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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies
Part I: Summary Report
Introduction
This project was commissioned by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), the British Library and the UK's Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to investigate the different models in use for the provision of library services to visually impaired and other print-impaired people in twelve countries.
The focus of the study is on modes of governance, funding and delivery systems. It also examines existing barriers to providing better services, and drivers for change in policy and organisation. The full brief for the study is contained in Appendix A in Part 3 of the report.
The countries were chosen by the Advisory Group in order to cover a range of stages of economic development and social, political and cultural variations, though the majority of the countries are economically very developed. They are:
- Australia
- Canada
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Japan
- Korea
- Netherlands
- South Africa
- Sweden
- UK
- USA
- Vietnam
Unfortunately, it proved impossible to derive enough information about one of the countries, Vietnam, for a whole case study, so this report is based on 11 countries.
Part 1 of this report provides a summary analysis; Part 2 contains the country case studies; Part 3 consists of Appendices concerned with methodology in more detail than is presented here.