LBPH Partners with Art Students to Recognize Veterans

The Tennessee Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped (LBPH) has teamed up with art students at the Tennessee School for the Blind to honor LBPH patrons who served our country in the U. S. military. LBPH sent cards to each of the 458 veterans who are registered with the library, thanking them for their service. The artwork for the cards was designed by students at the school who are blind or have low vision.

 
The national “talking book program” has prioritized service to veterans since World War I and continues to do so today. Veterans receive new formats and best-selling books before other patrons. When the service converted from books on tape to digital books, LBPH received an initial shipment of 25 digital book players. There were more than 200 patrons on the waiting list for the players, but the first digital players and books were first sent to veterans. LBPH now has plenty of digital players and books available for any eligible person who registers with the library, including Tennesseans of all ages, not just veterans.

Since sending the cards, LBPH has received several telephone calls and letters of thanks from veterans! For more information on the history of this popular publicly-funded program and its association with veterans, see That All May Read: Library Service for Blind and Physically Handicapped People, a government publication available from federal document depository libraries, including the Tennessee State Library & Archives. This publication is also available in audio and braille formats from LBPH, which is a division of the State Library and Archives.

To find out more about who is eligible to borrow books from LBPH and what books are available, go to: http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/library-blind-and-physically-handicapped.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State