Friends of the Libraries' Guest Columnist Features Reading with feeling and feeling to read By J.W. Smith, Ph.D. December 4, 2004 The Athens Messenger

I really do love to read! This simple statement is more encompassing than a cursory examination might reveal. I like to read novels, selected magazines, and of course, academic journals. It is true that as a university professor, part of my job depends on my ability to stay abreast of issues in my particular field of study and in the world in general. I try, however, to balance my intake of information but because I have been blind since birth, it is not always easy.

I was taught to read Braille at an early age, and I can't imagine going through life or doing my job without this invaluable tool. There are at least three reasons why I am consumed with reading. The unavailability of materials, the inaccessible amounts of literature, and the new untapped horizons that leap out at me from every page.

I have a fantasy and it is a fantasy that might sound foreign to those of you who are temporarily able-bodied (TABs). I would like to walk into the Little Professor bookstore and select and read any book of my choosing. As it stands now, however, only about 10 percent of books published annually are made available to those of us who read Braille. It is frustrating to be surrounded by a myriad of books in my own office and to only have limited access to them, i.e., via a reader or scanner. When I was a child, my friends and I would fight over the few books that were made available to us. In some ways, the library remains a mysterious and ambivalent place for me.

I am grateful that I was raised at a time when Braille was routinely and effectively taught to blind students. Sadly, this is not the case today because of technology and the expense associated with the Braille production.

Technology has made life better for us all, but as a Braille reader there is nothing like having the book at my fingertips because quite frankly, I generally fall asleep while listening to tapes and other electronically produced pieces of literature. I think I am so passionate about reading because it allows me to visit other realities, to educate myself about the issues of the day, and to just have a lot of fun.

I remember my first Bible. It was given to me when I was about 9 or 10 years old and it consisted of 18 large separate volumes. I read it every night and all night for several weeks until I completed it. That experience opened my eyes to a whole new world. You see, for those of use who are blind, it is only through reading that we learn how to spell certain words and names and gain information about effective assimilation and cultural norms as it relates to mainstream society.

Some of you are probably asking, So how do you get your books? I order books from the State Library System that is operated through the Library of Congress, and of course there are some private publishing outlets as well. Additionally, there is the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Ky., and the American Foundation for the Blind.

I receive a bimonthly catalogue and by simply calling a toll-free number I can place my order. My selected Braille books are mailed to me free of charge, but on loan for a certain period of time. While I am grateful for this tax-supported service, I would love to be able to go to the Alden Library or the Athens County Library and access even half of the books contained there.

Until that day happens, I will continue to voraciously devour whatever Braille material I can literally get my hands on, and I will continue to fight for Braille literacy and advocate for its teaching and production. I will read it with feeling if I can feel it to read.

Dr. J.W. Smith is president of the Southeast Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, and is a faculty member in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.