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Abstract

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to present an overview of a number of libraries’ specially adapted media for children with special needs. We also wanted to see how the librarians worked to help children with special needs, to take advantage of the libraries collections and activities. These special needs could be dyslexia but may also be disabilities which have resulted in them being unable to read literature other than special adapted literature. Examples of this literature are DAISY, book & DAISY, pictogram, bliss, ISAAC, easy reading, Braille, tactile picture books, and computer programs that make it easier for people to read in their own way with their own skills. Using qualitative interviews we have interviewed seven librarians. Through this process we have been able to ascertain which methods public libraries use to meet the needs of those children whose disabilities relate to reading. The interviews also explored how they are working with children who need more time than other children does when it comes to reading. The results of the interviews showed that the libraries provided a lot of special adapted media. Some of the libraries had a more sophisticated selection collected in their, in Swedish, äppelhylla, but all of them wanted to help and meet children with special needs at the children’s own level. The use of economic budget for adapted literature varied amongst the libraries, sometimes it was amalgamated with the rest of the library budget, but in others the budget was assigned specifically for the adapted literature.