National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is a free library service provided by the Library of Congress to individuals with visual or physical disabilities, offering a wide range of Braille and audio books by authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and J.K. Rowling. The service was established in 1931, with the support of President Herbert Hoover and Congress, to provide equal access to information and reading materials for people with disabilities, including those with macular degeneration, diabetes, and stroke survivors. The service has since expanded to include materials in large print and digital formats, making it possible for people with disabilities to access the works of William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, and Virginia Woolf. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has partnerships with organizations such as the American Foundation for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind, and Helen Keller International.

History and establishment

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped was established in 1931, with the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act, which was signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. The act was sponsored by Senator Matthew Pratt and Representative Horace Smoot, and it provided funding for the Library of Congress to establish a library service for the blind. The service was initially called the Division for the Blind, and it was headed by Luther H. Evans, who later became the Librarian of Congress. The service began with a collection of Braille books, including works by Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides, and it quickly expanded to include audio books and other materials. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has also worked with other organizations, such as the American Printing House for the Blind, Perkins School for the Blind, and Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, to provide services and materials to people with disabilities.

Services and collections

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped provides a wide range of services and materials to individuals with visual or physical disabilities, including Braille and audio books by authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Toni Morrison. The service also offers large print materials, including books, magazines, and newspapers, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time Magazine. In addition, the service provides access to digital formats, including e-books and digital audio books, which can be downloaded from the Library of Congress website or accessed through mobile devices such as iPad and Kindle. The service also offers a range of other materials, including music scores by Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach, and descriptive videos of movies and television shows, such as Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and Game of Thrones. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has partnerships with organizations such as the National Association of the Deaf, World Blind Union, and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Eligibility and access

To be eligible for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, individuals must have a visual or physical disability that prevents them from reading standard print materials, such as macular degeneration, diabetes, or stroke survivors. Eligibility is determined by a certifying authority, such as a doctor or optometrist, who must certify that the individual has a disability that meets the eligibility criteria. Once eligible, individuals can access the services and materials of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped through a network of regional libraries and subregional libraries, which are located throughout the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. The service also offers a range of access technologies, including Braille displays and screen readers, which can be used to access digital materials, such as those provided by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has worked with organizations such as the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, National Organization on Disability, and World Institute on Disability to promote accessibility and equal access to information.

Technology and formats

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has embraced a range of technologies to provide access to materials for individuals with disabilities, including digital audio books and e-books by authors such as Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown. The service uses digital rights management (DRM) to protect the copyrights of authors and publishers, such as Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, and HarperCollins. The service also offers a range of access technologies, including Braille displays and screen readers, which can be used to access digital materials, such as those provided by Apple, Samsung, and Amazon. In addition, the service has developed a range of formats for digital materials, including DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) and EPUB (Electronic Publication), which can be used to create accessible digital books, such as those provided by Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has partnerships with organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium, International Digital Publishing Forum, and Book Industry Study Group to promote accessibility and digital publishing.

Administration and network

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is administered by the Library of Congress, which is headed by the Librarian of Congress, currently Carla Hayden. The service is overseen by a National Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from organizations such as the American Foundation for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind, and Helen Keller International. The service also has a network of regional libraries and subregional libraries, which are located throughout the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. These libraries provide a range of services, including Braille and audio book production, large print materials, and access technologies, such as those provided by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has partnerships with organizations such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities to promote literacy and equal access to information. Category:Libraries