Making A Noise in Hampshire’s Libraries

Hampshire County Council’s Library Service has something to shout about when it comes to providing services for residents who are blind and partially sighted.

As part of ‘Making A Noise In Libraries’ (MANIL) fortnight (11-24 June 2012) - an annual campaign from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Hampshire County Council is taking the opportunity to showcase the range of services and equipment that is available in libraries, for people with sight loss.

Every library in Hampshire provides facilities for disabled people, to ensure that they can make the most of their library with equal access to books and information. The same is true for those residents with sight impairments.

• All libraries in Hampshire have audio books available on CDs, cassettes, and even in MP3 format. There is also Playaway which gives library members the chance to borrow an MP3 player, on which a book has already been preloaded.

• You can download eBooks and audio books free from the library website and put in free requests for books in any of these formats.

• Hampshire libraries provide ClearVision books for children. These are picture books rebound with transparent Braille text pages which still allow the pictures and print to be easily visible for parents.

• For film lovers, there is an increasing number of DVDs with audio description (a discreet commentary inserted in between the dialogue which describes what is happening on the screen so that you can keep up with the action). These are free to hire from local libraries.

• If the small print in newspapers and magazines is a struggle, staff at Winchester Discovery Centre can download free audio versions of 200+ newspapers and magazines onto your own memory stick in a matter of minutes.

• Hampshire County Council has pioneered reading groups where books in large print and audio formats come as standard. This is a great opportunity to meet other people with shared interests and gives people the chance to take part in a hugely popular, reading group experience. There are reading groups for people with sight loss in many libraries across Hampshire.

• Some libraries also run IT classes for people who need help with computers due to sight loss. These are currently on offer at Basingstoke Discovery Centre, Eastleigh, New Milton and Winchester Discovery Centre. Using specialist software, tutors can help people to use computers, touch-type, email and browse the internet.

For more information about what services are available in Hampshire libraries for blind and partially sighted people, please visit the Hampshire Libraries website.

Don’t forget - if you can’t get out and about very easily, the library can also come to you. Arrangements can be made for library materials to be delivered direct to your home on a regular basis by a Home Library Service volunteer.