The paper reports a visit to the Union of the Blind in Croatia, an organization serving the needs of 4,500 blind individuals in this part of Yugoslavia. Briefly considered are personnel, financial support, and services (such as braille and talking book production). A separate section describes the organization's library, recorded and braille…

The chief of these services at the Library of Congress suggests that international library service for blind and physically handicapped persons be discussed at the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) meeting in Brussels in September 1977. Discussion would focus on the development of a proposal that IFLA establish a working…

Reports the activities of IFLA's Round Table of Libraries for the Blind to develop library services, including the production of audiomaterials in standardized formats to facilitate copying for exchange or borrowing. Current projects are concerned with copyright, formats, postal regulation and custom law, international relations, bibliographic…

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, administers a free national library program of Braille and recorded materials for eligible individuals residing in the United States or for citizens living abroad. Under a special provision of the U.S. copyright law and with the permission of authors…

Two meetings of the International Federation of Library Associations Section of Libraries for the Blind (BLISTA) are summarized. The first was an expert meeting which was held in Marburg/Lahn, Federal Republic of Germany, in August 1983. Participants included 51 librarians and technical experts serving blind and physically disabled individuals in…

Presents an overview of the recent developments in communications and information technologies for the blind and physically handicapped, with particular emphasis on braille, recorded books, and reading machines. (CWM)

A study was conducted in 52 African countries to determine the extent of braille facilities for the blind, with the aim of choosing a location for a central braille producing facility. To make the selection, the factors of ease of communication (i.e., central location), political stability, and extent of already existing organizations for the…

This report describes activities of the talking-book program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress, with emphasis on activities conducted in cooperation with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) library program. First, the overall NLS program in the U.S. which…

This testimony on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS) provides information on: (1) NLS authority; (2) background; (3) functions and responsibilities; (4) Office of the Director; (5) director; (6) management; (7) budget; (8) division/section/office functions, including the Administrative…

The National Library Service (NLS) is developing a digital talking book and Braille book system for use by the blind and physically handicapped community. The following elements drive the design of the program: NLS offers a free library service; NLS is consumer-driven; NLS pays no royalties to copyright holders; the program is accessible to a wide…

This monograph summarizes the status of the Library of Congress's National Library Service (NLS) Talking Book Digital Conversion Project, a project to offer digital sound reproducers and its library materials in digital format beginning in 2008. Following an introductory section describing National Library Service services and users and the…