By Brett Peruzzi
Managing Editor
REGION – At the Worcester Public Library (WPL) accessibility is part of its core mission. Not just physical access to the buildings, but to the collections as well.
WPL has a number of collections that can assist patrons with disabilities, including downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, DVDs with subtitles and closed-captioning capabilities, language learning materials, and large print collections.
One of the key components of the library’s accessibility services is The Worcester Talking Book Library (WTBL). It provides free services to Massachusetts residents of any age who are unable to read traditional print materials due to a visual or physical disability. While impaired vision is one of the primary reasons patrons need access to materials in a different way, some people have an allergy to paper and/or ink and are not able to touch printed library materials.
Photo/Courtesy of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
The WTBL has access to more than 1.2 million volumes of digital books including large type, described videos, braille, and 100 magazine titles in recorded and braille format, and provides mail-order service by telephone, as well as immediate service on a walk-in basis. In addition to access through desktop or laptop computers, there is also an app for use on tablets and smartphones.
“We get calls every day from people who say how this has changed their lives,” said Lee Anne Hooley, Head of Talking Book Services at the WPL. “The majority of our patrons who use this service are over 50, since that’s when people start to lose their vision. Our oldest patron is 105! We have more than a few people over 100 years old.” While Hooley said the library has many regulars who visit the library frequently, others who have mobility issues or no longer drive can access the collections from home.
Hooley recalled a woman who called and explained that she lost her vision when she was in the middle of reading a book. “She wanted to see how the book ended, and was thrilled when I was able to provide an audio version of it for her.”
The WPL circulates 120,000 items per year from its Talking Book, large print, and braille collections. “We also offer audio and braille access to over 400 newspapers through NFB NEWSLINE, a service of the National Federation for the Blind,” Hooley added. “We are working to expand the number of local publications, particularly in central Massachusetts, that are available through this service.”
Another aspect of accessibility is providing materials in languages other than English. “We have books in circulation in 40 to 50 different languages,” Hooley explained. “Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese are probably the most popular languages, but we also have books in Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Farsi, and even some Native American languages.”
“Libraries bring people together,” Hooley affirmed, noting that even in an increasingly digital world, people want to meet others and be part of a community. “ Our goal is to make sure everyone has access and keeps reading.”
