State library expands outreach to Internet

AUGUSTA – Maine State Library Outreach is going digital on the Internet to better provide books and services to blind, visually impaired, and geographically isolated citizens throughout the state.

Outreach services currently provides books by mail, talking books, and large-print materials.

The books-by-mail program – which has been in existence since 1981, when it replaced the bookmobiles – will soon be available via Maine InfoNet. The service is in the process of joining Minerva, the state’s online consortium, which means that by summer 2003 anyone who is without a full-service library can request their materials interactively online. Current users will be getting a survey in January which will gather e-mail addresses and important feedback as to how people think the service should work.

Talking-books users can now request their books online. Titles and book numbers can be found using the National Library Service online catalog; the information can then be entered into a form on the Maine State Library Outreach Services’ Web site. Both sites are accessible to the blind and others using screen reader technology such as JAWS.

For more information, visit the MSL Outreach Web site at www.maine.gov/msl/outreach.