Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library

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Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library
Location	Watertown, Massachusetts
Number of branches	1
Population served	18,000 - 20,000 (2007 estimate)
Director	Kim Charlson
Website	http://www.perkinslibrary.org

The Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library is located in Watertown, Massachusetts on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind. Services are provided free of charge to eligible users. The library is a branch of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress. The library provides materials in alternate format to those who have difficulty reading books in standard print format.

1 History
2 Services
3 Administration
4 External links

[edit] History

The original library collection was begun in the early 19th century. Perkins maintained a collection of braille books as well as braille music for the use of the students. In 1931 the Pratt-Smoot Act was passed and 18 Braille and Talking Book Libraries were set up across the country (19 including the Library of Congress).

[edit] Services

The library maintains a collection of books in alternative media for Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents. The library offers braille books to the residents of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. Although the library offers these services to the residents of other states, the residents must sign up for services through each state's individual talking book library. The library also offers the use of the Newsline service (a service run by the National Federation of the Blind) as well as downloadable audio books to its Massachusetts patrons only.

The library offers several museum passes to several local museums as well as regional. The museum passes are only available to Massachusetts residents as they are provided through funding by the Friends of Braille and Talking Book Library and not through federal funds.

[edit] Administration

The library is a branch library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and as such its title is the Massachusetts Regional Library. The library is subject to the rules and regulations governing all such bodies. The library resides on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind which administers most capital and personele concerns.