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

Part2:Country studies

The Netherlands

The view from the user's perspective

Work of fiction

Assuming he or she is already registered as a client, they can contact one of the three libraries for the blind by telephone, email or postal services and ask for this specific book. This library registers the request in the joint library system, and this automatically generates a distribution request at Dedicon distribution centre in Grave (talking books) or Rijswijk (Braille). He or she will receive the book within days.

Works of fiction in large print are not available through the libraries for the blind, because there is already a commercial publisher in this area

New work of fiction

A new work of fiction is a lot more difficult. The reader can send in a request to produce a specific title, but ultimately it is the library that decides which titles are being produced. The total (financial) capacity is 1,800 titles of talking books and 500 in Braille annually, so not every request can be met. If this specific title is going to be produced it will take somewhere between several weeks to several months before it is available. Dedicon produce a number of popular titles at high speed in order to offer at least these titles quickly, both in Braille and in talking book (Daisy)

Reference work

In many cases a reference work is requested for educational or professional purposes. Many items are already in digital format available directly through the publisher. So in these cases Dedicon would refer to the publisher or if needed convert materials into accessible format (see schoolbooks).

Newspapers and magazines

A number of newspapers (or extracts of these newspapers) are produced in Braille to which people can subscribe. A lot of newspapers (a weekly extract) are produced in Daisy format to which people can subscribe. They will receive their newspaper or magazine every week or month without having to take further action. Through Dedicon’s website (www.anderslezen.nl) it offers a number of digital accessible newspapers on a daily basis. People can subscribe to this service and receive their newspaper in their computer.

School textbook

Depending on the age of the student, he or she orders books, or perhaps parents even his school does. Dedicon produce all requested schoolbooks for their visually impaired clients and try to do the same for all print impaired clients. If his book has already been produced, he will get his copy within two or three days. If not, it has to be produced and it will take longer before he gets his book. Schoolbook production is concentrated in a specific period of the year in which many students send in their requests and a lot of books have to be produced. In order to deliver on time to all these clients Dedicon sends books part by part. This system allows them to produce a lot more titles at the same time (sometimes over 400 titles).

School textbooks are produced in large print at clients’ request for partially sighted children.

Children's book

Follows the same procedure as a work of fiction, unless it is necessary for school purposes, then it follows the school textbook procedure

Scientific journal

Same procedure as magazine unless it is requested for study or professional use. Then it follows the school textbook procedure

Academic book

Same as school textbook