part of newspaper articles of the day as well as information on welfare into Braille every day from Monday to Friday in the form of Braille, audio and data. Braille data is distributed or contents are read aloud by synthetic speech through telephone navigation system to individuals with visual impairment. At each local library for visually impaired people, Braille data is downloaded and printed for users.

http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~nichimo/joho/tenjinews.html

School textbooks

Some of the school textbooks are produced by government in large print or in Braille. Conversion of school textbooks to DAISY format is lagging. At ordinary schools, provision of adapted textbooks is also lagging. In many cases users ask volunteers personally to produce such textbooks.

Children’s books

In Japan, there are very few children’s books both in recorded form and in Braille. Libraries for visually impaired people and public libraries can produce and provide such children’s books ondemand. Some public libraries are actively engaged in producing and lending services of tactile books, cloth books and picture books with Braille by cooperating with volunteer groups.

Academic journals

Some public libraries produce a scientific journal as an audio magazine in cassette tape. The range is very limited. They are also available through face-to-face reading services.

Academic books

The National Diet Library produces and provides academic books in DAISY. Some public libraries can also produce such books ondemand. They are also available through nearby public libraries.