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Talking Books Celebrates 30 Years
of Serving the Blind and Physically Disabled

Library Director Jerry Brownlee, Mrs. Millicent Nielsen, Commissioner Jeff KoonsListening to Talking Books has been a big and enjoyable part of my life for the past 23 years. I am thrilled to be both a patron and a Talking Books volunteer.” - Mrs. Millicent Nielsen

View Photos from the 30th Anniversary
Talking Books Ceremony

This year we celebrate 30 years of Talking Books library service to the blind and physically disabled residents of Palm Beach County.  The Talking Books Sub-Regional Library opened as part of the Palm Beach County Library System in July of 1973, serving 389 patrons the first year. Today there are 11 Talking Books sub-regional libraries in the state, part of a network of 150 libraries nationwide that make up the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Disabled. For the past 15 years the Palm Beach County Library System sub-regional has had the highest circulation of any in Florida. In 2002 over 3000 library patrons listened to over 110,000 books.

Mrs. Millicent Nielsen, a long-time Talking Books patronIn the 1970s, Talking Books were recorded on 8 rpm and 16 rpm long-playing records. Audiocassettes were introduced in 1977 and are now the main source of recorded material including popular magazines. Next year, Palm Beach County’s Talking Books service will add described videos of feature films to the collection (videos that include voice descriptions of action, wardrobe, and scenery). Within two years many Talking Books titles will also be available on compact discs. The Talking Books service provides special playback equipment, furnished and replaced free of charge.

Talking Books are available to anyone who is legally blind, visually impaired, or physically disabled so that they are unable to hold a book, or has a reading disability due to an organic dysfunction such as dyslexia. These disabilities need not be permanent for an adult or juvenile to qualify for the service. To obtain an application for Talking Books Service, visit any Palm Beach County Library System location or call the Talking Books Library at 561-649-5500 or 1-888-780-5151 toll-free.

Posted 11/03/2003


 Talking Books 30th Anniversary Celebration

Photos from our 30th Anniversary Celebration of Talking Books at the Main Library on Thursday, November 6.  Special guests for the event included Marybeth Wise, a National Library Service Talking Books Narrator, and the harmonica trio Horner's Heroes.

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