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VIBUG is a 50-member organization of blind computer
users which was formerly an adjunct to the Boston
Computer Society.  We are an a-political, unaffiliated
group of computer users who meet to share information
and to promote the use of computers by blind and
visually impaired people.  We meet on the second
Saturday of every month, excluding July, at National
Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA from 1:00
to 4:00 P.M.  Meetings are open to all.  Membership in
VIBUG is $20 annually and is due on January 1 for that
calendar year.  If interested in joining VIBUG, please
send a check payable to VIBUG to our treasurer,
Jim Roberts, 20 Mt.  Vernon St., Boston, MA 02108

We plan to use membership dues to publicize our
activities, develop and operate our web page, and
provide honoraria for instructors.

For our records, please provide us with the following information.
Name:
Mailing address:
Phone number, (work and/or at home),
Preference for hard copy format for materials

VIBUG LIBRARY COMMITTEE REPORT
			

Dear Mr. Margolis:
[city of Boston public library department president]

The goals of the VIBUG membership in meeting with you
are to increase the accessibility of the library system
and its resources to the blind community and to form a
more co-operative relationship between the BPL and our
group. We are anxious to hear about your previous
experiences in addressing the information access needs
of blind and visually impaired consumers and hope that
you may find some of our expertise and feedback
helpful. We recently learned that a member of your
staff has requested assistance and received some
recommendations from an employee of the
Mass. Commission for the Blind and are pleased to know
that your staff is invested in increasing library
access. In addition to learning about your plans for
increasing library access and providing constructive
suggestions about current and future access needs, we
would also like to offer you and your staff the
opportunity to avail yourself of VIBUG's expertise and
assistance.

We have divided our comments into three areas:
Questions; Equipment and Materials, and Training and
Service Delivery.  We hope that the answers to our
questions will increase our understanding of the
current use of the library by blind people and will
help us to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in
making future suggestions.  Although both equipment and
effective service delivery combine to increase the
accessibility of the library and contribute to the ease
and quality of the experience, we hope that this
division will be helpful in highlighting gaps in
accessibility.

I.  Questions:

1.  Are statistics kept on the number of blind and
visually impaired consumers who use the Access Center
and the other accessible equipment in the library?

2.  How is the need for upgrading and/or purchasing new
equipment assessed?

3.  Where are the Reading Edge scanners located in the
library other than the Access Center? Are staff at
these locations familiar with setting up and operating
the units?

4.  How are decisions to modify the accessible
periodicals in special media made?

5. Is an inventory kept of accessible equipment and
materials?

6.  What is the most effective and efficient way to
make recommendations re: needed hardware and software?

7. What are the policies regarding retrieval and use of
research materials in the library?

8.  What assistance can VIBUG offer the library and its
staff?

9.  Are their any library policies and/or union
regulations which prohibit VIBUG members from providing
training to patrons or staff?

II. Equipment and Materials Wish List:

1.  Windows 95 Access: Since the sighted public who use
the library have Windows access and since many current
blind computer users are using this operating system to
prepare documents, etc., we would recommend that the
accessible PCs be equipped with Windows 95.  Windows 95
is preferable to Windows 3.1 because current screen
reader developers are refining their products to
interface most effectively on this platform.

2.  Internet Access: We would like blind and visually
impaired patrons to share in the benefits of the
information super highway and recommend the inclusion
of Internet access on accessible PCs.

3. An additional PC in the Access Center: Consumers who
use the library report that it is sometimes difficult
to obtain access to the accessible PC in the access
Center.  This is particularly important since visually
impaired patrons must learn not only the operating
system and its applications but also master the use of
adaptive hardware and software which takes more time.
  
4.  PCs should optimally be equipped with the following
components

A.  Two Windows Screen readers: Since there are several
excellent products on the market and since blind
consumer preferences and expertise in using them are
variable, having two screen access programs would
facilitate access by the greatest number of users.

B.  Screen Enlargement Software: This would allow
increased access to the screen by partially sighted
patrons.

C.  An Updated Scanner: The current scanning equipment
in the library is outdated.  Updated hardware and
optical character recognition software would enhance
the accuracy, efficiency, and speed of scanning
material.  In addition, having a scanner attached to a
computer also allows patrons to save and store scanned
material, which is often essential when conducting
research and/or obtaining access at a later time.

      D.  A Standard Printer.

      E.  An additional Braille Printer and Braille
translation software which can interface with the
Windows environment: Braille formatting and printing of
documents can take much longer than printing of
documentation in standard print.  For example, it took
one consumer over three hours to print 20 copies of a
6-page Braille document last year.

F.  Virus scanning software: We also suggest that virus
protection software be purchased to protect the system
from potential viruses which consumers may
unintentionally transport from foreign PCs when
scanning or printing documents.
 
5.  An additional accessible PC in the General Library
to facilitate access to more patrons.

6. An additional PC equipped with the above described
adaptations in the Research Library would greatly
enhance access to that valuable resource and would
obviate the need for blind patrons to copy large
documents in one part of the building and then to read
them in another distant area.
  
7.  Updated tutorials and documentation in accessible
formats on use of adaptive equipment and frequently
used mainstream software applications: These resources
could increase the independence of blind and visually
impaired computers in using the equipment and
resources.

8.  A Closed Circuit TV: Since partially sighted
individuals may need to read large amounts of material
at the library, we would recommend the purchase of this
device to facilitate easier access to this printed
material for them.

9.  Tape Players: The availability of tape players at
the library would facilitate greater use of taped
resources by blind patrons.

10.  An extensive collection of videos which feature
DVS that can be borrowed by patrons.  (Description of
the visual portions of a movie greatly enhances the
understanding and enjoyment of many films by blind
people and sometimes makes movies which were previously
incomprehensible more accessible.)
  
11. Accessible informational brochures and publications
which describe services and resources and which are not
time-sensitive should be available at the information
desk in accessible media, (Braille, large print, and on
tape.)  Since we assume that calendars of events,
announcements, etc., are prepared on computers, it
would be quite easy to have copies in large print and
in Braille prepared and available for distribution.

12. Tactile and large print floor plans of the
facility, accessible signage, and taped directions to
the various areas of the library would assist blind and
visually impaired consumers in locating information,
materials, and assistance and might reduce the
intimidation which some consumers feel when navigating
this vast complex.

13.  An inventory list in accessible formats which
lists all of the adaptive equipment and catalogs all of
the accessible materials (e.g. magazines, books,
tutorials, etc.) in the collection: This publication
would inform current and prospective patrons of the
availability and extent of the resources and
collections.

14.  Guidelines in accessible formats regarding file
storage and responsible use of equipment. VIBUG would
be glad to review these guidelines if this would be
helpful.

15.  VIBUG members would be glad to make more specific
recommendations re: the most appropriate adaptive
equipment to update and improve the current inventory,
but would prefer to tailor those recommendations to the
specific configurations which the library provides.

III. Training and Service Delivery:

1.  Uniformity of Staff Training: VIBUG members who
have used the library have experienced great
variability in staff availability, familiarity with the
equipment, and their ability to provide assistance both
within the Access Center and in other parts of the
facility.  We feel that it is reasonable and realistic
to expect that staff should be able to provide people
with basic information on what the equipment can do and
to provide a basic orientation to the equipment.
  
2.  Orientation Tours: One service which might decrease
the need for individualized training would be regularly
scheduled orientation tours of the facility for blind
and visually impaired consumers.
  
3.  Evaluate the Consumer: Asking consumers about their
level of proficiency with the computer when making
appointments might prepare staff to better understand
and meet patron needs.

4.  Assistance to Available Resources: If staff can
refer consumers to appropriate accessible documentation
and tutorials, this will assist consumers in learning
about using the equipment.

5.  The Human Touch: Persons who cover the information
desk need to be prepared to inform blind and visually
impaired patrons about events, activities, programs,
and services which change frequently and which cannot
reasonably be made available in accessible formats.


6.  Specialized Staff Training: Library staff might
benefit from some general training in how best to
approach and provide general assistance to blind
patrons.

7.  Staff Availability: Since many areas of the library
are equipped with CD-ROM terminals which cannot be
accessed and because some of the information in the
library cannot be made accessible, total independence
in utilizing BPL resources is not practical for blind
and visually impaired patrons.  It is, therefore,
particularly important that sufficient staff are
available to assist us in gaining access to the wealth
of information and enrichment which your facility
offers.