Ulverscroft and BBC Audiobooks have agreed to add their catalogues to Revealweb. This will mean up to date access to the latest titles available in large print and audio.
Would you or your organisation be interested in helping develop Revealweb? If you are prepared to take part in evaluating Revealweb contact Deb Ryan at manager@revealweb.org.uk
These are just a few of the questions that can be answered using Revealweb. Check it out at http://www.revealweb.org.uk
A database that brings together information about materials produced in accessible formats Revealweb signposts users to organisations that can supply material. The complementary Register of Suppliers gives information on the terms and conditions under which resources are made available and how to get hold of them.
Fact: Currently Revealweb holds over 100,000 records and this number will grow as more organisations add their records
Revealweb has been out and about over the last few months at various exhibitions. I spoke to many people during the day and it soon became apparent that, although everyone had their own individual needs, they were all pleased to see something that could help them get reading material. From the computer whiz who was quite happy to play around with Revealweb, to an elderly lady who had just lost the sight in her remaining good eye and was going to go to her local library and get them to search Revealweb for her. We also spoke to lots of teachers and parents who thought Revealweb would make life easier in tracking down leisure reading and study material.
If you haven't had a look at Revealweb yet log on to http://www.revealweb.org.uk and let me know what you think.
You may recently have received your copyright licence from the CLA. The notification requirement of the CLA VIP Licence is satisfied by reporting the copying to Revealweb. This ensures that the accessible copies will be listed on Revealweb and can be located by visually impaired people who may want to make use of them.
Neither the CLA VIP Licence nor the Section 31B exception apply if a suitable commercial edition is available. However, it is sometimes difficult to know what is and is not available. One of the purposes of Revealweb is to help locate suitable accessible editions.
There will soon be a copyright section on the Revealweb site which will include a Frequently asked Questions section.
Fact: Revealweb has over 175,000 books listed in the various formats
The National Blind Children's Society is a regular contributor of data to Revealweb. One of the services that NBCS offers is CustomEyes which produces large print books made to order, in the size and style of print that suits each child's needs.
Julia Elsworth, CustomEyes' Book Manager, talked to us about her experience and the benefits of adding data to Revealweb. "CustomEyes is enabling VI children to discover what pleasure it is to read books for themselves instead of having to rely on being read to - something we all take for granted. Revealweb complements our service as national point of information about what's available in various accessible formats."
NBCS serves both families and educationalists including teachers and support workers. Being able to point them to a single resource which covers all formats has been really useful. Julia went on to say "Before Revealweb we were always being asked if titles were available now we can refer them to the web site and people are free to browse for themselves and, importantly, we are able to give more time to producing new books".
An added bonus is that many of the learning support staff are not specifically trained in supporting children with a visual impairment and Revealweb offers an easy first step to finding suitable material.
NBCS is a young and compact organisation so processes have to be efficient. Julia has found adding data to Revealweb very simple. Once logged on it's a matter of inputting information into a template and there is always support available from the cataloguers who work on Revealweb.
Julia sums up "Revealweb has a double benefit to us as a provider of information to existing and potential customers and a provider of information to our selves, helping us to plan the expansion of our service to meet the needs of our clients without duplication of books that are already available."
Your organisations can really help make a difference. Recently Revealweb received this glowing endorsement "I think Revealweb is fantastic! I work with a young man who is needs large print resources and who is starting his GCSEs next year. So far I have found Revealweb to be extremely helpful and if it continues to be added to it will be an excellent source for future years."
We'd like to hear from you if you have data you would like contribute to Revealweb. Contact Deborah Ryan at manager@revealweb.org.uk
Fact: Less than 1% of books published in the UK each year are ever made available in Braille
Chris Tattersall lost his sight around 10 years ago. Since then he has learnt both Braille and Moon, and computer skills through Adult Learners classes at Bolton College . He is a fully qualified Braillist, a certified teacher (Cert Ed), and a competent computer user. He was also NIACE Adult Learner of the Year and Bolton College's Student of the Year for 2000.
Prior to losing his sight Chris was an avid reader, and he is keen to revisit some of the books he read when he was sighted and enjoy them again.
Before Revealweb his wife would read out lists of book titles to him from the RNIB catalogue. He also uses his public library in Clitheroe where the helpful staff there are always prepared to spend time reading out the back covers of audio books he thinks he might be interested in. Chris has found Revealweb fairly easy to use and says 'Nothing can beat the thrill of being able to access information without needing someone else's help. Revealweb gives me the ability to search for the books I want to read independently without having to spend hours with my poor wife reading through lists.'
Chris is a member of both RNIB's Talking Book Service and NLB's Braille library but sometimes a book he wants to read is not available from either of these organisations. Chris explains how Revealweb helps. 'Revealweb opens up a world of choice to me. If one organisation doesn't have the book I want to read, Revealweb allows me to easily find out if someone else has it.'
Fact: Titles in accessible formats are produced by over 250 institutions, including commercial producers
If you have any questions or would like to give any feedback about Revealweb please contact us at the address below.
Deborah Ryan
Revealweb Manager
C/o National Library for the Blind
Far Cromwell road
Bredbury
Stockport
SK6 2SG
Tel: 0161 355 2082
manager@revealweb.org.uk
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Lloyds TSB Foundation
The John Ellerman Foundation
The British Library
Managed and supported by the RNIB and NLB
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Web page content by
Bibliographic Management Group
of UKOLN.
Last updated on
June 1, 2004
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