October is Blindness and Vision Loss Awareness Month, and we are delighted to highlight one of our Impact Library Program recipients, the Ohio State School for the Blind in Columbus, OH.
Mary is an educator at the Ohio State School for the Blind and applied to our Impact Library Program because there were few braille and large print books in the community. We asked Mary about her experience with the school’s new Little Free Library granted through the Impact program.
Little Free Library (LFL): How has the library enhanced the environment and community at OSSB?
Mary: Our Little Free Library has provided an opportunity for our students to be able to give back to others. During Orientation and Mobility lessons, students have been traveling to the local thrift store to buy books to fill the Little Free Library. This provides a chance for students to learn skills that include using GPS walking directions, practicing white cane skills, asking for assistance at local businesses, and completing a purchase.
Any community members can access as our Little Free Library, as it is located at the end of the school’s long driveway. We currently put print books, large print books, audiobooks and Braille books in our library. Blindness is a spectrum. People who are blind have different way to access reading materials. Each person with vision loss accesses print material in a way that is best for them.
LFL: What has the feedback been from students?
Our high school students love to pick their favorite children’s books for the younger students.
Our elementary students have enjoyed walking on their Orientation and Mobility lessons to the Little Free Library to pick out a book to read outside.
Before we installed our Little Free Library, we visited many types of Little Free Libraries in our local community to compare features and use descriptive words.
LFL: What is your favorite part about being a library steward?
I have used other Little Free Libraries as a destination for my lessons as Orientation and Mobility Specialist for many years. It has been so exciting to expand lessons for students to be able maintain, contribute, and take pride being an active member of their community.
Help us bring Little Free Libraries full of books where they’re needed most. Donate today! When you donate, you help us provide libraries to communities like these.