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

Part2:Country studies

South Korea

Models and responsibilities

Library services for the blind in Korea started in 1945 with the loan of books to blind students and graduates at a blind school. However, significant library services started in 1969 when an individual established and operated a Braille library. By 1990, the number of Braille libraries had increased considerably and there are now 34 nationally. All of them are operated by private persons or non-profit organizations, and they operate differently from public libraries. Since budget support policies for Braille libraries have not yet been stated in law, financial support from the government is weak.

Services for the blind in public libraries are in the same situation. The 1988 Paralympics in Seoul provided a turning point for library law. The law now stipulates that “Public libraries shall install facilities necessary for providing library services for young, old, and disabled people”. However, this is not compulsory. Thus, only about ten percent of 487 public libraries provide services for the blind as of today, despite seventeen years having passed since the revised law entered into force.

Braille libraries have mainly taken charge of production of alternative format materials and services, and public libraries purchase special materials from larger-size Braille libraries for use in their own services. Since Braille libraries are operated by private persons or non-profit organizations and public libraries are operated by the government, they have not developed a network and they do not cooperate. Since both Braille and public libraries may be oversubscribed, crowded, widely dispersed or simply too few in number (depending on regions), in reality users do receive the same level of service nationally.

The Korean Braille Library is Korea’s first Braille library, established in December 1969. In 1970, starting with an alliance with Japan’s Braille library, the library staff and managers sought to improve Korea’s outdated welfare systems for visually impaired people. Towards this end, staff continue to participate in international competitions and seminars every year. Starting in 1999, as a member of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) Korea continues to engage actively in international interchange. Official interaction with Japan’s Braille library is increasing. Moreover, by donating data periodically to China’s welfare agency, the library is making considerable efforts to cooperate in order to communicate culture and information to visually impaired people among the Korean population in China.

The privately managed Korean Braille Library enables visually impaired and reading impaired people, (who make up 10% of the entire population) to use books and to gain easy access to accurate information.

According to a survey on the information gap for disabled people in 2005 (Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion), visually impaired people who use the computer account for 48.3% and main users are from teens to 30s. [Keun Hae Youk: Ubiquitous Library.]

Service provision ? general

The current library system for visually impaired people in Korea is grouped into offline, internet (online) and telephone services. The offline service is a conventional service that loans Braille books or audio books free of charge by post, visit to the library, or home-delivery. The internet service provides files for people to read using a Braille note taker or screen. This service essentially a digital library and users can search the bibliography, apply to borrow a book, download and read the books thorough this service. The downloaded files can be used at any time. [Keun Hae Youk: Ubiquitous Library.]

Postal borrowing is an important service provided by the Braille and public libraries in Korea. They provide home-delivery lending, or face-to-face reading depending on the location of a user. In future, they will provide a download service through the electronic library. However, this has not been activated yet. [Keun Hae Youk: Public library as an agent ..., 2005.]

In 1970, 200 Braille books were available for lending via postal mail. Since then, 19,016 Braille copies 4,975 titles have been lent to 2,000 members. Currently, 3,000 books are lent per year, and the volume is increasing every year. [http://infor.kbll.or.kr/new/eng/biz_intor.asp

Visually Impaired People pay 5000 won (KRW) for the registration fee. The delivery is free.

Service provision - education

The number of blind university undergraduates is currently over 350 and is increasing rapidly every year; 34 Braille libraries are proving insufficient in providing reference services for students. To complement and improve this situation, the National Central Library, a national library, started to construct university text databases in 2003.

Over 2003 and 2004, the National Central Library completed databases for over 2,300 kinds of university texts, and is now serving them. It is under construction of over 800 kinds of databases this year. Such text databases are being served to make them available for sounds and Braille letters in real-time, and to be used as Braille books or through such devices as Braille Lite after their Braille files are downloaded.

The National Central Library has started building a comprehensive catalogue of the Braille libraries, and has been upgrading this every year. It contains about 110 thousand items so far. These lists are available to any users to search online through the National Electronic Library. [Keun Hae Youk: Public library as an agent ..., 2005.]