PA. orders 1 of 2 libraries for the blind to shut down, half a million recorded books sent to trash

[JPZenger]

http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-03/news/31539468_1_blind-services-digital-books-blind-community

Excerpts:
"In Philadelphia, books for the blind head for the trash

May 03, 2012|By Karen Heller, Inquirer Columnist

Keri Wilkins is incensed. She is a librarian passionately committed to serving the blind and physically handicapped in 29 counties, the entire eastern half of Pennsylvania, sending out almost a million digital books and recorded cassettes a year.

"I am appalled. I am angry," she tells me at the branch at Ninth and Walnut, founded in 1882, the nation's oldest library serving the blind, where almost a half-million mint-condition recorded cassettes are, by state mandate, headed for "recycling," that is, the trash. "This is the minnow swallowing the whale. I have spent my whole year fighting this merger."

...Critics say the decision was based on faulty research by a firm without library or blind-services experience, made largely by a now-retired Harrisburg administrator and with virtually no consultation from experts and stakeholders, the blind and physically disabled in eastern Pennsylvania."

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Oh my god, how awful! My mother uses recorded books and a 'reading' machine.

[JPZenger]

2. The state is trying to force all blind and visually handicapped people to shift to Nooks

It is very questionable whether this move will save PA. any money in the end. State officials can't seem to provide any clear rationale for the move, but they won't do anything to stop it.

Many people who are blind or visually handicapped are not used to using technology.

A lawsuit was recently filed on this matter.

[kestrel91316]

4. How on earth does a blind person use a Nook?????

[JPZenger]

5. Some ereaders can read out loud

Some ereaders can read out loud, but you have to be able to use the electronic controls.

[kestrel91316]

15. Oh ok I didn't think about that.

[TBA]

16. There is a big difference between books on tape and eReaders

Books on tape are read and recorded by human narrators. EReaders use synthesized voice (Think Stephen Hawking). Huge difference to the blind. I offered to get my blind son a nook and he declined. Listening to a synthesized voice for a long time is not very enjoyable.

[JPZenger]

18. Good points - reason for the new lawsuit against this change

When you have a touch screen ereader, it is not designed to be used by a blind person, even if it can speak. Blind people can easily read the braile print on the side of a CD or cassette and insert it into a player.

[jwirr]

8. So does my brother. That is tax payers money being dumped in the trash. Someone please start a

lawsuit. These people are wasteful and uncaring idiots.

[enough]

3. My state seems to be plummeting toward the bottom in every respect, and the weird thing is

it's happening on purpose.

[penndragon69]

6. The next step......the hunger games for the blind.

This is just criminal.

[yellowcanine]

7. But why trash the recordings? Couldn't they donate them to another library for the blind?

This makes no sense.

[JPZenger]

11. Regulation

One of the Inquirer articles on this matter said that a regulation prohibits the recorded books from being given away.

I've heard that happening also at a publicly funded county law library - they are not allowed to give away items that they no longer want in their collection.

[pnwmom]

12. Then they should "sell" the whole collection for ten dollars.

This is ridiculous.

[progressoid]

14. Yep.

I bought a couple dozen books on cassette when our library went to cds & mp3 audio books. Got them all for 25 cents each for an elderly friend.

[yellowcanine]

13. Regulations can be changed. And every jurisdiction has provisions for "surplus property."

Public property doesn't just get trashed. The recordings could be transferred to another department or to another public library or a public university.

[annabanana]

9. Somewhere Ben Franklin is crying. . Poor Pennsylvania.. . . . .n/t

[SunSeeker]

10. This is insane, and heartless. nt

[raccoon]

17. Can't they give those recorded books to another state if they don't want them?

I love recorded books...this is awful.