Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind

New Zealand’s only library service for blind and partially sighted communities will receive an upgrade. The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) will convert their catalogue from a tape format to a digital format with its $10,000 grant.

The library currently caters to blind and partially-sighted people who are unable to access mainstream libraries and provides more than 6,100 audio and Braille entertainment and educational titles.

“The cassette tape solution is becoming unsustainable with the analogue players reaching the end of their useful lives. The Foundation is therefore embarking on an innovative new project to bring the library to its users through new technology,” said Dave Bellamy, Trusts and Foundations Manager, RNZFB.

A new digital information system has been designed which will provide made-to-order digital resources. The Foundation is also collaborating with other organisations working on behalf of blind and partially sighted communities internationally, using the new digital system to enable them to share New Zealand literature with other blind and partially sighted people around the world.