The South African Library for the Blind (SALB) is a statutory body whose objective is to provide a national library and information service to serve blind and print-handicapped readers in South Africa.
The SALB is a Schedule 3A public entity that came into existence through the South African Library for the Blind Act 1998, (Act 91 of 1998) and is situated in Grahamstown.
Vision: The SALB contributes to the quality of life of print-handicapped people encouraging independence through access to information, informed decision-making and taking pleasure in the enjoyment of recreational reading.
Mission: The SALB provides a national and international library and information service to the print-handicapped, free of charge as far as possible, by producing reading material in alternative formats.
Functions
The following are the functions of the SALB that are derived from section 4 of the South African Library for the Blind Act, 1998 (Act 91 of 1998):
(a) to build up a balanced and appropriate collection of South African and other documents for the use of blind and print-handicapped readers;
(b) (i) to record its collections appropriately;
(ii) to provide a bibliographic service to those readers;
(c) to provide access to documents nationally and internationally to those readers;
(d) to provide library and information services on a national basis to those readers;
(e) to co-ordinate and preserve the national audio and braille literary heritage;
(f) to produce documents in special mediums such as braille and audio in the formats required by those readers;
(g) to develop standards for the production of those documents;
(h) to research production methods and technology in the appropriate fields; and
(i) to acquire, manufacture and disseminate the necessary technology required to read, replay or reproduce the media referred to in paragraph.
Funding
The SALB is funded by the Department of Arts and Culture through a Parliamentary subsidy.
Contact details
Tel: +27 46 622-7226
Fax: +27 46 622-4645
E-mail:director@salb.org.za
Web: www.salb.org.za
Physical address
112B High Street, Grahamstown, South Africa, 6139
Postal address
P.O. Box 115, Grahamstown, South Africa, 6140
