[VABS] Fwd: Library of Congress Tour in the news

Naim Abu-ElHawa nmabuelhawa at gmail.com
Mon Sep 11 17:56:57 UTC 2017


Dear Fellow VABS MEMBERS:
Good Day!
I do not know whether the below message, which was forwarded to me, would be of interest to anybody. Below, there can be found a news article, that may or may not be of interest to you all, particularly those who live in The Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Area. Thank you much! Thank you, all!  Much respect.

Many Thanks And Much Respect.

Sincerely,



Naim Muawia Abu-El Hawa

Student: Northern Virginia Community College.
Member: Virginia Association of Blind Students.
Member: National Association of Blind Students.
Member: National Federation of the Blind.

Email Address: nmabuelhawa at gmail.com

Cell Phone Number: (202) 848-8932

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
Robert H. Goddard

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Joy" <jrelton at verizon.net>
> Date: September 11, 2017 at 9:24:20 AM EDT
> To: <robertac058 at gmail.com>, <jdavies4 at aol.com>, <jdavies4 at aol.com>, <changedheart421 at gmail.com>, <pjdforrest at yahoo.com>, <fred at sks.net>, <cathy at sks.net>, <wptaylor13 at gmail.com>, <jrelton at verizon.net>, <goosey1011 at gmail.com>, <johnsons7 at hotmail.com>, <johnsons7 at hotmail.com>, <jamesbaker at gmail.com>, <JohnBailey17 at hotmail.com>, <lenavanfb at gmail.com>, <blindlion at verizon.net>, <amcarr1 at verizon.net>, <sharonmjosee0518 at gmail.com>, <dranker at cox.net>, <csranker at cox.net>, <carl.knoetttner at verizon.net>, <jon.c.cohn at gmail.com>, <jburke51 at yahoo.com>, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>, <leahs5132 at gmail.com>, <david.montgomer-mitchell at gmail.com>, "'daidaluehrs at gmail.comm_:'", <nmabuelhawa at gmail.com>
> Subject: FW: Library of Congress Tour in the news
> 
>  
>  
> From: Paul D'Addario [mailto:mostreliable at verizon.net] 
> Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2017 12:42 PM
> To: nova-acb at yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Library of Congress Tour in the news
>  
> Greetings all-
>  
> Below is an article from today’s Washington Post about the tour, followed by a recent television segment that aired on Channel 4, featuring ACB Executive Director Eric Bridges.
>  
> This free tour is normally offered the first and third Tuesday of a  month.
> To register for a tour and obtain other information, click on the link below.  
> 
> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/touch-history-a-verbal-description-of-the-thomas-jefferson-building-tickets-36492848091
> 
> Here’s hoping you will be able to enjoy !
> ON a personal note; ironically I attended classes in this building a lifetime ago, when completing a masters degree from George Washington University.  I’m anxious to see how it looks nearly 40 years later, after losing what little eyesight I had back then!
>  
> -cheers-
> -Paul
>  
> ***
>  
> The Washington Post Sunday Magazine 
> September 10, 2017 
> At the Library of Congress,
> Blind Visitors Feel What Others See
>  
> By Rachel Manteuffel 
> Kathy Tuchman, 59, is a visitor services coordinator at the Library of Congress and the designer of the “Touch History” tour for the blind. Alas, her name is not pronounced Touchman. She lives in Bethesda.
> 
> 
> Below is a Q AND A 
> Who had the idea for a Library of Congress “Touch History” tour for the blind?
> I did. We start with the normal tour of giving normal history and whatnot, and then this building lends itself to tactile exploration.
> 
> 
> In what way?
> We have our moldings, the carving of the librarians’ names that someone can feel, the intricate toppings of the pillars. You can really get a sense of the beauty of this building. At one point on the tour all the participants can stand around a desk and get a sense of how heavy this brick is. We also have marble cladding. The exterior is the granite, which is just a facade, and on the interior we have the marble cladding. I can hand you a piece of the marble and you can get a feel for how smooth and cold it is. We are told we are one of the safest buildings in Washington.
>  
> In terms of fire, flood, everything?
> Earthquakes.
> Wow. So, come here!
> and go on the tour!
>  
>  The other thing I have to touch is shells. Throughout the building is a shell design, so I have fan shells because not everyone has been to a beach.
> Or knows what you mean by “fan shell.” I wouldn’t have known that term even though I recognize the shape. 
> 
> 
> You’ve been working on the idea since January?
> Since January we’ve done eight tours. One gentleman said to me, “The building really came alive to me. I really could see the building.” We want someone to leave the building feeling they’ve had an equal experience.
> 
> 
> What’s an example of some of the more descriptive or evocative language you use on this tour?
>  
> Minerva stands at the entrance to the Main Reading Room. She stands about 18, 20 feet tall. She’s about six feet wide. She has the bright sunshine coming over her right shoulder, casting the clouds off to the left. The clouds of ignorance are being pushed aside by the bright sunshine of knowledge. In her left hand is a scroll that unfurls with all the academic pursuits that you can see here. In her right hand, the reason we know she’s no longer at war — she’s at peace — is that she’s holding her staff point down and at her feet are the beautiful shield and her helmet. And at the bottom it says in Latin, “Not unwilling, Minerva builds a monument more lasting than bronze.”
>  
> What’s something that’s happened since you implemented the touch tour?
> The best thing is when I had a [blind] student who said to me, “You made my day.” It wasn’t just that he was in this fantastic building, hearing about it, but he was actually manipulating items and being a part of it.
> ***
>  
> ACB staff had the opportunity to be interviewed by a local TV reporter about the touch tour of the Library of congress  Jefferson Building.  Check it out here: 
> http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Touch-Tour-Now-Offered-by-Library-of-Congress_Washington-DC-440606333.html
>  
> ###
>  



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