[Dtb-talk] National Library Service Commemorates 75 Years of Pioneering Service to Blind and Ph

[David B Andrews]

 PR Newswire, New York
 Tuesday, December 26, 2006
 
 National Library Service Commemorates 75 Years of Pioneering
Service to Blind and Physically Handicapped Readers
 
   Free library service celebrates long history and bright future
in
keeping patrons engaged in literature and connected to the world
around them
 
      WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, as the
nation
 reflects on the past year and looks toward the future, the
National
 Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS),
Library of Congress, is commemorating 75 years of providing free
library
service to people who cannot see standard print or who have
problems
handling print materials.
 Established in 1931 by the Pratt-Smoot Act, NLS provides free
reading
 materials in braille and on audiocassette, as well as audio
playback
 equipment to eligible enrollees of all ages. As NLS celebrates its
75th year of ensuring that all may read, the program continues its
tradition of innovation and service. In 2008, a revolutionary
transformation will occur when NLS launches the digital talking-book
system, harnessing the latest technology to enhance the way patrons
stay connected to the written word and the world at large.
      "This is a monumental milestone in NLS history," says Frank
Kurt
 Cylke, NLS director. "For the past 75 years, we have remained
committed to meeting the unique needs of blind and physically
handicapped readers. As we enter the digital future, NLS will
continue to explore ways to enhance the reading experience of our
patrons, thereby improving the quality of their lives."
      A long history of keeping people connected
      Known today as the talking-book program, NLS was born on
March 31, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed the Pratt-Smoot
Act into law, authorizing the Library of Congress to provide
embossed books for blind people in the United States and its
territories. The legislation was the outgrowth of efforts dating
back to the nineteenth century to foster literacy in the blind
community. While the Library of Congress had offered an in-house
collection of braille materials since 1897, it wasn't until
President Herbert Hoover signed the Pratt-Smoot Act into law that
such materials became accessible to blind readers on a
national level.
      It became apparent early on that the braille collection did
not
 meet the needs of older patrons who lacked the tactile sensitivity
to
 learn braille. In 1934, laying the foundation for a service that
puts
patrons' needs first, Congress supplemented the original
legislation with
 additional funding to produce books on phonograph records -- the
first
audiobooks. Thus the talking-book program was born. Always
exploring the technological horizons for new methods of improving
service to readers, NLS made cassette books and special playback
machines available to patrons in 1969.
      When Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Ruth Pratt
introduced the legislation that created this special library service
in 1931, they could hardly have envisioned the phenomenon spawned by
their efforts.
 Today, NLS provides services to more than 700,000 avid readers.
The NLS staff has grown from one professional staffer in 1931 to a
staff of
 more than 100 individuals. The 19 affiliate libraries have
expanded to
 a national network of 132 cooperating libraries found throughout
the
 United States and in its territories. Moreover, the NLS collection
has
 increased from a mere 15 book titles to a collection of more than
 400,000, including the latest bestsellers, circulating 24 million
 copies annually. In addition, NLS provides music materials in
braille,
 recorded, and large-print formats; and offers readers a selection
of
braille and recorded magazine subscriptions.
      Moving into the digital future
      The 75th anniversary of NLS ushers in a new era for the
 talking-book program. Building on its past tradition of
implementing
 cutting-edge technologies to enhance user-friendliness, NLS is in
the
 midst of converting its analog-based system to a digital system,
and
 developing new digitally based talking books and playback
machines.
      The digital talking-book system will greatly enrich the user
 reading experience through improved audio quality, navigation
features, accessibility, portability, and durability. NLS expects to
begin
 distributing the digital talking books and players to patrons in
2008.
      Users play a key role in shaping NLS's digital future. In
partnership with the National Federation of the Blind, NLS is
engaging
 a broad range of blind and physically handicapped consumers in a
series of rigorous product tests to ensure that the medium and
player are functional and accessible to readers of diverse ages and
skill levels.
      "It's been wonderful to be part of this process," says NFB
 spokesperson Marc Maurer. "Throughout its history, NLS has proven
 itself a forward- thinking organization and a leader in developing
as
 well as implementing assistive technologies to improve service to
its
patrons."
      The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
 Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, administers the
talking-book
 program, a free library service available to U.S. residents or
American

 citizens living abroad whose low vision, blindness, or physical
 handicap makes reading a standard printed page difficult. Through
its
 national network of regional libraries, NLS mails books and
magazines
 on cassette and in braille, as well as audio equipment, directly
to
 enrollees at no cost. Further information on eligibility
requirements
 and enrollment procedures for the program is available at
 http://www.loc.gov/nls or 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323).
 
 
 SOURCE Library of Congress
 
 Related links:
 
 http://www.loc.gov/nls 
 
 

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David Andrews
Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave. W., #240
St. Paul, MN  55114-1840
(651) 642-0513  Office
(612) 730-7931  Cell
(651) 649-5927  Fax