National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 **************************** ********** FACT SHEET ********** **************************** January 1992 BOOKS FOR BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS A free national library program of braille and recorded materials for blind and physically handicapped persons is administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS or NLS/BPH), Library of Congress. With the cooperation of authors and publishers who grant permission to use copyrighted works, NLS selects and produces full-length books and magazines in braille and on recorded disc and cassette. Reading materials are distributed to a cooperating network of regional and subregional (local) libraries where they are circulated to eligible borrowers. Reading materials and playback machines are sent to borrowers and returned to libraries by postage-free mail. Established by an act of Congress in 1931 to serve blind adults, the program was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1962 to provide music materials, and again in 1966 to include individuals with other physical impairments that prevent the reading of standard print. FUNDING The NLS program is funded annually by Congress. The fiscal year 1991 appropriation was $40,131,000. Regional and subregional libraries receive funding from state, local, and federal sources. The combined expenditure for the program is approximately $76,000,000. ELIGIBILITY Anyone who is unable to read or use standard printed materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations may receive service. A survey sponsored by NLS found that two million persons with some type of visual impairment may be eligible and another million with physical conditions such as paralysis, missing arms or hands, lack of muscle coordination, or prolonged weakness could benefit from the use of reading materials in recorded form. BOOK COLLECTION Books are selected on the basis of their appeal to a wide range of interests. Bestsellers, biographies, fiction, and how- to books are in great demand. Titles expected to be extremely popular are produced on flexible disc in several thousand copies and circulated to borrowers within several months of their publication in print form. A limited number of titles are produced in Spanish and other languages for readers whose primary language is not English. Registered borrowers learn of new books added to the collection through two bimonthly publications, BRAILLE BOOK REVIEW and TALKING BOOK TOPICS. Through a union catalog available on microfiche and in computerized form, every network library has access to the entire NLS book collection and to the resources of several cooperating agencies. MAGAZINES Almost seventy magazines on disc and in braille are offered through the program. Readers may request free subscriptions to U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, CONSUMER REPORTS, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, JACK AND JILL, and many other popular magazines. Current issues are mailed to readers at the same time the print issues appear, or shortly thereafter. Magazines are selected for the program in response to demonstrated reader interest. EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Playback equipment is loaned free to readers for as long as recorded materials provided by NLS and its cooperating libraries are being borrowed. Talking-book machines are designed to play disc recorded books and magazines at 8 rpm and 16 rpm; cassette machines are designed for cassettes recorded at 15/16 ips and the standard speed of 1-7/8 ips on 2 and 4 sides. Readers with very limited mobility may request a remote-control unit; hearing impaired readers may be eligible for an auxiliary amplifier for use with headphones. A cassette machine designed primarily for elderly persons is also available. MUSIC SERVICES Persons interested in music materials may receive them directly from the Music Section of NLS. The collection consists of scores in braille and large type; textbooks and books about music in braille and large print; and elementary instruction for voice, piano, organ, guitar, recorder, accordion, banjo, and harmonica in recorded form. VOLUNTEER SERVICES Free correspondence courses leading to certification in braille transcribing (literary, music, and mathematics braille) and braille proofreading are offered. Voice auditions and informal training are given to volunteer tape narrators affiliated with local recording groups. A directory of volunteer groups that produce books for libraries and individuals is published frequently. Volunteers may call on NLS staff for their expertise in braille transcription and recording techniques. INFORMATION SERVICES Questions on various aspects of blindness and physical handicaps may be sent to NLS or to any network library. This service is available without charge to individuals, organizations, and libraries. Publications of interest to handicapped persons and service providers are free on request. CONSUMER RELATIONS The consumer relations officer maintains regular contact with consumer groups and individual users of the program to identify and resolve service problems and to assure that users' needs are being met. Participating in surveys, evaluating new equipment, and serving on advisory committees are some of the ways in which consumers contribute to program development. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The NLS research program is directed toward improving the quality of reading materials and related equipment, controlling program costs, and reducing the time required to deliver services to users. Current research activities include (1) the study of the centralization of the storage and delivery of braille books and NLS audio playback equipment, (2) the development of high- speed embossers for braille printing, (3) the application of digital techniques to NLS recorded material, and (4) the use of the latest advances in computer technology to provide automated communications links among NLS, all participating libraries, book and magazine producers, and distribution centers. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Ask your local public librarian for more information about the program and how to apply for service. To obtain publications, please use the order form below. (Sidebars) From a beginning of 19 libraries, the network has expanded to 56 regional and 90 subregional libraries throughout the U.S. About 73 percent of the NLS annual appropriation is budgeted for books, equipment, and related materials and 27 percent for support services. More than 21 million recorded and braille books and magazines were circulated to a readership of 757,000 in 1991. The international Union Catalog currently contains 142,457 titles (15 million copies). The average reader borrows 37 recorded books and magazines a year. Braille readers average 31 books and magazines a year. A 4-track cassette recorded to play at 15/16 ips provides up to six hours of playing time. The average book consists of two cassettes. The national music collection, the largest of its kind in the world, contains more than 30,000 items. Telephone Pioneers and other volunteers repaired 141,900 talking book and cassette machines in 1991. Production costs average five dollars for a cassette book and four dollars for a book on flexible disc. ************************** Cut Here *************************** DISTRIBUTION OF SOME PUBLICATIONS CATEGORIES IS LIMITED TO TWO ITEMS PER REQUEST. Please send a copy of the items checked to: Name___________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________ City_____________________________ State_________ ZIP__________ General Information Brochures ___ Braille: An Extraordinary Volunteer Opportunity ___ Children and Teens: Reading for Visually or Physically Handicapped Children and Teens ___ Facts: Music for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals ___ Facts: Playback Machines and Accessories Provided on Free Loan to Eligible Individuals and Institutions ___ Spanish-language edition ___ Facts: Sources for Purchase of Cassette Players Compatible with Recorded Materials Produced by the National Library Service (NLS) ___ Facts: Talking Books and Reading Disabilities ___ Libros para Ciegos y Fisicamente Impedidos ___ Music Is for Everyone ___ Reading Is for Everyone ___ La Lectura Es para Todos ___ Reading with Low Vision ___ Reference and Information Services ___ Talking Books for Senior Adults ___ Libros Parlantes para la Tercera Edad ___ Volunteer at Your Braille and Talking Book Library APPLICATIONS FOR FREE LIBRARY SERVICES Eligibility Requirements and Application Form ___ Individual ___ Institution Requisitos para el Servicio y Solicitud de Servicios Bibliotecarios Gratuitos (Spanish Language) ___ Individuos MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS (Sample copies) ___ Braille Book Review; bimonthly (new braille books and program news) ___ The Musical Mainstream; quarterly (articles selected from print music magazines) ___ News; quarterly (newsletter on current program developments) ___ Talking Book Topics; bimonthly (new recorded books and program news) ___ Update; quarterly (newsletter on volunteer activities) INFORMATION AND SAMPLES IN SPECIAL FORMAT ___ Bookmark (braille) ___ Do You Know This Tune? (braille music) ___ Braille alphabet card ___ Facts: About Braille ___ Large-print brochure with sample 33-1/3 rpm disc ___ Spanish-language edition DIRECTORIES ___ Library Resources for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1991 ___ Regional and Subregional Libraries (addresses only), 1991 ___ Volunteers Who Produce Books, 1991 REFERENCE CIRCULARS (Information on Special Topics) LIMIT OF TWO ITEMS PER REQUEST ___ Bibles, Other Scriptures, Liturgies, and Hymnals in Special Media, 1988 ___ Blindness and Visual Impairments: National Information and Advocacy Organizations, 1990 ___ Braille Instruction and Writing Equipment, 1986 ___ Building a Library Collection on Blindness and Physical Handicaps: Basic Materials and Resources, 1990. ___ From School to Working Life: Resources and Services, 1985 ___ Guide to Spoken-Word Recordings: Foreign-Language Instruction and Literature, 1988 ___ Guide to Spoken-Word Recordings: Popular Literature, 1987 ___ Information for Handicapped Travelers, 1987 ___ Learning Disabilities: National Information and Advocacy Organizations, 1990 ___ Parents' Guide to the Development of Pre-School Children with Disabilities: Resources and Services, 1992 ___ Reading Materials in Large Type, 1987 ___ Reading, Writing, and Other Communication Aids for Visually and Physically Handicapped Persons, 1986 ___ Reference Books in Special Media, 1982; Addendum, 1987 ___ Sources of Audiovisual Materials about Handicapping Conditions, 1985 ___ Sources of Braille Reading Materials, 1985 ___ Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Games for Visually and Physically Impaired Individuals, 1991 CATALOGS AND SUBJECT BIBLIOGRAPHIES (Braille and Recorded Books) LIMIT OF TWO ITEMS PER REQUEST ___ Braille Books (biennial) ___ Careers, 1989 ___ Cassette Books (annual) ___ Discoveries: Fiction for the Youngest Reader, 1986 ___ Discoveries: Fiction for Elementary School Readers, 1986 ___ Discoveries: Fiction for Intermediate School Years, 1986 ___ Discoveries: Fiction for Young Teens, 1986 ___ Foreign Language Books, 1988 ___ For Younger Readers (biennial) ___ Historical Fiction, 1983 ___ Humor, 1987 ___ Magazines in Special Media,1990 ___ Mysteries, 1982 ___ Religion and Inspiration, 1987 ___ Romances, 1984 ___ Short Novels, 1985 ___ Short Stories, 1989 ___ Tactile Maps, 1987 ___ Westerns, 1983, 1983-1990 REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHIES (Print Publications on Special Topics) LIMIT OF TWO ITEMS PER REQUEST ___ Accessibility: Designing Buildings for the Needs of Handicapped Persons, 1983 ___ Assistive Technology: A Selective Bibliography, 1992 ___ Disability Awareness and Changing Attitudes, 1991 ___ Library and Information Services to Persons with Disabilities, 1989 ___ Mobility and Mobility Aids for Visually Handicapped Individuals, 1984 ___ Selected Readings for Parents of Preschool Handicapped Children, 1986 Send this order form to: Reference Section National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 END ******************************************************* Note: This file has been edited for use on computer networks. This editing required the removal of diacritics, underlining, and fonts such as italics and bold. You can obtain a copy of the original by writing to NLS/BPH at the above address. kde 8/92