State Reps highlight accessibility during National Library Week April 10-16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              Contact: Shoshana Hebshi

April 6, 2011                                                                                                          515-281-1338       
 
Libraries for the Blind celebrate milestone anniversaries
 
DES MOINES—The Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Iowa Department for the Blind, is commemorating National Library Week by highlighting its 50 years of service to blind and visually impaired Iowans and others who cannot read standard print. National Library Week begins April 10.
 
Three members of the Iowa House will present National Library Week with the legislative body at the opening of the day’s session on Thursday, April 7. The legislators—Rep. Dan Kelley (D-Newton), Rep. Cindy Winckler (D-Davenport) and Rep. Bob Kressig (D-Cedar Falls)—will point out the importance of libraries and, in particular, the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
 
“Iowa is a lucky place to have such a distinguished library available to those who cannot read standard print,” said Randy Landgrebe, the director of the Des Moines-based ILBPH. “The Library is the point of access to information that would otherwise be unavailable to this population. This service ensures that anyone who wants information can get it, no matter the medium through which it is delivered.”
ILBPH is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and its parent organization, the National Library Service, is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Library users receive their materials through the mail in audio, Braille or large print formats. The ILBPH ships more than 1,000 books and magazines each day to several thousand users throughout Iowa. It also has a team of staff and volunteers that produces Braille and audio versions of printed materials for library users around the state.
“The Iowa Library for the Blind is among the most respected libraries of its kind in the country.  It is a valuable resource with an excellent staff and volunteers,” said Rep. Dan Kelley.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
For more information about National Library Week, the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped or the Iowa Department for the Blind, contact Shoshana Hebshi, communications specialist, at (515) 281-1338 or Shoshana.Hebshi@blind.state.ia.us.
 
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