Matt Navitsky writes “As we celebrate our nation’s libraries during National Library Week (April 15-21), the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, is recognizing the many ways its network library partners engage people in reading and keep them connected to the world around them. For more than 75 years, NLS has provided blind and physically handicapped readers with free reading materials. Through its talking-book program, books on tape and special playback equipment are mailed directly to patrons at no cost to them. The program is a lifeline to many, enabling them to read independently.
The program does more than facilitate reading, it also brings people together. Talking-book clubs, offered through NLS regional and subregional libraries, provide patrons with the opportunity to discuss the books they have read and to share their love of reading with others. ‘My interest in books has developed, says talking-book club member, Michael Conrad, a patron of the Los Angeles regional library. “The meetings also get me out to socialize. I have great discussions and meet new people.'”
Recent Comments