Since my discussion topic this week was access, I decided to look for a news story that would relate to that theme from a different aspect. After decades of stagnation, the National Library Service, which provides library materials for blind and low-vision patrons, has finally updated. Apparently, the NLS has used cassette tapes and players to provide audio versions of books since the 1970s, when the service last upgraded from records! I have seen the clunky old cassette players and tapes come through the public library where I work, and they seem terribly outdated. Luckily, the NLS will begin transitioning to flash drives and digital media players this summer. At a cost of $75 million to cover the nation, the changeover will take a projected six years to complete. Even more impressive, the new digital machines cost $100 less than the old cassette players, and the flash drives will be able to store more books.
Due to the nature of access inequity, much of the reading and discussion tended to focus on the negative. Therefore, I was relieved to find an article that offered some happier news. Blind and low-vision patrons deserve access to library materials, but they can be a neglected patron group, and fulfilling their needs can be challenging. Clearly, it was way past time for the NLS to update their materials method. At a time when so much funding is cut, I was pleased to see that an under-served patron group will be receiving a positive upgrade. During a summer vacation, I once worked for a company that produced quick turnaround Braille materials, so I understand the difficulty and expense involved in satisfying the ADA requirements. Still, that does not excuse the lack of progress made over the last thirty to forty years. The NLS has not updated since well before I was even born. Even though that may be typical of government programs, I was still surprised, especially since this transition may ultimately save money. Despite the bad history, this news story is a positive, as technological progress finally reaches the NLS. It will likely be several years before many patrons experience the new technology, as military veterans get first priority. I am looking forward to seeing the new digital players and flash drives someday, and hopefully, the NLS will successfully communicate this good news to their patrons.
Link to news story with a neat video showing the new digital machines: http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/bayside-library-disabled-gets-needed-upgrade
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5 comments:
That's great news! My topic this week was also access, and I believe disabled patrons are often ignored--primarily due to a lack of funds, though I think there may be other underlying causes, such as the perceived small percentage of those needing special accommodations and the projects being too much work for so few people. Unfortunately, unless we ourselves are disabled or know someone is we take library access for granted. Thanks for the positive news. Tammy
Unfortunately, I think you might be correct about some reasons that disabled patrons are neglected. While I would hope most library boards and directors would not feel this way, I have heard negative reactions from regular citizens regarding "special accomodations" being necessary. There are still many places that violate the basics of ADA law. Hopefully, this news is a sign of good things to come!
What an interesting article! That is great to hear that they will finally update something that should've been updated many times already. This made me think about what my library has for blind patrons, and I honestly don't know. We have audiobooks for all patrons, but other than that I don't know, but I will definitely look into it.
Thank you for sharing some positive news. We offer books on CD as our only avenue for blind or low-vision patrons at this point, but are making progress in other areas so I see us making progress here as well.
I agree that it is easy to overlook those who are differently-abled than ourselves. We assume the numbers must be small or that someone else can/does take care of them. It is a real wake up call when someone close to us needs special accommodations. You then realize how difficult basic things like access to library materials can be. On the positive side, many libraries do have at least some service for those who are blind or have low-vision and those with low mobility.
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