Andrew Heiskell Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped From the front, there's nothing to distinguish the Heiskell Library on Twentieth Street in Chelsea from any of a dozen other branches of the New York Public Library. Behind the scenes, though, this is definitely someplace special. It is from here that up to 5,000 books on tape are shipped out to readers every day. The Heiskell Library is a branch of the New York Public Library, and its services are a program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, operated by the Library of Congress. It provides books on tape, primarily by mail, to residents of all five boroughs of New York City, plus people who live in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.
Braille materials are also available on loan.
Eligibility must be medically documented before library materials may be borrowed. Books on tape require special playback machines, which are issued to registered library patrons on extended loan, along with instructions for their use. Like all library materials and services, the machines are available free of charge. Some 2,200 books are recorded every year, including works for adults, young adults, and children. Textbooks and scholarly works are not included in the program, which concentrates on bestsellers and recreational reading.