muratAfter a humanitarian campaign was launched to support the library for the blind and partially sighted in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a total of $1,520 was collected and sent to Sarajevo. The report received from Sarajevo states that they received 2,606.74 BAM. We would like to express our gratitude to all the donors who contributed to the successful completion of this initiative by our organization.
The library for blind and partially sighted individuals in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) needs our assistance. Due to the extremely complex political situation, the Library has not received financial support from the authorities that funded its operations in previous years. We are now at a point where the library, which has been serving blind and partially sighted individuals for over 50 years, could be forced to close its doors. We cannot allow blind and partially sighted individuals to endure hardship due to the challenging political circumstances in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Please consider making a donation and supporting the Library in providing stories that enable them to perceive the world around them. Let’s ensure that those who are already in a disadvantaged position do not feel forgotten or discriminated against.
For more information about the library’s work, you can read below and visit their website: https://bibsis.org.ba/o-nama/ To learn more about the library’s financial situation, you can watch an interview with the director, Sakib Pleh, at this link: https://youtu.be/j0F6hT6vUqg
The Library for the Blind and Partially Sighted is a unique institution in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It provides blind and partially sighted individuals of all ages with essential library materials for their everyday lives, professional development, work, and social engagement. The library boasts a collection of 31,080 library units in Braille, audio, and digital formats, covering all literary genres. These resources are utilized by blind and partially sighted individuals of all ages across Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as by blind citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina living abroad and in the former Yugoslav republics. The library offers advanced departments, and all book and magazine services are provided free of charge.
A critical aspect of the Library’s mission is its publishing function, which involves producing books, textbooks, magazines, and other literature in formats accessible to the blind (such as Braille, audio, digital technology, and large print). The library is equipped with two modern sound studios and a Braille printing press. Each year, the library produces a total of 80-100 titles. Books for the blind are considerably expensive due to limited print runs (typically 3-6 copies), specialized materials (such as 140-gram paper for Braille books), and unique production techniques. As a result, an audio book can be up to ten times more costly than a standard printed book, and a Braille book can be up to fifty times more expensive.
The Library employs ten full-time staff members and collaborates with a large number of partners to carry out its program tasks. These include announcers and readers who work diligently to ensure that users who rely on touch and hearing for reading have equal access to humanity’s cultural and scientific heritage in a format accessible to them. However, the Library’s efforts extend beyond this.
In addition to its core services, the Library organizes numerous literary evenings, hosts both permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing library materials in formats for the blind, as well as aids for the blind, and arranges various gatherings. The library actively participates as an exhibitor in book fairs and its employees engage in consultations, forums, and other events, both within the country and abroad.
