In Japan, “Innovative Librarians Strive to Make Reading Barrier-Free”

From The Asahi Shimbun:

Noriko Ishikawa, a veteran librarian at Toshima City Central Library in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, felt her heart swell with emotion when she saw a young bespectacled boy completely engrossed in the pages of a book in his hands.

His face was lit up with a genuine, delighted smile. He is immersed in the pleasure of reading, she thought to herself.

The boy was reading a book printed in large type for visually impaired readers. This spring, the library introduced a new section named “Ringo no tana” (apple shelf).

Here, one finds shelves of books designed for tactile enjoyment and reading ease–books chosen by Ishikawa and her colleagues with the intention of giving every child opportunities to “experience the joy of reading.”

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Filed under: Libraries, News