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

Part2:Country studies

USA

Measuring success

Each library adheres to the policies and personnel rules of its administering agency. The American Library Association has promulgated standards relating to library service to blind and physically handicapped individuals. NLS uses these standards in periodic review of the regional libraries.

The standards were originated in 1979, and revised in 1984, 1995, and 2005. Each revision has been less quantitative and more qualitative.

They will next be revised in 2010-12.

NLS reviews network libraries and decides on measures used. NLS is in the process of performing a patron assessment of its readership, for the Library of Congress, to verify patron satisfaction.

The Librarian of Congress reviews the NLS nationally.

The targets as identified in the standards, were written by librarians in the field, consumers using the service, and representatives of the libraries' administering agencies

Some measures of success

Proportion of visually impaired people reached by services: Approximately 25%

Speed of supplying item: most network libraries send materials out within twenty-four hours of request.

What users think of the service: Feedback has been positive.