Introduce
The Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NRSL) fulfils the role of the central Library of the Novosibirsk region in organization of library information service for print handicapped people and in providing access to information resources. During the recent years the Library has become the real center on exchange of experience and ideas in the Siberian Region and for interregional association of establishments and organizations that implement their missions connected with providing assistance to people with various kinds of disabilities.
NRSL provides services for more than 3,000 readers annually. In 2003 their number was 3,172. Most of them are disabled people, first of all blind and visually impaired, and also parents of disabled children, leaders and members of NGOs that support these categories of citizens. Now professionals working in the social sphere, culture, education and medicine from 350 establishments and organizations of the Siberian Region, engaged in problems of social adaptation and rehabilitation of disabled people, form a reader's group that grows constantly.
The following services are available in the Library today:
The Library's fund is unique concerning its composition and includes about 120,000 items of storage. These are Braille and large print editions, audio and music records on audiocassettes and CDs, special video fund on problems of social assistance and adaptation for people with various kinds of disabilities.
As the Information Resource Rehabilitation Center, NRSL provides a wide range of information and adaptive technological services. At present, the up-to-date stock of computer equipment, copiers, audio/video cassette recorders, additional adaptive devices for the blind and visually impaired of NRSL allow to provide a wide circle of its readers with access to Internet-resources, the Library's databases and remote resources of the biggest Russian and foreign libraries.
One of the ways of completing the Library's collections and enlarging access of disabled people to books and information is the Library's publishing activity. A technological base for reproduction and production of books in alternative formats, namely talking and Braille books, relief-graphical aids, educational methodological video materials on social themes, according to inquiries from readers, establishments of culture and rehabilitation centers has been created in NRSL. During the recent years the Library has prepared over 100 editions on local history, education, children's and popular-scientific literature that then were sent to some libraries and rehabilitation organizations of Novosibirsk region and other regions of Russia.
One of the priorities in the Library's activity is supporting accessible higher and vocational special education for the blind and visually impaired students, and additional education for school children. It involves realization of a number of new directions in the activity of NRSL, including creation of a fund of digital educational editions and learning modern adaptive technologies. Within this work the Library's publishing complex has produced over 40 titles of educational and methodological materials in audio and Braille formats. Now they are used by more than 100 school children and students. The educational materials in digital formats are also accessible to libraries of the Novosibirsk leading higher educational establishments.
The Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired works a lot on introduction of library information technologies of providing services for disabled people by means of conducting annual training-seminars, probations on its own base, events in other libraries and rehabilitation centers, participation in international exhibition activity (Siberian, Kuzbass and Yenisei Fairs), regional and international conferences. The International Scientific Practical Conference "Libraries Providing Services for People with Disabilities and Public Sector on the Way to Social Partnership", conducted by the Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired in April 2002, became the real confirmation of seriousness and the volume of this work. 122 specialists from 19 foreign countries and 24 regions of the Russian Federation took part in the event. The Conference promoted working-out of strategy of extending interregional and international collaboration among all the interested establishments and organizations, and uniting their efforts in creation of new information library and adaptive technological resources.