To learn more about the Library for All Project, please visit http://daisy.org/planet-2015-09#a2

1. Library for All – also for the
print disabled
IFLA World Library and Information Congress
18th of August 2015, Cape Town, South Africa
Project Manager Rauha Maarno

2. Project Library for All 2013–2015
• Partnership project between state-owned Celia Library
for the print disabled and public libraries in Finland
• The aim is to include talking books produced by Celia in
the services and collections of public libraries
• Equal access to literature and information for persons
with print disabilities
• Funded by Celia Library and the Finnish Ministry of
Education and Culture
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3. 3
A print disabled person is a
person who cannot
effectively read print
because of a visual,
physical, perceptual,
developmental, cognitive,
or learning disability.

4. Motivation for the project
• Estimate: at least 5 % of the population are print
disabled – in Finland: 275 000 people
• In 2013 Celia had about 25 000 patrons
• According to the PIAAC 2012 study (Programme
for the International Assessment of Adult
Competencies): 11% of the adult population
(370 000 people) in Finland are poor readers.
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5. What is a talking book?
• Celia Library’s book production is
based on Section 17 of the Finnish
Copyright Act
• Digital audio books that you can
download or listen to online
• The use of talking books is limited to
print disabled users
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6. Planning
• 10/2013-6/2014
• Organization
• Education and
workshops for 34
libraries
• Talking books
service is
designed
Piloting
• 8/2014-12/2014
• Talking books
service opened
to customers in
over 30 libraries
in the fall of 2014
• Surveys,
feedback
Expanding
• The year 2015
• Talking books
service in 144
libraries by May
2015
• Service is
established
permanently!
Outline of the project 2013–2015

7. Working methods used
• Partners: state library, local municipal libraries,
different stakeholders (disability organisations),
individual users
• Involving the users and utilizing elements of service
design
• Local example: Turku City Library
– Talking book reading clubs for people with intellectual
disabilities
– Cooperation between the library and local prisons
where prison inmates use talking books
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8. Talking book service at the local
library
• Access to the Celia online
service 40,000 titles of
talking books
• Guidance & information
• Some libraries offer a
collection of talking books
on cd
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9. Results so far – towards a more
inclusive library?
• Over 140 libraries in Finland
offer talking books service
• Loans of talking books in public
libraries in have increased 50
% in the year 2014
• Raising the awareness of the
concerning accessibility issues
– we have educated about 600
library professionals
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10. Spin-offs from the project
• A work group developing
national guidelines for
accessibility in public
libraries
• Collaboration with Turku
University of Applied
Sciences: customized
course about accessible
library services
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11. What´s next?
• New application for the use of
talking books will be launched
in libraries in September 2015
• Celia Library will be active in
developing cooperation with
public libraries
• The law concerning public
libraries in Finland will, in the
future, include mention of
accessibility and accessible
literature?
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