THE TALKING BOOK LIBRARY

In January, we want to honor the exceptional life of Louis Braille, the twelve-year old boy who wanted to learn more. What better way than introducing you to the first-rate Talking Book Library of Broward County Libraries?

The mission of this amazing Library and its excellent staff is to provide library materials in a variety of formats to all Broward County residents who have a certifiable visual, physical or reading disability that prevents them from enjoying a standard book. This is one more highlight of Broward County government's commitment to serving people with disabilities.

The library has books and magazines in 4-track cassette format and will provide patrons with the talking book machine and its accessories free of charge. Print resources, such as bi-monthly and yearly catalogs and magazines, are also provided in large-print and cassette formats.

	If the desired book is not in the Talking Library, the staff will order it from any other library in the Florida network or in some cases from any other talking-book library in the United States. In fiscal year 2007, the Broward County Talking Book Library served a total of 3,589 customers who included individuals, juveniles and institutions, with a total of 122,305 items checked out.
	Funding for providing the talking book service is a cooperative effort of national, state, and local governments. All materials and equipment are the property of the Library of Congress. If you are on the northeast side of the first floor at the Main Library don't miss the chance to come in and talk to the staff or volunteers; you will find them knowledgeable and ready to assist their customers; their big smile is their trademark. Actually, you might want to consider offering some volunteer hours as well!

Louis Braille

An extraordinary human being with a life marked by extraordinary circumstances, Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France, on January 4, 1809 and died on January 6, 1852. He became blind at the age of three, due to an unfortunate accident.

Thanks to the willingness of a priest and a schoolmaster, Louis attended attend regular school in his home town; In 1819 received a scholarship to the school for the blind founded in Paris by Valentin Hauy twenty years before. He became the seventieth and youngest student there.

With an insatiable desire to learn, he expanded the tactile method devised to help Napoleon troops by Captain Charles Barbier de la Serre; in 1824, at age 15, unveiled his new alphabet to which he later added mathematical and musical characters.

His legacy has demonstrated that all is possible!