Accessible Library Services – A Nationwide Network OLA Super Conference February 1, 2007 Arlene Chan Toronto Public Library

Overview 1. Snapshot of Toronto Public Librarys services for people with disabilities 2. Opportunities 3. Challenges

Toronto Public Library Largest public library in Canada 99 library branches Serves 2.6 million Torontonians Busiest library in North America Circulated 30 million plus Collection of 10.5 items

Toronto Public Library Collections 99,500 large print books 25,000 talking books 42,500 audiobooks on tape 16,900 books on CD 700 descriptive videos

Toronto Public Library Programs & Services Reference service in person, by telephone, by 24/7 access to the catalogue Electronic databases Telephone renewals Dial-a-Story

Toronto Public Library Programs & Services Accessible web site Special needs status for fines exemption Centre for People with Disabilities Adaptive equipment and assistive devices, including LP monitors and keyboards, CCTVs

Toronto Public Library Programs & Services 2,000+ home library service customers 71 deposit collections Library service at 4 hospitals 32 bookmobile stops

Toronto Public Library Coming Soon More ebooks, digital audiobooks and electronic databases Downloadable music Wi Fi wireless access at select library branches

Opening the Book Report Opportunities Service libraries as 3rd tier of service public library mandate to provide our customers with accessible services and collections one-stop service regardless of ability

Opening the Book Report Opportunities Impact of aging population more savvy baby boomers with higher expectations for service Federation of Public Libraries 2006 report: 55+ are largest group of library users in Ontario; however, their frequency of use is declining

Opening the Book Report Challenges Dependent on appropriate funding, staffing, training, equipment and space Scenario of not-too-distant future: Library customer who is blind asks for book in audioformat Library staff downloads ecopy to a CD or flash card to create book on demand

Opening the Book Report Challenges Internet Archive Bookmobile Can access, download and print from the public domain of over 20,000 on-line titles Buck a book Cheaper to give copy for free than to print, process, catalogue, circulate and store

Opening the Book Report Challenges Audiobooks on demand Need ability to download to CD or flash card Technical and security issues Need sufficient bandwidth

Opening the Book Report Challenges Technology rapidly changing Ongoing training and support for staff and for customers Transitioning to Daisy format

Opening the Book Report Challenges Diverse population Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world Over 140 languages and dialects Over 1/3 of Torontonians speak a language other than English at home

Opening the Book Report Challenges Toronto Public Library provides: Telephone interpretation service in over 100 languages Can search web and type in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, German and 29 other languages French web site

Opening the Book Report Challenges Toronto Public Library provides: Library staff who speak numerous languages Over 30 language collections

Opening the Book Report Questions Will we have the appropriate level of technology and resources to download or create books on demand? With the increasing reliance on licensed digital resources, will these remain accessible to print disabled customers?

Opening the Book Report Questions Will the free postal service for people who are blind be expanded to all print disabled Canadians? Will the charges for interlibrary loans continue if we are to rely more on resource sharing as a cornerstone of the network?

Opening the Book Report Questions The future role of the CNIB Library as a service provider The impact of digital formats on home library service

Conclusion Strategies need to be developed and phased in Time for change to improve library service for print disabled Canadians