Bibliotekarz w sieci stereotypów i uprzedzeń – o postawach wobec osób z niepełnosprawnością czytelniczą

The paper outlines the most significant problems faced by librarians who provide library and information service to people with reading disabilities. These reflections are presented on a background of the psychological and social-cultural barriers that often lead to negative attitudes towards people with disabilities and their stereotypical perception. The study also indicates the knowledge, skills and personality traits that librarians need to have in order to prevent falling into the trap of stereotypes and prejudices, and shows how to provide quality service to people with disabilities who usually cannot use standard print publications. The article concludes with a discussion on the librarians' obligations towards users with special needs, based on a number of laws and regulations, including 'the Code of Ethics for the Librarians and the Information Science Employees', the IFLA recommendations and Polish draft of 'the Act on Equalizing Chances for People with Disabilities' that prevents discrimination of people with disabilities at public institutions, including the libraries.