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

Part I: Summary Report

Methodology

The information was collected through an extensive emailed questionnaire sent to organisations concerned with the provision of such library services in the different countries (including government departments, public libraries, specialist libraries, third sector charitable and voluntary organisations, education libraries and alternative format material providers). Follow up questions were undertaken where appropriate. The questionnaire was in four parts (see Appendix B) and respondents could give either a national picture or one specific to their sector (public libraries, education, specialist). This information was supplemented by desk research covering basic data, relevant reports, conference proceedings, and information on organisational web sites. Invaluable guidance was also given by the Advisory Group. In many cases, respondents to the questionnaires pointed us in the direction of reports and documents.

Inevitably, responses from different countries were uneven in terms of the numbers and types of organisations responding. The vast majority of responses we did receive were very comprehensive in terms of the information given. In several cases, organisations contacted us to suggest that one organisation in the country was best placed to answer on behalf of them all. This was true in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and South Africa. Although we undertook considerable attempts, we were not unfortunately able to receive enough replies from organisations involved in provision in several countries e.g. the USA, to describe the full extent of service provision there. We have attempted to compensate for that through desk research. But it should be borne in mind when reading the case studies that they may reflect a partial view of the situation. We do recognise that the organisations we contacted are in the main extremely hard-pressed, both in time and money. To those who responded, we are of course, extremely grateful.