Iowa library honored for its service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                     Contact:  Shoshana Hebshi

May 20, 2010                                                                                                          515.281.1338
 
National Library Service praises IDB library services during national conference in Des Moines May 16-20
 
DES MOINES -- The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress, honored the Iowa regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped with an award to recognize its 50th anniversary this year and its success at distributing the new digital talking book players to its thousands of patrons across Iowa.
 
This week about 160 librarians from NLS are in Des Moines for the biennial NLS conference. The Iowa library, a division of the Iowa Department for the Blind, has been hailed as one of the best regional NLS libraries in the country and holds the largest collection of Braille titles in the world.
 
“Iowa has always been a leader and has certainly one of the best libraries in the world from our perspective, and Karen and Tracey have carried on that tradition," said Kurt Cylke, director of the NLS.
 
This year’s conference is titled: “We all did it! The digital future is now!” and references the NLS’s move to digital format for its millions of talking books and magazines.
 
Tracey Morsek, director of the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, addressed the conference as it began Sunday afternoon, and said: "We are fortunate to be a part of a national network that provides us with so many books and players for blind Iowans. It gives us a core collection we can build on and having t his group of colleagues in Des Moines gives us an opportunity to learn from our peers as well as to show them how our library manages to provide and circulate so many Braille and audio books throughout the state.”
 
IDB Director Karen Keninger also addressed the conference, urging attendees to enjoy their time in Des Moines. Keninger said having the conference in Des Moines “gives us a chance to showcase our city and our library, and we’re very proud of both.”
 
The conference goes through today and is being held at the downtown Marriott. On Wednesday night, the librarians will toured the IDB and enjoyed a dinner and speaker in the historic Fourth Street building.
 
Learn more about the Iowa library and its services here.
 
For more information contact Shoshana Hebshi, communications specialist, at (515) 281-1338 or Shoshana.Hebshi@blind.state.ia.us or visit www.IDBonline.org
 
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