Miami, Fl – The Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Talking Books Library continues to touch residents’ lives through summer training and recreational programs, storytelling, book discussions and more. Going the extra mile, patrons are encouraged to pursue career interests, as in the case of former Talking Books patron Gisela Vasquez.

Gisela has been an avid Talking Books and Braille reader since she was a very young child. “Talking Books has been such a part of my life for so long that I can’t remember a time that I was not able to read books or call the library to ask for a number of things”, says the patron. After using the services of the Talking Books Library within Miami-Dade Public Library System for a number of years, Gisela graduated from Southridge Senior High, studied psychology in Miami-Dade College, obtained a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s in Social Work from Barry University. She is now working as a Pediatric Social Worker at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. The Talking Books Library inspired her to make a difference for others with visual disabilities. She is now bringing her love of reading full circle, sharing it with the children at the Lighthouse and encouraging them to become readers. This summer, she shared favorite stories on cassette and Braille, reading and discussing them with kids in the “Reading Robots Rock” Summer Reading Club, a partnership of the Library System and the Lighthouse.

An Outreach Service of the Miami-Dade Public Library System and a network library of the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Talking Books Library serves all of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, by loaning books and magazines on cassette tapes or in Braille FREE by mail to persons who have difficulty seeing or using standard small print. Learning to read and write Braille is considered the key to literacy for children who are blind or who have very low vision. The Talking Books Library provides children’s materials, including print/Braille picture books for younger readers and their families. Current, popular books on cassette tape and in Braille are loaned FREE by mail to eligible readers. A special cassette player required to use Talking Books is also loaned free of charge. Magazine subscriptions including People, National Geographic, U.S. News and World Report, Health and Nutrition Newsletters, and Ebony are available on cassette and in Braille.
Miami-Dade’s Hispanic population is also benefited, as Talking Books are produced in English and Spanish, with selections in other languages. Catalogs listing available titles are provided for patrons to choose books, or library staff will assist with book selection. For additional information and an application form: Call the Talking Books Library at 305-751-8687 or 1-800-451-9544 from Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Library is located at 2455 NW 183 Street in Miami, and is open M-F, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Those interested can find out more and print an application form on the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s website: www.mdpls.org

Media Contact:
Marivi Prado, Public Affairs Officer
Tel. (305) 375-5180
pradom@mdpls.org