Indiana State Library Receives $950,000 Grant to Fund Talking Books Project
The Indiana State Library's Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) received a $950,000 grant from the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation to support the library's Talking Books project. The TBBL will focus on recording books and magazine articles with Indiana connections that are otherwise unavailable in an audio format."Through the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation's generous support, the state library will be able to better serve Indiana citizens with visual and physical disabilities," said Roberta Brooker, interim director of the Indiana State Library. "We're excited about adding many more materials to the TBBL's Talking Book circulation in the coming years."
The Indiana TBBL will use the funds to purchase soundproof recording booths and recording equipment. The new materials will enable volunteer narrators to audibly record books and magazine articles with maximum clarity and quality. The Foundation's grant also provides the Talking Books project with 11 years of operational support.
The Talking Books project will rely greatly on the efforts of volunteers. The Indiana TBBL seeks volunteer narrators, monitors, and reviewers to begin production on many new talking books in March 2007. Those interested in volunteering should contact the TBBL by phone at 1-800-622-4970 or by email. The Indiana TBBL has been an important part of the Indiana State Library since 1934, when it became part of the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). The TBBL is one of fifty-seven regional libraries participating in the NLS program and currently serves over 10,000 Hoosiers with visual and physical disabilities through its regional library in Indianapolis and its four NLS-participating subregional libraries located in Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville and Merrillville.
To learn more about the Indiana TBBL, including eligibility requirements and available materials, please visit the Indiana State Library Web site or contact the TBBL by phone at 1-800-622-4970.
The state library is located in downtown Indianapolis. It provides library services to state government; offers specialized library services for the people of the state; supports the Indiana library profession; and strengthens services of all libraries.
For more information,contact Drew Griffis at (317) 234-5067 or by e-mail.