Testing Systems using Telematics for Library Access for Blind and Visually Handicapped Readers

Información del proyecto

TESTLAB

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: LB4003

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Octubre 1996

Fecha de finalización 30 Noviembre 1998

Financiado con arreglo a

• Specific programme of research and technological development and demonstration in the area of telematic applications of common interest, 1994-1998

Coste total

Sin datos

Aportación de la UE

Sin datos

Coordinado por

Studie en Vakbibliotheek voor visueel en anderszins gehandicapten
Netherlands

Objetivo

TESTLAB will establish a series of practical trials in public and academic libraries whereby blind and visually handicapped readers can gain access to catalogues and digital documents in forms which they can read. These trials are a direct consequence of the EXLIB - Expansion of European Library Services for the Visually Disadvantaged - project, whose main results were proposals for implementation trials.

Since the EXLIB reports there have been several changes of national policy with regard to the visually handicapped and the provision of alternative format materials. TESTLAB will take advantage of these and link to several activities funded by national governments to gain added value for this project and for these national activities. In four countries and eleven libraries adapted workstations will be installed to allow blind and visually handicapped readers to access catalogues, networks, databases and electronic documents. Each trial has its own characteristics although all are based on the same premises.

Technical approach

The project is organised in 5 trials:
The Netherlands will build on an ongoing national project.
In Ireland, the trial supports the policy of moving access to alternative format materials from the national centre, NCBI, to the public library system.
In the UK the public library system will be able to link to a national catalogue, which includes data for alternative formats, and to an extended ILL system for such formats.
In Italy the workstations will be installed in a special library, a Regional public library and in a small local library.
Four Austrian Universities will install workstations and link the libraries together. They will also have a link to the German database of alternative format materials.

In all cases the developments are based on user needs. An analysis will be made of the user interactions with the system and of the user responses (users include the librarians). Care will be taken to ensure that the evaluation criteria in each country have a common basis.

Key issues

Improved access to catalogue information.
The ability to search networks and databases.
Improved access to documents, either as electronic files or through other conversion systems to produce electronic files.
The delivery of these files to the readers for them to adapt them to the form which is most appropriate (synthetic speech, transitory braille, printed braille, large print).

Impact, users and expected results

TESTLAB will provide extended real experience in public and academic libraries of ways in which the target group can be given access to what the sighted take for granted. Not only will the project provide direct benefit to the users of the test sites but it will provide fully evaluated models to all other library systems as to how this group can be served. For each reader the impact could be considerable. Even the most active user of national institutions for the visually handicapped only gets access to one or two percent of what is available to the sighted under the current system. Because these experiments will be firmly embedded in national and local library developments there is a higher possibility that the practice will become integrated into national policy and practice.

Deliverables

Deliverables of the project include:
Report on OPAC access
Report on expert users group
Study report, Greece
Interim report on catalogue
Report on implementation, Italy
Integrated Catalogue
Central Catalogue, Ireland
Report on user needs for interfaces
Interim interlending report
Interim evaluation report
Interim users report
Interim report on changes in library use

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › informática y ciencias de la información › base de datos
• humanidades › otras humanidades › biblioteconomía › biblioteca pública

Programa(s)

• FP4-TELEMATICS 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development and demonstration in the area of telematic applications of common interest, 1994-1998

Tema(s)

• B.5.1 - Network-oriented internal library systems

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinador

Studie en Vakbibliotheek voor visueel en anderszins gehandicapten

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: Molenpad 2 ; 1016 GM Amsterdam ; Países Bajos
• Coste total: Sin datos

Participantes (6)

Centrum voor Gesproken Lectuur

Países Bajos

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Coste total: Sin datos

Istituto David Chiossone

Italia

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Coste total: Sin datos

National Council for the Blind of Ireland

Irlanda

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Coste total: Sin datos

Polyplano Euroconsultants

Grecia

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Coste total: Sin datos

The Royal National Institute for the Blind

Reino Unido

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Coste total: Sin datos

UNIVERSITY OF LINZ

Austria

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: Altenbergerstr. 69 ;
• Coste total: Sin datos