Print Disability Collection update

For over 20 years, Public Library Services has provided a Print Disability (PD) central collection for customers that are print disabled, funded through a levy applied to the libraries’ materials grants.

In March 2010, a Digital Content Working Party was established. It recommended that we maintain the physical PD collection in the short term but reduce funding to the physical collection as we look to a digital solution.  To this end the committee recommended that a Digital Content levy of 3%  be introduced to provide a statewide digital content solution, as a phased approach to transition PD customers into the digital world.

Much of the Print Disability collection material purchased for the PD central collection has migrated as part of individual LMS library collections. It is now available to be borrowed by customers from both LMS and non LMS libraries (via ILL) around the state. Centralised PD stock that has migrated to the LMS remains with LMS libraries and is shared either through customer holds placed on Enterprise or sent to requesting libraries via Global Item Maintenance.

It was acknowledged that the central purchase of CD and MP3 materials was still necessary and was supported with the 2013-14 PD levy ($55,800).  However this is the final year of the PD central collection levy.

The LMS project continues to facilitate increased sharing of the very large physical audiobook stock which is now held across South Australian libraries, and will reduce the need for centralised purchase, whilst the uptake of digital content continues to grow.Libraries still using the central PD collection have been contacted by PLS to ascertain their PD requirements and new material will be distributed to libraries that have requested new items.

At the PLSA Executive meeting in July 2013, the Executive endorsed a transition plan for the Print Disability Collection, which will cease to operate as from 1 July 2014.

A copy of the Digital Content Working Party findings is available on the intranet here.

Please contact Teresa Brook Manager, Public Library Programs if you have any questions.

Teresa Brook
Manager Public Library Programs
Public Library Services