of the
Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library
The Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library services for blind or physically handicapped individuals are provided free to anyone meeting the eligibility requirements. If you or someone you know is unable to use standard printed materials because of a reading disability or other visual or physical impairment, you may be qualified for free library services through the Talking Books Library.
What is a Talking Books Library?
A Talking Books Library is part of a nationwide network of cooperating libraries serving people who have difficulty using or reading regular print.
Such libraries loan books and magazines printed in Braille and the compatible playback equipment from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), and the Library of Congress. All materials are sent to patrons and returned to the library via postage-free mail.
The Parkersburg & Wood County Library is one of the three libraries in the state of West Virginia certified as a network or sub-regional library of the NLS, the Library of Congress, and the West Virginia Library Commission Special Services.
We provide this service for people with special needs in Wood , Pleasants, Ritchie, Calhoun, Wirt, Roane, Jackson, and Tyler counties.
What do we offer?
Talking Books offers services that are numerous and indispensable. Books-on-cassette are the most requested service provided through the mail free of charge. These cassettes are 4-track rather than the ordinary 2-track tape and require a special tape player that runs at a slower speed than commercial players. There are more than 10,000 titles housed in the Emerson library appealing to a wide variety of reading interests. Choose from current bestsellers, mysteries, romances, westerns, classics, biographies, and historical novels, as well as books about history, science, psychology, inspirational materials, and The Bible.
Talking Books offers other services for the visually impaired including a portable Sense View Duo with a distance camera and a close-up camera in one device. Patrons are able to use the Sense View Duo at home, school, shopping, or out of town. The Library also offers Open Book 7.02 software at a computer station on the lower level. The software is able to read aloud text from online websites or computer documents. Lastly, there is the Video Eye available in the Genealogy Department that uses a camera to magnify text and objects onto a large screen for easier viewing.
Newsline, a talking newspaper service offered through the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia, might be accessed by patrons who registered with this NLS service.
Who is Eligible for Service?
- People unable to read regular print due to blindness or a visual disability.
- People unable to hold books or turn pages due to a physical disability.
These disabilities do not have to be permanent for you to qualify for the service. Persons with a temporary disability, such as impairment due to accident or surgery, are also eligible. In certain instances, individuals with reading disabilities such as dyslexia are also eligible, but they must provide doctor certification.
To qualify, individuals must submit an application to the Talking Books department at the library, that includes a referral from a medical specialist, teacher, or the librarian to attest to that person's impairment. After enrollment, tapes may be delivered free of charge through the mail or they may be picked up at the downtown library.
Download Application (PDF)
Residents of nursing or personal care homes are also eligible for this service.
How do I apply?
Simply fill out the application here at the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library, request one to be mailed to you, or click here to download a copy.
Helpful Resource Links:
- National Library Services for the Blind & Physically Handicapped
- American Council for the Blind
- National Federation of the Blind
- Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
- West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services
- VA Blind Rehab Services
- Mountain State Centers for Independent Living (Based in Huntington, WV, the MSCIL is a nonprofit volunteer organization serving as the nation's educational library and offering textbooks to patrons.)
- American Foundation for the Blind (AFB also offers a Braille Bug Site for children and young adults as well as games.)
Location and Hours:
The Blind/Physically Handicapped Services Department is located on the bottom floor of the Emerson Library at 3100 Emerson Ave., Parkersburg, and is open to patrons Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M.
You can contact the Talking Books Department directly at
Phone (304) 420-4587 ext.13
Fax (304) 420-4589
Email: bhdept@park.lib.wv.us