JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Library Service: Providing alternative formats

Press Release

James is a bright student with a love of English literature and a desire to become a playwright. He is dyslexic and struggles to read textbooks. To succeed he will need the library to support him with digital copies of books so he can change font styles and colours and use text to speech when his concentration wanes. For the library to succeed in supporting James they will need a responsive publisher.

The JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Library Service recognises publishers whose responsiveness to requests brings significant benefits to disabled learners.

The vision of the award is to raise awareness of the benefits of digital formats for disabled users so that everyone – learner, tutor, support worker, librarian and publisher – can be better equipped to use technology to transform learning opportunities.

This is where the library community have a crucial role to play. We want to find the most responsive publishers and recognise their contribution to education. We are inviting library staff, learner support staff, tutors etc to nominate publishers who have shown high levels of professionalism, support or involvement in meeting needs for a book in an alternative format.

Nominating a publisher for the Award will take just a few minutes but will help raise the profile of this important service. Sponsored by Dolphin and iansyst – experts in the field of assistive technology – the Publisher Lookup Awards help to create the awareness that will support James - and thousands like him.

To nominate a publisher visit Library Service Award. Closing date for nominations is Friday 03 September.

What people are saying about the Publisher Lookup Awards:
“Librarians and support assistants who rise to the challenge of obtaining e-books for dyslexic learners are often surprised how easy it is and how rewarding it can be to see a satisfied learner. These awards should encourage more to explore digital copies for their learners.”
Anna Tylor, Chairperson - Right to Read Alliance.

“This is a great opportunity for hard pressed library staff and learners to publicly say ‘Well done’ to publishers who have given us exceptional support.”
Helen Brazier, head of RNIB National Library.

“I’m delighted to hear about the awards – they will be invaluable in celebrating best practice and encouraging high standards of service.”
Geraldine Smith, Learning and Teaching Librarian at the Open University Library. JIBS disability advisor.

JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility: Reshaping business processes

Anya is a bright student training in Law. She is visually impaired and cannot read standard textbooks. To succeed she will need the library to support her with digital copies of text books so she can magnify the font and increase the contrast. For long texts she will use screen reader software for improved reading speed or even output the digital text to braille. To succeed, Anya will need publishers to be geared up for alternative format provision, whether via streamlined customer service, workforce awareness or improved technical workflows.

The JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Award for Accessibility recognises publishers who have taken conscious steps to improve their service for disabled customers.

The vision of the award is to raise awareness of the art of the possible so that publishers can begin to benchmark their practice against others.

We encourage publishers to nominate themselves if they have specifically addressed accessibility in their business processes. Examples might include streamlining the enquiries process, training technical and production teams in disability issues, creating accessible workflows, embedding accessibility into e-Book platforms etc. The road to truly inclusive publishing is a long one and these awards are looking not for perfection but for steps along a journey. If you have started making such steps we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Sponsored by iansyst and Dolphin – experts in the field of assistive technology – the Publisher Lookup Awards help to create the awareness that will support Anya (and many like her) to access the world of books and achieve her ambitions.

To nominate your organisation for the Publisher Award please complete the quick and easy questionnaire at Publisher Award. Closing date for nominations is Monday 15 February.

What people are saying about the Publisher Lookup Awards:
“This is a great collaboration with the common aim of proving that barriers to access can be broken down - to the benefit of both readers and publishers."
Alicia Wise, Chief Executive of the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS) and Head of Digital Publishing at the Publishers Association.

“This is an excellent opportunity for publishers to demonstrate the art of the possible.”
Richard Orme, Head of Accessibility, RNIB.

Back to JISC TechDis Publisher Lookup Awards main press release page.