Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-29
NOW MY IDEA is THIS!
Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphans Subjects They
Kno,v Best
acter with each succeeding year. There is
now large proportion of the 80 called
popular books embossed.

acter with each succeeding year. There is
now large proportion Of the so.called
popular books embossed.
Fiction has made great strides in the
matter OF numbers In the embossed books
which the various institutions bring out each
year. In the latest list of books issued by
the American Library Association, 55 per
cent Of those embossed for the blind were
fiction. Naturally. the cost of these books
is very much greater than that of the ordi-
nary printed book, MS the publications. en-
bossed must be much larger in size, and
therefore greater amount Of paper is
necessary. as we'll as the work of embossing
being more costly.
The finest collections Of these embossed
books In this country are in libraries in
California, an especially fine collection; New
York, the Library Of Congress in Washing
ton, and the Philadelphia Free Library.
Not All Blind Are Readers
The public also has the general impress
sion that all blind persons are omnivorous
readers. This Is by no means the case.
Simply because person has lost his or her
sight does not give that person taste for
reading. But 1t has been our experience that
blind person who has learned to read and
who really gets something out of that read
ing has taken a long step toward rehabili-
tation.
read nearly 60 much as many persons are
inclined to think. Reading with the fingers
involves certain amount Of physical labor
To do 1t o certain position must be main
tanned md the mind must be kept intent
upon the translation. Those Of the blind
who work at something are just exactly like
the rest OF us; they are often tired at night
and do not want the mental and physical
exertion Of reading.
"Most Of the readers are adults, because
adults. The statistics show that so per cent
Of all the blind persons in the United States
are adult, and that there are only about
5000 blind children In all the institutions Of
the country.
Reading Easily Learned
ut is not a difficult matter for a blind
person to learn to read. and the benefits
derived from It are enormous. Average
to be taught English. but they have the
equally If not more difficult task of read
justng themselves.
Amy person Of average education and
intelligence can learn to read any of the
systems for the blind with an alphabet sheet
and moderate amount Of home study. A
number of the States have home teaching
systems which have produced excellent re-
suits.
There is no daily newspaper for tho
blind but there are several monthly maea
zines, one of which is sustained BY Mrs.
Matilda Ziegler, and this is sent free to any
blind person In the country who wants it,
This Is now in its sixteenth volume and,
like all reading matter for the blind has
proved to be great boon.
"In our own institution the circulation Of
books for the blind runs about 30, 900 n
year, and last year we had $50 new regis
trations. We circulate books all over the
eastern and central parts Of the State, the
library of the Carnegie Institute taking care
of the western end, so that we do not over
lap in territory and thus give the greatest
amount Of service possible.
1.-The great need of our department is
money to purchase additional books. The
Philadelphia Free Library was the first in
mailing privilege which the Government
conferred some years ago. 1t was a great
step forward. The average cost Of mailing
before that time was about thirty cents, and
when 1t is considered that some Of the works
| are in eight and more volumes, it will be
seen that this cost was matter to be con :
| sidered.''