I had past this place a few times while on the Islands and was curious to see what it was about. One day I had some free time and decided to finally check it out. It a has library full of audio books for blind or physically handicapped clients. The free service is administered by the Library of Congress, and provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see regular print or handle print materials. It is funded by Congress (shipment of the materials are covered by the USPS) and Under a special provision of the United States Copyright Law, and with the permission of authors and publishers of works not covered by that provision, they are able to duplicate publications in a more vision impaired friendly way.
This service does not cost anything, but there is an application that you need to submit. After talking to the librarian, Nina, she said that potential clients could come in to complete the application or she could complete it over the phone. She also mentioned that clients would be given a special machine, free of charge, to listen to the audio books or the more techie clients could use an app.
The library has tons of titles to choose from, which you can find in a directory. It houses nearly 50,000 volumes, and it has access to thousands more through the national system and partnerships with other regional libraries. Some recent titles that were available to clients include: Act of War, The Bone Clock, Diary of a Mad Diva, One Nation and Mean Streak. The library is very clean and well organized. The librarian, Nina, is very friendly and helpful. There are also computers set up in the library that you can use too.==
The library has a few designated parking spots in the lot right next to it and has a bus stop right out in front of it. So, it is very accessible and easy to get to.
It is nice to know that there are not only services out there like this, but that they have extended these wonderful services to our territories. This service seems underused and hopefully those that need it will be able to hear about it and gain access to their services. So, if you know someone that could benefit from this service then hook them up. read more