Reading plays an important role in learning and discovery processes, but not all of us have equal opportunities for that. Often visual impairment limits the ability to read. To help the visually impaired, to fulfill their literary and information needs, support their education, cultural, development and rehabilitation processes, encourage integration into society is a mission of the Lithuanian Library for the Blind. It provides services for thousands of visually impaired and blind readers. The library itself publishes literature in formats that are relevant for such readers – enlarged font, Braille, or audio books.

The library does not limit itself only with services and publishing. Its exclusive focus area is tiflotyra (from Greek typhlos – blind). Because of this practice, information about issues caused by blindness as well as services within various fields (educational, informational, medical, etc.) for the visually impaired is gathered and publicized. Librarians have also created a unique blog “LAB tiflotyra” (http://tiflotyra.labiblioteka.lt) with which they aim to reach the specialists from all over the country, gather people with visual impairment and provide them with the newest information. Articles and publications for the blog are gathered from a variety of Lithuanian and foreign sources.

Another important practice of the library is research, which goal is to improve the quality of services and to identify user needs. Results of such research can be interesting and useful not only to the specialists, but also to those who take care of visually impaired.

One of the newest researches is the level of content with audio-books of the users of Lithuanian Library for the Blind (http://www.labiblioteka.lt/media/public/Garsiniu_knygu_tyrimas_2017.pdf). Audio publications is the most popular, convenient and used special format in Lithuania and abroad. Lithuanian Library for the Blind, being the only institution in the country that produces such publications, pays high attention on the selection of books to be recorded, constantly researches the needs of their target audience and analyzes feedback. The level of users’ content in library products and services is constantly analyzed and researched in the library.

In 2016 Lithuanian Library for the Blind redefined their user groups, which now include not only visually-impaired, but also people having other disabilities that in some way restrict them from using common publications. The library created a new method to examine the needs and expectations of users with other (non-visual) disabilities and in 2017 started a research cycle to look into the expectations of new potential users (http://www.labiblioteka.lt/media/public/Tyrimo%20aprasymas%20Ukmerge.pdf).

The analysis “Story box – for children on the Autism spectrum and other disorders: the case of Lithuanian Library for the Blind” (http://www.labiblioteka.lt/media/public/Pasakojimu%20dezute%20tyrimas%2…) can be interesting not only for specialists working with such children, but also to parents and guardians. “Story box” – is a widely applied method in libraries worldwide used to represent the stories in literature through oral reading, visual and tangible characters, or even through theatrical plays.

Rasa Januševičienė, Director of Lithuanian Library for the Blind

More information about various activities and researches of Lithuanian Library for the Blind can be found on their website: www.lab.lt