[CCCNFBW] Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle takes home national award

Mon May 23 16:10:44 UTC 2022

Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle takes home national
award
------------------------------

by Danny Schmidt, KOMONews.com Digital Producer
Wednesday, May 18th 2022

Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle takes home national
award | KOMO (komonews.com)
<https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-talking-book-braille-library-in-seattle-takes-home-national-award>

SEATTLE — A local library took home a top honor on Wednesday for its
"outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print
disabilities."

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library — located at 2021 9th Ave in
Seattle — received the 2022 Regional Library of the Year Award from the
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the
Library of Congress in the District of Columbia.

The Seattle library earned a $1,000 award and commemorative plaque. It will
also be honored at a luncheon in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The NLS also honored the Pinellas Talking Book Library in Clearwater,
Florida, with the Sub-regional Library/Advisory and Outreach Center of the
Year Award.

“The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library and the Pinellas Talking
Book Library couldn’t be farther apart geographically, but they share the
spotlight today for the many innovative ways they identify and meet the
needs of their patrons and contribute to their communities,” Librarian of
Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “I admire these libraries for
broadening their reach and increasing their usage through inventive
programs.”

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library serves more than 7,200
people, including 1,118 new people who enrolled in 2021, according to a
news release from the NLS.

"The library, which has been providing services for people unable to read
standard print since 1931, transitioned to a duplication-on-demand service
model, creating customized digital cartridges of books requested by
patrons.," the release goes on to say. "This eliminates waiting for other
patrons to return books as downloadable versions are always available."

Below is the full news release.

https://apigateway.agilitypr.com/distributions/history/228caf60-e482-4473-b41c-df4cbc8a9451

*NEWS from the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS*

May 18, 2022

*Media Contact: *Maria Peña, mpena at loc.gov <bzongker at loc.gov>

*Press Images:* newsroom.loc.gov

*Libraries in Washington and Florida Honored by the Library of Congress for
Outstanding Service to Readers with Disabilities*

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the
Library of Congress today presented awards to two of its cooperating
libraries in Washington and Florida. NLS recognized them for their
outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print disabilities.

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle, Washington,
received the 2022 Regional Library of the Year Award, while the Pinellas
Talking Book Library in Clearwater, Florida, received the Sub-regional
Library/Advisory and Outreach Center of the Year Award.

The two libraries — among 94 in the national network of NLS-affiliated
libraries — will be honored during a virtual ceremony of the 2022 National
Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Print Disabled Individuals.

Each recipient receives a $1,000 award and a commemorative plaque. Both
libraries will also be honored at a luncheon in the historic Thomas
Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., at a
later date.

“The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library and the Pinellas Talking
Book Library couldn’t be farther apart geographically, but they share the
spotlight today for the many innovative ways they identify and meet the
needs of their patrons and contribute to their communities,” said Librarian
of Congress Carla Hayden. “I admire these libraries for broadening their
reach and increasing their usage through inventive programs.”

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library  <https://www.wtbbl.org/>serves
more than 7,200 patrons, including 1,118 new patrons enrolled in 2021. The
library, which has been providing services for people unable to read
standard print since 1931, transitioned to a duplication-on-demand service
model, creating customized digital cartridges of books requested by
patrons. This eliminates waiting for other patrons to return books as
downloadable versions are always available.

The library used donor funds to hire an outreach librarian who gave
numerous presentations to public libraries, service organizations and
retirement homes and care facilities. The library mailed letters to 1,500
optometrists and ophthalmologists directing them to a web page where they
could request a visit or a call from the library and find a menu of
collateral materials to use in their offices. It also produced four
promotional videos highlighting various aspects of its operations.

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library collaborated with the
Washington State Department of Services for the Blind to deliver
closed-circuit television video magnifiers to patrons with low vision. In
addition, it was the first National Library Service network library to
participate in the pilot test for the Zoomax refreshable braille display,
or eReader, loaning and providing technical support for 130 devices.

“We are very committed to spreading the word about Washington Talking Book
and Braille Library and NLS services, improving access to reading materials
and connecting as many people as possible with the service — and, once they
are patrons, ensuring their service is prompt and they have all the support
they need from day one,” said Director and Regional Librarian Danielle
Miller.

The Pinellas Talking Book Library  <https://pplc.us/tbl/>signed up 347 new
patrons last year, bringing their total to over 4,800. The library
continued regular phone and mail service the entire year and reopened its
doors last May. When other National Library Service-affiliated libraries in
Florida had to close or reduce services due to the pandemic, the Pinellas
Talking Book Library picked up much of the slack — meeting the needs of not
only its own patrons but of blind and print-disabled readers across Florida.

The library created a new partnership with Preserve Vision Florida and
promotes the nonprofit group’s vision screenings on its social media
outlets; in return, Preserve Vision Florida gives NLS applications to
patients who qualify.

Library patrons get more than books. Since the start of the pandemic in
March 2020 and through 2021, Pinellas Talking Book Library distributed
masks to patrons unable to acquire them. It mailed fleece pet blankets to
patrons who called and said they had a pet in need. And it created
large-print calendars that were mailed to patrons for free.

Established in 1992, the Pinellas Talking Book Library launched a program
to reimburse its volunteers — who gave 783 hours of service last year — for
their transportation costs to and from the library.

“Everyone has a right to accessible library services,” Pinellas Talking
Book Library Manager Meagan Magee said. “The staff of the Pinellas Talking
Book Library will continue to find innovative and resourceful ways to
provide those services and have a positive impact on our community.”

Created 91 years ago, NLS launched the Network Library Awards in 2004. A
committee of librarians and consumer-organization representatives
recommends finalists from nominated libraries to the National Library
Service director based on mission support, creativity and innovation in
providing service and demonstrated reader satisfaction.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled administers
the talking-book and braille program, a free library service available to
U.S. residents and American citizens living abroad whose low vision,
blindness or print disability makes reading regular printed material
difficult. Through its national network of libraries, NLS provides books
and magazines in audio and braille formats and playback equipment directly
to patrons at no cost. Materials are also available online for download and
are accessible on smart devices through the BARD Mobile app. Music
instructional materials are available in large-print, ebraille, braille and
recorded formats. For more information, visit loc.gov/ThatAllMayRead or
call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323).

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to
the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from
around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of
the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore
collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at *loc.gov
<http://loc.gov>*; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative
information at *congress.gov <http://congress.gov>*; and register creative
works of authorship at *copyright.gov <http://copyright.gov>*.

# # #

PR 22-037

2022-05-18

ISSN 0731-3527

Beth Greenberg
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