Voices of Vision Keeps Readers Connected

Karen Vogel says she would be lost without Voices of Vision, a program the visually impaired Naperville woman began using in the early 1980s.

Voices of Vision provides the visually impaired and those with other disabilities with free library services, including access to talking books, talking book players and access to reader advisors who assist participants.

"The thing is, because we are visually impaired and because it is harder to get to our libraries, we can't just go and get a print book," Vogel said, adding that some libraries have books on CDs, but people with impairments still must contend with the difficulties of taking paratransit to the library.

Earlier this year, funding for the program was in jeopardy. Patrons such as Vogel were concerned they might lose their library services.

"I was really worried about that, because if the library closed out here, we wouldn't have our reader advisors," said Vogel, 62.

The DuPage Library System employs four reader advisors to assist readers —talking with them over the phone, and interacting through e-mail and sometimes through the mail. The reader advisors answer questions, make suggestions and ensure that readers get the materials they want.

Vogel is able to download materials to her computer from the library system's website, but she said many people still call to talk with reader advisors. She has built relationships with the advisors over the years, and they know her tastes in literature and make recommendations.

The Voices of Vision Talking Book Center is managed through the DuPage Library System and located in Geneva. The library system serves 12 counties in Northern Illinois and has about 10,000 registered users. In Naperville, there 112 active users, said Tom Sloan, executive director of the DuPage Library System.

In the past, the Illinois State Library and the Secretary of State funded the program, Sloan said. The annual budget for the DuPage Library System's Voices of Vision program is about $450,000. When funding for the program was put in jeopardy earlier this year, federal dollars were used to keep the program operating. With the state's financial situation still tenuous, any of the library system's programs are at risk, he said.

"This is a population that cannot have its needs met by any other means," Sloan said of those with impairments. "Some libraries offer some services and books on tape, but this is a full library."

About 60,000 titles are offered, and if Voices of Vision doesn't have a title, it probably is available through other Talking Book libraries located around the state, Sloan said. The Illinois Network of Libraries serving the blind includes a Talking Book Center through the Chicago Public Library, Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center in Peoria, Illinois State Library Talking Book & Braille Service in Springfield, the Southern Illinois Talking Book Center in Carterville and the center in Geneva. The program provides a variety of reading materials, including books, magazines and newspapers.

The program is going digital, with a growing number of digital Talking Books available, along with new digital players, which are lighter and more compact to use. The main player uses cassettes, and more of those machines are still in circulation. The cassette players are larger and heavier.

Many Voices of Vision patrons request books that Oprah Winfrey recommends, sometimes while Oprah's show is still on the air, said Jean Goesle, a reader advisor for the library.

Goesle answers calls and assists patrons, sometimes answering questions outside the Talking Book realm, but she realizes the importance of the library and what she does.

"This makes them feel connected," she said. "They may not be able to drive or cook or do other things. This is something that they have control (of)."

Vogel agreed. She is a member of a book club that meets over the phone. Some of the book club members live in Indiana, Ohio and downstate Illinois, she said.

"I cannot reiterate how important the program is for us," Vogel said. "A lot of handicapped people don't get out much. Having the ability to read is pretty important. It's our way of entertainment."