The fragmentation of library and information services for visually impaired children and adults means that many people are denied access to the materials and resources to which they are entitled. Library services for this group are provided both by public libraries and by a number of voluntary agencies such as Calibre Cassette Library, ClearVision, National Library for the Blind and Royal National Institute of the Blind.
Building on Revealweb, Gateway is a partnership between the two sectors to ensure that people with serious sight problems have access to all the different formats and services that are on offer, whoever provides them.
Gateway’s aims are:
· To provide public library staff, visually impaired people and other staff who support them, with a single contact point for enquiries regarding reading materials and library services for visually impaired people.
· To inform and support public library staff in addressing the library and information needs of visually impaired people
· To establish simplified joint membership procedures for access to partner services.
To achieve those aims, a single contact point has now been established, the Gateway Helpdesk. Tel: 0845 075 0089 (local rate) or e-mail: [log in to unmask] The Helpdesk is available for anyone to contact with any enquiry about reading materials and library services for visually impaired people.
The next stage will be the development of a website which will pull together generic material on organisations and formats and provide signposting for specific areas - for example, assistive technology, copyright, tactile maps and transcription.
If you are committed to ensuring that public libraries provide equable, effective and efficient national provision for visually impaired children and adults, contact the Gateway Helpdesk.
Gateway is an initiative of the Society of Chief Librarians and Share the Vision with funding from the Ulverscroft Foundation.
For further information contact:
Jane Burslem
Gateway Customer Services Officer
Tel: 0845 075 0089
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
|