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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies
Part2:Country studies
Japan
Special projects
In Japan, DAISY implementation was organized by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD), with the initiative of one of the founders of DAISY Consortium, Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura. It was carried out from 1998 to 2000, funded by the Japanese Government. At that time 2580 titles were produced.
The Japan Braille Library ? Biblio-Net and Biblio-Studio
The Japan Braille Library in cooperation with Nippon Lighthouse Welfare Center for the Blind in Osaka launched the distribution system for Braille books and talking books in 2004, called Biblio- Net, and in 2005 the talking book production system called "Biblio- Studio". The aim of the systems was to shorten the time taken to produce talking books and to make them available to users speedily on demand.
Prior to this digital project, talking books were produced using analogue recording devices and distributed by post on cassette tape and CD. The recording was done in the JBL studios and could take 20-25 weeks to record one ten-hour long book. Now production is done by volunteers in their own homes using PCs; text, directions, editing and related material is kept on the server at the Library so that all the participants (library staff, reading volunteers, proofreaders) can share it and work simultaneously using a groupware solution.
Talking books are large files (around 150 Mb for a 10 hour book) so broadband is essential both for shared production and distribution. Users employ broadband via cable, ADSL or fibre connections. The system facilitates searching of related information as well as streaming. Registered individual users are free to use this system as a personal library on Internet at any time.
Development and Dissemination of Multi-media DAISY
Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities have developed and promoted the use of multimedia DAISY books for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities since 2001. So far more than 10 sample books have been produced and the Japanese version of Easy to Read books in Sweden have also been published with multimedia CD-ROM. Although it is still at only a few libraries but lending services for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities have started.