Reading Is For Everyone

A tiny lady with tight, grey curls stopped me in the hall the other day. She reminded me of a little doll in her deep red silk shirt with the Mandarin collar. Her black tote bag was nearly as big as she was.
"Excuse me," she said as she reached for my arm. "Do you have any large print books in this library?"
Her little eyes looked like the eyes of Yoda from Star Wars...all full of wisdom.
"Why, yes, we do."
Before I could say more, she asked, "Could you show me where?"
I said I'd be happy to take her to the Large Print Section. So, with a slow shuffle she walked beside me all the way to the other end of the library -- past the circulation counter, the reading area and the fiction stacks. Our large print books are located at the far side of the Fiction Section and shelved against the front wall of the library.
The little lady was happy to see we have a nice size selection of large print books. She asked if she could sit down in the chair close by and just look at the books on the lower shelves.
When I pulled the chair up to her and said I hoped she would find what she was looking for, she smiled and said, "Oh, they aren't for me. They're for my sister. She's blind and she loves for me to read to her. But, you know, it's getting harder for me to see, even with my
glasses."
I pulled one of the low library stools close to her and sat down. I told her about the audio books the library has, something they both could enjoy without her having to read. And we talked about the services provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
Maybe it's something you need to know also for one of your loved ones. If they are not able to enjoy books or magazines because they can't see well enough to read conventional print or because a physical disability prevents them from handling the printed materials, they may wish to take advantage of a free service from the Library of Congress.
The NLS produces books and magazines, and even music, on cassettes and in Braille, maintains a collection of many books on recorded disc, and loans them to eligible readers in the United States and to eligible U.S. citizens living abroad. You can borrow these materials through a national network of state and local libraries. The books are sent to you and returned to the library by postage-free mail.
You or your loved one can select books from a national collection that includes many kinds of popular and interesting writings, such as bestsellers, classics, mysteries, children's books, etc. Many Braille books are available directly from Internet files. You can also subscribe to recorded and Braille magazines, choosing from more than 70 popular titles.
The books and magazines are recorded at slower than conventional speeds, so you need special playback equipment to use them. NLS loans you the machines for as long as you are using the recorded materials and repairs them as needed free of charge. You can also request accessories like headphones and levers to make it easier for you to use the switches. And if you're hearing impaired, you can borrow an amplifier.
Well, back to the little lady. She was from Thomasville, she had come to Moultrie with a friend who was attending a church meeting, and the friend had dropped her off at the library. She had her library card, but she was not familiar with our library. She had at least an hour to enjoy our facility.
I showed her the brochures we have and gave her two about Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. I told her she could call the Bainbridge Subregional Library for the NLS (229-248-2680 or 1-800-795-2680) and talk to them also. And I showed her an application for the free National Library Service in the back of one brochure.
"Well," she said,"I'm certainly all set up, thanks to you. But, I'll go ahead and pick a book or two to take home. My friend is coming back to Moultrie in two weeks, and I'm going to ask to come with her. She can drop me off at your library again. It's nice for a change. And I'll call the Bainbridge Library also."
She thanked me and asked if she'd see me during her next visit. I assured her I'd be delighted to see her again. I told her to just ask for the Bookworm. Someone would find me.
(Source: www.loc.gov/nls, Bainbridge Subregional Library, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped)