1940
The idea of introducing a blind press in Latvia was born in 1940, when the Riga Institute for the Blind started publishing a table newspaper in Braille “Brīvā Straume”. The newspaper was interrupted by the Second World War.
1945 – 1947
1945. In 2005, after the establishment of the Riga School for the Blind, the idea of a press for the blind was born again. In 1947, the most active students of the Secondary School for the Blind made it a reality by publishing a Braille magazine “Free Thoughts”. Valentina Kravali, one of the school activists, was elected editor of the magazine. However, due to its freethinking content, the magazine was soon discontinued.
1950
In the early 1950s, the first organisation of pupils, students and teachers (SSP) was founded. The idea of having its own magazine was revived. The new Braille publication was called “Rosme”, at the suggestion of the organisation’s chairman, Aleksandrs Svilāns. Valentina Kravale (later Gūtmane) was again chosen as its editor. The braille magazine “Rosme” was published in one or two copies by the SSP organisation from 1952 to 1956.
1956 – 1962
1956. In 2007, the Second Congress of the LNB decided to transform the magazine “Rosme” into the LNB Press. Anatolijs Gutfricis, who had a visual impairment of the 1st group, was entrusted with the duties of the editor-in-chief. He continued as editor-in-chief until 1962. The magazine was published quarterly in Braille in a print run of 100 copies. A little later, the frequency increased to six issues a year, and by 1960 Rosme was published monthly.
1962. In 2005, when Anatolijs Gutfricis left the editorship, the LNB management entrusted the duties of Editor-in-Chief to the then Director of the Library for the Blind, Stanislavs Miklasēvičs, for a few months. At the end of 1962, the Presidium of the LNB CV approved Konrad Sondor as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Rosme” (until 1987).
1963
The most significant milestone in the qualitative and quantitative growth of the journal took place in 1963, when, by decision of the Presidium of the LNB CV, it began to be published also in visual form. This provided an opportunity to supplement the information with photographs and illustrations and to improve the artistic design of the journal. During these years, the circulation of the journal grew rapidly.
1970
The editorial office initially had three paid staff. 1965. In 1979, when Rosme celebrated its 25th anniversary, more than 700 freelance authors had published in its pages. By the early 1980s, the magazine’s circulation had exceeded 4 000 copies per month.
1990
The economic crisis of the awakening years affected not only the LNB, but also the magazine “Rosme”. 1993. On 16 June 2004, the LNB established the Information Service “Brailinform” Ltd., which was entrusted with ensuring the circulation of information within the Society and publishing the journal. Due to lack of funds, the periodicity of the journal was gradually reduced and from 1995 the journal was published only 6 times a year. The number of readers decreased significantly and the editors of the journal changed several times.
2000
The LNB tried to attract state support, each year reassuring state officials of the importance of providing information to people with visual impairments as they integrate into Latvian society. Since the second half of 2003, the magazine has been published again once a month in high quality polygraphic form with a colour cover in large print 26 pages thick and in Braille 50 sheets. Since 2009, Rosme has finally been included in the national budget and receives permanent funding to publish 200 copies monthly in large print and 55 copies in Braille.
2012
From November 2012, the Latvian Society for the Blind will take over the publishing of “Rosme” magazine. Anita Zvirgzde is its editor-in-chief.
2013
In January 2013, the magazine was redesigned in large print to accommodate people with visual impairments – the typeface was adapted for people with low vision who read with a magnifying glass, and the spacing between letters and lines was increased.
Improved print quality of the Braille magazine.
Since September 2013, the editorial office of the magazine has moved to new, more spacious premises at the same address. There is a separate braille room (with 2 workstations), where the magazine is also post-produced, an editorial room (with 3 workstations), a lounge and a dining room.
3 additional workstations (desks, chairs, computers) have been set up to participate in the subsidised jobs scheme in cooperation with the National Employment Agency.
The editorial office has replaced its old computers with new ones running Windows 7.
In the summer of 2013 we received a Braille printer as a gift from the Ventspils Digital Centre.
From September 2013, the digitisation of the journal’s archive started with the help of volunteers. 4 volunteers have participated, working a total of 39.5 hours.
2014
After negotiations with the Ministry of Welfare, permission is finally granted to publish the magazine in electronic format. Readership is increasing.
2 subsidised jobs are created in the editorial office for a period of 2 years.
The CV of the LNB approves the development concept of the LNB Publishing Department for the next five years, which includes:
- translation of the magazine into Russian to increase the number of information recipients in Latvia;
- developing the audio format of the magazine;
- complete the digitisation of the journal archive;
- create an audio studio for the creative expression of people with visual impairments;
- develop braille services in Latvia.
2015
Following on from 2014, an audio version of the magazine is being offered, with volunteers invited to read the texts.
From September 2015, Signe Krūzkopa will take over as editor of the journal (temporary replacement). In October 2015, together with the Bank of Latvia, an information note “About the new 20 euro banknote” was published. The content of the magazine continues to evolve with news, events and topical information, as well as information from readers (what they want to read in the magazine).
2016 – 2017
In the first quarter of 2016, two guys who worked in subsidised jobs leave the editorial team. Armands Dīriņš finished scanning the entire (!) archive of the magazine (1957 – 2015), which was given to the Digitisation Department of the National Library of Latvia, and a copy was left for the Latvian Society of the Blind. Lauris Kuzņecovs, in turn, entered the journal texts (2008 – 2015) on the Society’s website, which can now be found under Services ‘ Magazine Rosme ‘ Archive.
The magazine is produced and organised by one person – editor Signe Krūzkopa. She is assisted by Inita Ozoliņa, a Braille corrector with a visual disability of the 1st group (half-time; working in the editorial office since 2008). The magazine continues to be published in 4 formats: sighted, Braille, electronic and audio (links in e-mail).
In September 2017, the previous editor, now with a different name – Anita Monozova – returns to work. The magazine continues to improve the quality of its content.
2018
As of January 2018, the audio format of the magazine is now also available on CD-ROM. This changes the demand for Braille (which is decreasing), but also attracts new readers to the magazine – people who are unable to read sighted or Braille themselves, or use a computer. The total readership of the magazine reaches 300 people.
As of March 2018, the Ministry of Welfare has given permission to sell ROSME to other natural and legal persons. Thus, the magazine can be officially purchased, for example, by branches of the Latvian Library for the Blind throughout Latvia, as well as by visually impaired and blind people whose disability is based on a condition other than sight.
The magazine has its own Facebook profile, which reaches 100 followers in a short time. It actively reports on news affecting people with disabilities other than visual impairment, as well as following international news in this field and sharing it with its readers. The Facebook profile is followed by a large number of visually impaired people who actively use social networks to get the information they need. The editorial board of the magazine participates in on-line discussions and represents the views of the Latvian Association of the Blind.
Twitter account is still active (since 2013, 100 followers).
In the summer the editorial board of the magazine participates in the XXVI Latvian Song and XVI Dance Festival, following the success of the mixed choir “Jolanta” of the Latvian Society for the Blind Strazdumuiža club. A special issue of the Song Festival magazine and a photo gallery on the LNB website have been created, as well as the LNB groups have been promoted on the Facebook profile.
Volunteers are recruited to read the audio format of ROSME on a monthly basis. In total, 18 volunteers read 237 files in the Publishing Department of the LNB in 2018, working 82 hours.
In November, in cooperation with the Bank of Latvia, an information supplement on the new 200 euro banknotes is published. It is distributed (in sighted, braille, htm and audio formats) to all readers of the magazine, and sent on request to all LNB TOs, as well as to the Latvian Library for the Blind and the library of the Jugla branch of VSAC “Rīga” (a home for the blind). The total number of distributed copies – 783.
In November, a decision is made to use the funds of the Latvian Society for the Blind to prepare and publish a calendar in Braille for 2019 – a gift for Latvia’s centenary. Information about it is disseminated through the ROSME magazine, on the LNB website, on the magazine’s Facebook and Twitter profiles, as well as on Strazdumuiza local radio. 45 people signed up for the calendar.
In December 2018, all readers receive a Client Questionnaire on the availability and quality of the social rehabilitation service ROSME in 2018. In the recommendations section, readers write their preferences on what they would like to read in the future and express their gratitude for the high informative quality of the magazine.
The editorial staff provides free Braille services throughout the year to people with visual impairments and partner organisations, as well as paid services to businesses and pharmaceutical companies. They also support LNB TOs that need information design (layout, design, printing) for their projects.
2019
The editor of the magazine changes. From February 2019, Anete Enikova will be the editor, and from December 2019 – Santa Galiņa.
2020
Readers can still choose from one of five formats. The magnified version remains the most popular, but there is a growing interest in the audio edition on CD-ROM.
2020. In 2010, the editorial staff followed and participated in the RPTO’s “Two Languages One Experience” project, which was also featured in Rosmes. They also took part in the Ride2Share charity campaign and supported the Strazdumuiža Club by printing event posters.
In cooperation with the advertising agency “Mediju tilts”, the Ministry of Health produced an information leaflet “New procedure for prescription of reimbursable medicines” in Braille and, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, a booklet “72 h; What to do in case of a crisis?” in Latvian, Russian and Braille was published in large print and distributed to TO.
Also at the end of 2020, the editorial team was working on the next year’s Braille calendars. These were available free of charge to anyone who wanted to receive one. A total of 49 calendars were distributed.