[Ohio-Talk] Library update

[President Capital chapter]

Good Morning,

I wanted to let all of you know that last week we had our quarterly Community Advisory Committee meeting for the Ohio State Library and the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. There was a couple of updates that I wanted to let all of you know about.

 First of all, just in case anyone in the Columbus area is interested, the state library is open now to the public. It has been for a few months now after being closed for well over a year due to the pandemic. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5.

 Also, if any of you are receiving the cartridges for audiobooks, you have probably noticed that you are now getting mini books on one cartridge. This is been a project that has been in the works for sometime. It appears to now be fully implemented. If any of you have feedback on what you think of this new way of receiving books, please let me know so that I can share it.

Some exciting news : sometime this spring, those of us who receive braille books will be offered the new refreshable braille display. In Ohio, we are going to have access to the humanware device. From what people seem to say at the meeting, this was the better of the two options. I do not know what all this device will be able to do,  but I am looking forward to getting it and playing with it. Some folks like myself are very reluctant to go to reading books on the refreshable braille display when we are used to having an actual braille book under my fingers. But, I do realize this is the way of the future, and I also realize that many more books will be available to me with this technology. So, I am willing to give it a chance.  If you get braille books from the library, you will be offered the opportunity to receive one of these devices later this spring. Or, if you would like, you can contact the library and let them know to put you on the list.

Those of you who receive talking book topics in large print will no longer be able to get this publication in that format. At least for the time being. They are having some kind of issue with printing. However, this  magazine is available on BARD. It is also available online. They are not sure how long this change will be in affect, but if you have any questions or would like to receive this publication, please contact the library.

Please let me know if anyone has any additional questions or feedback that you would like me to share at our next meeting. It will be this upcoming May.

Annette 

Annette Lutz
President
Capital Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
614-288-4323
President.capital.nfboh at gmail.com

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise the expectations of blind people because we know that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want, blindness is not what holds you back.