Tuned into the Library of Michigan, today's topic The Library of Low Incidence Outreach with the Director MI Department of Education, Roxanne Balfour.
Full Transcript:
>> Get into our conversation with those on behalf of the Library of Michigan and their partners.
Today's topic title the Library of low incidence outreach good that you are here director of the Michigan Department of Education low incidents, outreach of course, only the best Roxanne about 4, 1, to Roxanne.
Good morning.
Kelly, how are you find good that you are here you bachelor's from central Michigan University just spoke with the president a couple days ago, your Masters from from Grand Valley.
So thank you for directing know this office for 3 years and and more so we'll get into right away.
I'm basically what is the what is the low incidence, outrage outreach department.
>> And out a department and the Michigan Department of Education and we need to go for the blind, though we've been in touch and go for the blind it in low enrollment.
That went away and became an outreach program and that a disturbing by issuing paired we of all and now low incident at the lake in Maine, both populations that are like at the low end, but at least they're hard of hearing about find this really impaired.
Family educators students.
To our goal is to make sure that we need other needs that they think the sensible for them and that the library that we have.
>> Nice so explain a little bit as we get into this conversation about the different pieces that make up their library.
>> So in our library, we have books of course because we're alive or age but Abbott there and Braille large print we also have blinded me impaired and a predator and we just lie buried, so that more than one national development, educational book for president or teachers hair grow talent, you can pan and that the help it and understanding of the development education and kids are blinded when paired a part of here and that we also have a large nonprofit contribute air that
American could have been a blind include that technology devices as well as occasional a design for to survive vision care we have what we call that the technology loan I carry this include devices that produced by necc pretty happy the blinds we have different vendors are just pieces of equipment that you may need and these are only a along out for 8 weeks at a time and then we also have different.
>> Independent living still in the clip and health human services that we can happen by educate and work with but general and teachers at some of the other area that's what makes your labor unique.
>> Well, the first thing that make their lives are you going to say is the staff that work there because they are great, they know how to work with people that need think that the app the right question so the bad loans and hours are phenomenal how bad that many people don't even know we have a library so that that the education material and employee that we hired a few years ago to work at its library.
I think that it was like walking into a warehouse, I had no idea it would be like that when people think the tradition of book library.
They hear the word library, but I would lie very so unique about the epic it.
Technologies that are how their people have no idea
what we have and that's very true.
We have
Brown but in large print books, you're not going walk into any library find well to all the different looks and different form and we ought to have a little the pension program.
So even though we could do the majority both
and Braille are forced by an an academic
high, but the litter expansion program we have had over 200 meter but we have a list on our Web site people can go in there and do it in and get anything from Amman.
Bury Anna kill a Mockingbird a whole list of books that we think are very unique because again you're not going to come out and finally we also have our unique contribute I mentioned earlier was the American printing House for the blind they actually the functioning of 18 58 in Louisville, Kentucky.
And the world's largest nonprofit organization and we're able to do it than that for them because they get federal dollars
and and then the of the team who are counted of binding impaired we get full of fun.
They may all of this equipment and all these devices and we can use this quote if I and the students that are counted and get the equipment and it's free to get out to people there's no cost for a school district to say hey Johnny need I knew Matt connect we can go for a list of the eligible, and you know I just told you haven't even asked for anything at the year that very unique and the other things that we you know I I no longer needed to can return it and we are local or out.
So they don't just get rid of that are good for the next child it said that and were able to keep that we use.
Last year $450,000 with that item.
We also have a book their service.
So unique to Al I we also allow students are black
the compared to get to them, but their peers so when I got cool, they can look at T to come in and say OK we're going to be using map one o one by John Jonathan and they can do it there's to be that we have the book available and then they can are dead now he just note every available and to find the book in the alternative format because we often look at that in Braille large print I'm thinking yeah and we'll see what we have and if they don't have it in our library.
What we can do it we can do a search and find it somewhere out to be able to provide for them.
>> Nice jump down to some practical pieces of advice, other re restrictions to those who may want to check something out from the library was like a public Library.
>> It's just good library because they unique to that we have during the blind they care so our library highly specialized in the open to the general public and talk about K 12 to providing care their parent how in the professionals who work in them and so they have to have a lot more working on a new system that they have a lot to be able to add to that right now they do send in information they want to be able to come to our library we do a review of that and they've met that criteria just mentioned
then we allow them to act.
>> How do you track of items checked out to the field then.
Thank you to be that how do you track all the items checked out to the field.
>> Well, we have right now.
What our system is and we're developing a new library system and so that is our check in check out this time it was a week or information whether the book but it's a piece of equipment and then we also take tracking of our own money to send it out we had a my water system that we can see where it actually had it how long they've had it because it depends on what they have and how long they keep it out as I mentioned a te library that's only going to be for 8 weeks.
All of our other ath equipment Braille book that basically to the student for as long as they need it is a student graduates and school returned it.
>> What I'm here is a your library are most often widely utilized here.
>> It's a real books on a ph equipment.
We have produced over 4,000 volume.
In the year of Brown, but I don't think people realize when you have one map, but it could be 10 to 20 volume.
For students to have to have in their hand and a lot of things that will starting up that we haven't gotten orders early not because we have a great guy and seek when a robber beaten who make sure that all of the Tate know it you have in order to play due in early because sooner we get your order to say you're going to have it the beginning of the year so that general and peers have about as well as those that fly fishing pier.
>> Us what's the biggest challenge of had with the library, what would you like to see in place to help with that challenge then.
>> I really think it is just what we're doing here today is to talk about people know about it we think that we get enough information out and Mark in a cell and then find out later that I think people in the audience and say oh I never even knew you were there along the library, so that's one of our biggest challenge just awareness as well, I would love to have every Library in Michigan have a section that is Braille or large print for any due to come in and have a sensible material.
I think that would be awful because I think that's where we should be in the state that everyone had act that for everything and well as I don't forget our and that kind of hearing you know we have that we just lacked for a where we make sure that teachers were trying to encourage that nothing think that is an indication that we have that information in their hands.
The are the professional book out there for the people that need them.
>> What else would you like to share in closing Roxanne.
>> Well lo thing is that you know that you come to our website and the E l I that or to make sure that you visit and see what we have it you know any killings by visually impaired as part of hearing that you come and visit us question and don't be afraid of questions the best question because we have so much to offer and so much as 3 that we want to make sure we're sharing it with everybody.
>> Thanks for your expertise sure conversation directing Michigan Department of Education's low incidence outreach that's in D e dash l I a rocks and Balfour thanks for your good work.
