A Study for the Factors that Affect the Library Services for the Visually Handicapped

시각장애인을 위한 도서관의 구성요소분석

The major purpose of this study is to scrutinize and analyze various factors in numerous aspects of two different library systems for the visually handicapped, namely braille library and a special section for the visually handicapped in the public library system. The analyses may provide theoretical and conceptual framework on which strategies to enhance services for the visually handicapped is to be developed. More specifically, this study seeks (1) to examine a linkage between the degree of maintenance of staffs, collections, and equipment and the level of satisfactions of librarians and (2) to come up with more effective mechanisms of welfare services for the visually handicapped in each library system. This research is qualitative-descriptive and uses interview method. Fourteen libraries throughout the nation (4 public libraries with a reading room for the visually handicapped and 8 braille libraries) which had been in operation more than one year were selected as subjects for the research. Findings and results of the analyses are summarized as follows : 1. There seems to be general consensus that each of public and braille library has significant but, to a certain extent, different roles to play in order to enhance library services for the visually handicapped. Recruitment of qualified librarians, increase of the volume of collection, and enlargement of reading room space are noted as immediate concerns for the former. For the latter, it was suggested that increase of the number of staff for publishing, securing more equipments for pulication in braille, and wider scope as well as more variety of publications are the pressing problems at hand. 2. Both public and braille library employ one librarian for the visually handicapped who is required to have educational background in library science and special education. In addition, one must have competence in reading braille types. 3. Majority of reading rooms in those libraries is so small in physical aspect that size and number of seats are 66m2 and 15 seats respectively because circulation services are mainly in use due to the problem of inaccessibility which is commonly suffered by the visually handicapped. 4. Library services for the visually handicapped are heavily concentrated upon the large urban area. In fact, most of braille libraries are located in Seoul whereas a reading room for the visually handicapped in the public library system are exclusively placed in the large cities such as Inchon, Taejon, and Taegu. 5. All of the public library is neither equipped with necessary facilities to publish in braille nor secured supporting instruments which may facilitate library use for the visually handicapped. On the contrary, most of braille libraries are equipped with arrangements to publish in braille despite supporting devices are gererally lacking. 6. Consequently, provision of services In the public library is largely confined to reading and circulation of materials purchased from braille libraries while major task of braille libraries centers around publication and distributions of the reading materials in braille.