09/21/2007: "Help for People with Low Vision"

The San Juan Island Library announced today a new collection of resources for people with vision problems. The Low Vision collection includes lighted magnifiers, jeweler’s visors, pocket magnifiers and other devices to help people with low vision. The magnifiers come in different strengths. All are meant to be used with a person’s regular prescription glasses.

“These items were purchased with outreach funds so that people can try assistive technologies at home and see if they actually work for the person in the way they would be used in real life,” said outreach coordinator Beth Helstien. “To the user it can feel like a miracle if a visor can provide enough magnification for someone to be able to see well enough to read at home in his or her armchair,” she added. Choosing the best options for an individual can take time, so plan on spending 10 to 20 minutes at it.

The library also has a magnifier for in-library use that requires the reader to sit in front of it and place reading material on a glass plate while the viewer looks at a monitor. This magnifier has enormous power, taking individual letters up to over an inch in height. Beth Helstien at the library can also assist people with low vision in learning where items like these might be purchased and where grants or loan programs for low-income people can be found.

In addition to devices to help people read print, the library has an extensive collection of audio or talking books, available in cassette tape or compact disk format. These items may be borrowed like print books, for a three week loan period.

Library hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.