Located in the Fairfax County Government Center, the mission of Fairfax County Public Library’s Access Services branch is to remove barriers in using the library for individuals with disabilities. To do so, the branch offers a wide variety of different services, programs and resources for people who cannot read standard print materials, as well as those who cannot physically visit a branch due to disability, health, illness or frailty. Read on to discover a little more about each of these services.
Talking Book Service
The Talking Book Service is offered in partnership with National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress (NLS) and allows people of all ages to enjoy books, even if they cannot read print materials, by providing recordings of books and magazines, as well as Braille materials to customers through the mail. Participants in the program are provided all equipment to enjoy these materials as well as access to the BARD Mobile App, the Library of Congress’s digital Talking Book collection. This program is open to individuals of all ages who are unable to read or use standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, reading disabilities or physical disabilities. Participants can request certain materials or allow our reader advisory team to pick titles for you. An application and certification are required for residents of Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church to participate.
Home Delivery Service
If a permanent or temporary disability hinders a person’s ability to visit the library and borrow items, they may be eligible for FCPL’s Home Delivery Service. Open to residents of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax, this program does just what its name suggests - delivers library materials to cardholders’ homes via the U.S. Postal Service. Like the Talking Book Program, this service also requires an application to participate. Following your acceptance into the program, our Access Services team will begin sending you material via a sturdy blue bag with a return address card. Participants can request certain materials or allow our reader advisory team to pick titles for you.
Assistive Technology
To aid cardholders in enjoying library materials, Access Services has a collection of assistive technologies that can be used in branch and, in some cases, even borrow to use at home or in other spaces. We offer magnifiers to enhance text size and portable assisted listening devices that can be used in meetings or at events to individually increase the volume of low audio.
Visitors to our Access Services branch have access to more sophisticated devices. The myReader2, a desktop magnifier, recognizes text from a printed book and enhances the text on a display screen both in larger font and in various contrast modes. Similarly, the SARA Scanning and Reading Appliance is a scanner that recognizes text from documents and other printed materials and translates it into audible speech to be read aloud for users who are blind or have low vision.
Similar assistive devices can also be found at many other FCPL branches. Contact the information desk at your local library branch for additional information.
Book Clubs and Newsletters
Like our other branches, our Access Services team works hard to provide programming and resources that meet the wants and needs of its customers. Most notably, the branch is home to two book clubs, the All Access Book Club and the Spotlight On… Genre Program. Meeting every first Thursday of the month via a free conference call, the All Access Book Club focuses on books available through the Talking Book program or their availability in multiple formats via FCPL’s traditional collection. Also meeting via free conference call, the Spotlight On…Genre Program meets every third Thursday of the month and focuses on specific genres and subgenres of books. Previous topics have included Hollywood biographies, cozy mysteries and books about food. Readers of all abilities are invited to join both groups.
To promote their services as well as county-wide programs and resources, the Access Services team also produce two text-based newsletters: “Loud & Clear” and the newest publication, “Home Delivery Herald.” These newsletters are available online, in large-print hard copies, which are mailed out to subscribers, and (soon) email, while “Loud & Clear” is also offered in braille upon request. Both publications promote upcoming Access Services programming as well as local and national resources available to those who may need them. They both include updates on new books available for patrons, with “Loud & Clear” focusing on newly added books available through the NLS and “Home Delivery Herald” highlighting books in the FCPL collection, including new large print books reserved for Home Delivery participants.
These are just a few of the ways FCPL’s Access Services branch helps ensure everyone has access to quality titles and library resources. As the needs of the public grow, so too will our services, so make sure to keep an eye out for new technologies and programs.
To learn more about the Access Services branch, visit bit.ly/FCPL_AccessServices.