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

Part2:Country studies

UK

Models and responsibilities

As has already become clear, the bulk of the supply of alternative format materials and many services in the UK are provided by charitable organisations. Public libraries do act as delivery points as well, providing mainly large print and assistive equipment, occasionally other formats, but this varies substantially according to the priorities and resources of different local authorities. While centrally determined library standards are having an impact generally, there are no specific ones for performance in relation to serving disabled people, which might act to expose and ultimately even out service provision.

The model of co-operation is described by one respondent as:

“The relationship between services is in a sense an informal one. The sector is served by Local Authorities, Voluntary Sector providers and Charities. The relationships which exist come from the necessity of working together to try to provide some partnership delivery of services where a comprehensive national approach is lacking.”

Service provision - general

NLB provides Braille and Moon.

RNIB, Calibre and Listening Books provides talking books

Size of collections

NLB - 350,000 Braille and Moon titles in the collection

RNIB - 13,000 talking book titles in the collection (Nov. 2006); added 450 in 2005

Calibre Audio Library - 7,000 titles, added 269 in 2005

Listening Books - nearly 4,000 titles for adults plus 1500 children's and young adults fiction, non-fiction and educational materials through its Sound Learning library

(NLB and RNIB have now merged, as from 1 January 2007).

Public libraries - large print, audio cassette, equipment/online services, interlibrary loan. Some libraries may provide other formats such as Braille and DAISY audio, but this is very limited and much more likely to come from special libraries.

In general, most library authorities do not produce their own materials with a few notable exceptions and rely on commercially produced items.

Service provision - education

The Department for Education and Skills (DFES) funds school libraries and special needs budgets for schools, and university libraries and disability units are funded by the Higher Education Funding Councils (for England and Wales, and Scotland). However, most materials are not publicly produced, though universities handle and outsource requests for materials transcription e.g. to RNIB and occasionally provide them.

General public libraries also provide materials to learners.