----- Original Message ----- From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 6:13 AM Subject: Recording Library of West Texas has new name, services
> MyWestTexas.com, TX, USA > Sunday, May 27, 2007 > > Recording Library of West Texas has new name, services > > By Stephanie Miller, Staff Writer > > Radio reading service to launch next year, authorities say > > With a new name and more services to provide its listeners, the Recording > Library of West Texas offers a variety of free services with more on the > horizon. > > The Recording Library of West Texas' mission is to provide print material, > translated into audio form, to any child or adult with a visual or > physical impairment or reading disability, in order to improve the quality > of their lives and allow them to participate more fully in the community, > according to its Web site. > > Some of its programs include professional quality recorded books, the > Texas Talking Book Program, church outreach and the Tape Lending Library. > > The services are available to anyone who cannot read print due to visual > impairment, physical disability or reading disability, executive director > Trish Speight said. > > Services are free and are available on a temporary or permanent basis, she > added. "We have had listeners who have been receiving cancer treatment and > found themselves too weak to read traditionally," Speight said. > > The organization was formerly known as the Recording Library for the Blind > & Physically Handicapped and was founded in 1963 by Midland resident Mayme > Martin, who founded the Tape Lending Library, according to documents. > > The name was changed in 1985 to the Recording Library for the Blind and > Handicapped Inc. Its recent name change was done to differentiate it from > other agencies that have similar names, Speight said. > > The Recording Library for the Blind and Dyslexic, which has offices in > Austin and in West Texas, is one example, Speight said. > > "The second reason would be to emphasize our location. We want people to > know we're located in West Texas," Speight continued. "We want people to > know we're not a subsidiary of a national organization." The third reason > for the name change is to emphasize the local service to West Texas, she > added. Recording Library of West Texas currently serves approximately > 7,000 listeners in Midland and Ector counties, Speight said. > > McDaniel heard about the Recording Library of West Texas through the Texas > State Commission from the Blind and said the Recording Library helped her > in pursuing her higher education. > > "After I went blind, I decided to go to college and they assisted me with > my textbooks," McDaniel said. She said the Recording Library either had > them or recorded them for her. McDaniel completed her undergraduate > studies at Odessa College and earned her master's degree from Sul Ross > State University in Alpine. Today she is a motivational speaker and a > domestic engineer. > > "When I went blind, I used to tell people 'I'm blind. that's it. I can't > be a surgeon. I can't be a postman. Other than that, I can do anything," > McDaniel said with a laugh. > > New services > > The Recording Library has recently undergone some changes, such as > upgrading from its analog reel-to-reel recording equipment to digital > recording. > > In April 2006, the Recording Library was given a $65,000 challenge grant > from the Abell-Hanger Foundation for the upgrade, Speight said. The > challenge grant was matched by the Recording Library, several local > foundations and a Dallas foundation. The process began in Oct. 2006 and > the equipment was in operation this past April, she said. > > The upgrades are "wonderful," Recording Library listener Rick Broughton > said. "It's absolutely delightful because now we get our recordings on CDs > instead of cassettes. It's a lot less storage space for the books and > easier to listen to." > > Broughton has been a listener since around 2001 when he went back to > school and the Odessa Commission for the Blind office recommended the > Recording Library. > > Broughton attended the University of Texas at the Permian Basin and, like > McDaniel, the Recording Library of West Texas recorded his textbooks for > him, thus becoming instrumental in helping him complete his education, > which he did in May 2006. > > Future plans > > A radio reading service is another addition the Recording Library will be > adding hopefully by January 2008, Speight said. It will be a broadcast of > local newspapers and area publications that will be accessed by the > Recording Library's listeners, she explained. There will be at least four > to eight hours of local programming and program sharing will be featured > during the remaining 24 hours, Speight added. > > "I think it will have a huge impact on the lives of our listeners by > providing them with access to information that all citizens have access > to," she said. > > The radio reading service currently is in the developing stages and the > Recording Library is seeking an FM station to broadcast in HD radio to > carry the program, Speight said. The radio broadcast will be available by > fall on the Recording Library's Web site, she added. > > 'Keeps you on level ground' > > Jeanne Guichard has been a Recording Library volunteer for about 20 years > and has gained much while serving. > > "I think it does more for us than the people we serve. We get a lot out of > it. It's a wonderful, positive place to work because all the people who > work there are interested in things beyond themselves," she said. > > "They're interested in words, in reading and current events and there's > the satisfaction of helping somebody in an unselfish way." > > McDaniel encourages others to consider the Recording Library as a resource > to help keep them connected. > > It's like school, she said. "It keeps you on level ground. You get the > same information that the sighted people are getting (through textbooks, > handouts and everything)." > > Broughton tells everyone about the Austin and Midland offices of the > Recording Library. > > "If they enjoy reading, whether it be a magazine, a book, a newspaper, > contact them. Midland can provide a lot of things that the state is slow > to provide, a lot quicker. Twelve to 15 months with the state as opposed > to four or five months in Midland is a major difference when you're an > avid reader," Broughton said. > > "We really appreciate the services that they provide at the Recording > Library and encourage everybody to take advantage of them and to help out > any way they can." > > > http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18393016&BRD=2288&PAG=461&dept_id=475626&rfi=6 > > -- > BlindNews mailing list > > To contact a list moderator about a problem or to make a request, send a > message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > The BlindNews list is archived at: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind/ > > To address a message to all members of the list, send mail to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Access your subscription info at: > http://blindprogramming.com/mailman/listinfo/blindnews_blindprogramming.com > > To unsubscribe via e-mail: send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word unsubscribe in either > the subject or body of the message Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. 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