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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies
Part2:Country studies
South Korea
Special projects
Ubiquitous library or “Digital Talking Book Library for blind”
The library was developed by the LG Sangnam Library.
Content is created in DAISY format. It has DRM (digital rights management) to prevent non-print disabled people from using the content. The service is provided using web services. The mobile phone with NFC chip or membership card only has to touch a dongle (a device to enable Bluetooth to work if it is not integra to the PC) on a PC and members are authenticated and loggedin automatically. The communications between PCs and mobile phones are enabled by Bluetooth.
LG Sangnam library will provide teaching materials for blind schools as the main contents. Digital libraries and university libraries nationally are paying attention to the opening of the Digital Talking Book Library and they want to introduce this new method for producing DAISY books for blind and print disabled people and providing the service to them. [Keun Hae Youk: Ubiquitous Library.]
DAISY Project
The Korean Braille Library is making many efforts to expand the use of DAISY. One of them is the Development of E-braille book reader, namely the Jum player (playing software) and Brailler (transcription tool).
To integrate all of the specialist libraries for visually impaired people, the Korean Braille library is making a website. When the full file lists are updated and ready, visually impaired people will be able to search, download and use DAISY files and Braille files through this website. Additionally, the Korean Braille library is making the DAISY production tool and playing tool available. The tools can be also downloaded on the DAISY website and used by visually impaired people to listen to the DAISY files and for specialist libraries for visually impaired people to make DAISY content. This website and service will be ready to open in March 2007.