On the recordMarch 1, 2021
I rise today to recognize the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled on its 90th anniversary. The National Library Service, or NLS, is part of the Library of Congress, an institution that has long been committed to serving readers with disabilities. The concept of a national library for the blind was introduced in 1897 by the seventh Librarian of Congress, John Russell Young, who established a reading room for the blind that included more than 500 books and music items in raised characters. In 1913, Congress began to require that one copy of each book be made in raised characters and deposited in the Library of Congress for educational use; but, as impressive as this collection was, it was only available to people who were able to visit in person. In 1931, legislation led by Representative Ruth Pratt of New York and Senator Reed Smoot of Utah created what we now know as the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to help provide services to blind readers across the country through a national network of cooperating libraries, in braille or audio formats, mailed directly to patrons, or available through instant download. Since its establishment, the service has grown to expand service to children, serve people with physical and reading disabilities, and encompass an accessible music materials collection that is now the largest in the world.…
