Investigating Library Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Iranian Public Libraries and Suggesting Some Solutions to Improve Them

The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining library services to the blind and visually impaired and providing suggested solutions to public libraries in Iran.

This research is an applied research in terms of nature and purpose and was conducted with using a survey method. The research population consisted of librarians and managers of 46 public libraries under the auspices of the Public Libraries of the Country, which had a section for the blind and visually impaired and their special services. The data collection tools were two questionnaires designed by the researchers, the first for librarians in the mentioned section, and the other for the managers of these libraries, based on the standard of public library services for the blind and visually-impaired compiled by the Public Libraries Foundation in 2016. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

The findings of compare mean statistical hypothesis test, considering the fact that the significance level is less than 0.05 and the confidence interval of the difference for the variables of "special services for the blind and visually impaired, the status of information resources and the status of manpower working in public libraries in Iran" are positive, these variables follow the standard level more than the average. Moreover, for the variables of "building, equipment, hardware and software for the blind and visually impaired in public libraries of Iran", the significance level is less than 0.05 and the negative ranges of the mean difference demonstrate that these variables follow the standard level less than the average.

Based on the research findings, there is a need for more compliance with the standard under review, especially in the field of construction and equipment. It seems that in addition to the development of the standard, the executive guarantee of the implementation of the standard by the public libraries of the country is necessary and will help in improving services to the blind and visually impaired.