Guide to obtaining textbooks in alternative formats
This is an online guide which is for anyone who needs to source text books in an alternative format for a reading impaired learner. It is specifically designed for library staff, learner support staff and subject tutors and lecturers supporting disabled learners. It should help anyone trying to get digital versions of textbooks.
Website: www.techdis.ac.uk/getaltformat
In The Picture
In The Picture aims to promote the inclusion of disabled children in early years' picture books. They work with illustrators, writers and publishers to make sure that young disabled children become more visible in children's literature.
They work with disabled people, families, other organisations and the book world to develop and promote good practice. Some of this is in animated and illustrated stories and in the image bank area, all designed to inspire and encourage other illustrators and publishers.
Website: www.childreninthepicture.org.uk
Keeping Within the Law (KWtL): minimize your risk of legal infringement
A new copyright and information law website by Paul Pedley. It sets out the relevant legislation and case law together with best practice guidance in a clear and fully searchable format, to help library and information professionals who are advising on information use.
Website: www.kwtl.co.uk
Shape's Open the Door
Shape's Open the Door campaigns for access and equality to make arts, culture and leisure accessible to deaf and disabled people.
Open the Door has different services that can help you apply access and equality standards across your organisation and develop your deaf and disabled audiences. They run various seminars on, run in house trianing, do access audits, has an access forum for professionals and has an online booking service, that gives deaf and disabled people access to the cultural life of London.
Website: www.shapearts.org.uk/openthedoor
Shape, Deane House Studios, 27 Greenwood Place, London, NW5 1LB
Tel. 020 7619 2616
Email: openthedoor@shapearts.org.uk
Minicom: 020 7424 7330
Speak Up DVD Resources
Speak Up Self Advocacy are a specialist charity making information films for people with learning disabilities. The subjects range from health, the law and rights to bullying, tenancy agreements and general life skills. These would be great resources for libraries as they are in easy to understand English.
Speak Up employs people with learning disabilities to script and act in the films which are made to a very high standard. They've been making information films now for 10 years and are the ONLY producer of information like this for people with learning disabilities.
Their website is www.speakup.org.uk where you can watch the DVD's in a "sample" format online.
Websites
Multi Faiths www.multifaiths.com
This is a website that gives you different calendars of different faiths like Buddhist and Islamic calendars.
Diversitylink www.diversitylink.co.uk
This is a new website aiming to provide up to date news and jobs information to Equality and Diversity managers in the UK.
ShapeHearts www.shapearts.org.uk
This is a leading disability arts organisation. It aims to improve access to the arts for deaf and disabled people whilst supporting deaf and disabled artists to challenge perceptions and promote Deaf and Disability Culture.
Velvet Magazine
Velvet Magazine, is an general interest, quarterly magazine for lesbian women. We have a lot of interviews with writers (Sarah Waters, Sandi Toksvig, Louise Welsh for eg). However, it is not exclusive and we have some non-lesbian subscribers. It was started in August 2004 to fill the gap for more mature, non-scene lesbians.
It aims to be more 'intellectual' and issue based than what's otherwise on offer, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Humour, particularly from regular columnist V G Lee is always included, as are articles dealing with lesbian specific issues, book and film reviews, parenting, health issues, poetry and short fiction.
Velvet is entirely run by volunteers and is currently non-profit making. Research has shown that 70% of our readership are over 40 with many being over 60.
We feel many people in this age range would use libraries, so this would be a good outlet for people to find out about Velvet, and to provide it as a resource to those who could not afford to buy it.
More information is available at our website: www.velvet-mag.co.uk
Launch of Welcome To Your Library website
The London Libraries Development Agency and The Network announce the launch of the www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk website. The aim of the website is to support public librarians in engaging effectively with refugees and asylum seekers and promote good practice.
The website was designed by Electric Putty and is part of the Welcome To Your Library project. Website users can navigate the site to find practical advice, good practice examples and search information resources produced by the project and from other relevant sources. Registering on the site enables users to sign up to a weekly digest and to post relevant events and training opportunities on the web site. A message board, which will go live in the second phase of development, will provide more opportunities for the community of interest to share ideas and experience.
Catalyst Magazine
Catalyst Magazine is published by the Commission for Racial Equality. It debates issues of race, identity, citizenship, culture and community, and how these concepts are continually evolving and re-shaping the society we live in.
It is a free magazine, published six times a year, and all the content is freely available online at: www.catalystmagazine.org
The website also provides additional content, supplementing and responding to material in the print version of the magazine, plus interactive features to allow a wider audience to join the debate.
If you have any queries, please email editor@catalystmagazine.org or call Tel. 020 7939 0293.
“Life in Britain”: supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Asylum seekers and refugees now need to take and pass either an ESOL English language Entry Level 3 test or the British Citizenship test, “Life in the United Kingdom” in order to stay in Britain on a longer placement. To help them to cope with these new measures, 220 Soft has released “Life in Britain”, an electronic British Citizenship course.
Two Metropolitan Council Libraries, Oldham and Tameside, have bought the course to roll out to the community throughout their branches. Further contracts are being discussed with another 20+ library groups across the country. A City Library Group that is delivering a Time Together project for the Government who will be using the course with their mentors and mentees. Colleges, Community Centres and prisons throughout the country are already using “Life in Britain”.
To find out further details or to receive a demonstration CD and Information pack either go to the company’s website: www.220soft.co.uk or phone John Snowden on Tel. 0161 474 8234.
The Network
The Network is a network of public libraries, museums, archives, other organisations and individuals committed to tackling social exclusion.
They have a list of Suppliers of Black, ethnic minority and community language materials on their website:
www.seapn.org.uk/refugees_suppliers.html