f49f4ecf08d04fa9ef97240802e8901d.jpg

Hopewell Valley Senior Advisory Board Gets Briefed on Free Reading Services for the Print Impaired

By Gary Cooper
The Outspoken Library, an innovative service started in 2011 by the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC), has not only been growing in use and popularity since its inception, but expanding its services, as well. At the suggestion of Jean Harrington, a member of the Hopewell Valley Senior Advisory Board from Hopewell Borough, these services available to eligible print-impaired residents were described to the board at their July meeting at the Senior Center, Pennington. Harrington is an avid user of TBBC’s services and has become a community ambassador promoting the resource.
Adam Szczepaniak, deputy state librarian and director of TBBC, and Mary Kearns-Kaplan, outreach coordinator, discussed the no-cost, home-delivered accessible reading services available to eligible residents who need a more effective way to read. Known as the “Outspoken Library,” these services aid New Jersey residents (children, teens and adults) who cannot read standard print or who cannot hold a book or turn the pages of a book due to a physical impairment, a reading disability or vision impairment. Services include home-delivered, accessible audiobooks; audio book players; audio magazines; Braille books; downloadable audiobooks and audio magazines; 24/7 accessible news reading services; and the BARD Mobile app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. TBBC provides these services on behalf of the U.S. Library of Congress.
Except for Harrington, the members of the board knew very little about the services or that they even existed. They learned that the services are not just for the blind, but for those with many other disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and dyslexia.
Betty Hall of Titusville found out about the services in early spring. As a former newspaper reporter, she is an avid reader, but senior onset macular degeneration makes it difficult to read printed material. She’s already read more than a dozen books on tape, which she receives through the mail.
 “This initiative makes a difference for those who, for whatever reason, have difficulty reading printed material,” said Szczepaniak.
The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center is a regional library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the U.S. Library of Congress. The audiobook players and audiobooks are provided by the Library of Congress.
            Abigail Meletti, LSW, Hopewell Valley Senior Services Coordinator, can demonstrate the services, explain eligibility and the application process, provide applications, and can certify eligibility in certain instances. Once certified by TBBC, users will receive a login ID and Password to access BARD at home. Users will receive a free audiobook player provided by the Library of Congress.