Kilkenny County Library Service continues to address areas of service provision, removing barriers to service uptake and creating welcoming and accessible environments supported by appropriate services and formats.
In compliance with the Disability Act 2005 and Kilkenny County Council's Access programme, all 7 service points have now been audited re accessibility.
Buildings and Spaces:
Kilkenny County Library Service aims to ensure that people with disabilities can approach, enter, navigate and use public library spaces as easily as other people can.
- 2008 saw the installation of ramps at the City Library, John's Quay and Loughboy Library.
- Loughboy Library has undergone an extensive facelift with regard to accessibility guidelines.
- All 7 service points have been fitted with induction hearing loops.
Staff:
As part of the "Making Access Happen" project, library staff underwent disability awareness training to inform and stimulate a range of practical initiatives.
- A staff handbook - with guidelines for dealing with people with disabilities- was developed by library staff and issued to all council staff.
- A further training programme is planned to allow staff a greater understanding of accessibility issues and to empower them to eliminate processes which create exclusion.
Services:
- Further investment in audio collections and large print stock has increased the accessibility of our services.
- Stock includes Large Print and audio collections, literacy collections and multi-media stock.
- The new functionality of the library management system, Horizon, will provide for the further development and expansion of virtual library services.
- Grant aided funding provided assistive technologies across the library network. A PC with a document scanner for the visually impaired and for readers with learning difficulties is available. Accessible software - Kurweil 1000 and 3000 and Jaws is also available.
- Internet and Computer services which includes free Internet access to members and access to Microsoft Office.
- Implement good practice in the provision of an inclusive public library service.
- Customer Care kits are now available in all service points. These contain a range of magnifiers , pen grips and signature templates."
Work Placement:
Access 2 Employment, is a Supported Employment initiative of SOS Kilkenny where participants of the programme receive on the job training and employment opportunities within the local community. A2E works in partnership with over forty employers, companies and organisations in and around Kilkenny.
John's Quay library and Loughboy library have both ibeen nvolved in providing job training and employment for A2E participants. One participant worked in John's Quay library for many years. This position provided her with the opportunity to integrate with fellow employees and the general public while at the same time promoting self-confidence. This participant retired in 2009 after 12 years service.
Another participant of the programme is on a job placement in Loughboy library where she will continue to sample different jobs and new skills with the view of finding permanent employment at the end of her training.
Loughboy Library participated in the production of a promotional DVD for A2E and A2E are delighted with the co-operation and participation of all library staff.
Multicultural Services:
Kilkenny is now home to many people of different nationalities and cultures.
Kilkenny Library Service recognises this and responds to this ethnic diversity through its stock, periodicals, free internet access and programme of events throughout the year.
- The city library is home to a World Book Collection - this includes fiction in Arabic, Czech, German, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, Lithuanian, Russian and Spanish.
- Our stock includes international magazines for lending and international newspapers for reference.
- Language learning facilities are also available across the branch network.
- Our children's' stock includes bi-lingual books. Kilkenny Library Service have a wide selection of children's' fiction and non-fiction multicultural materials.
- There is also access to the following international news portals on our public access pcs.
Browsealoud:
Did you know, you can make this website talk?
You can download software that reads the site content out loud.
This will make the site easy to use for more people.
Browsealoud helps people who have:
- Low literacy and reading skills
- English as a second language
- Dyslexia
- Mild visual impairments
Click here or on the Browsealoud button on the right of the screen to download the free software.
www.browsealoud.com gives a list of browsealoud enabled sites.
Useful Websites:
www.onlinenewspapers.com All native languages
http://library.uncg.edu/news/ All native languages. Advanced search facility to search by 89 languages
www.world-newspapers.com World Newspapers, Magazines, and News Sites in English