WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – January is National Braille Literacy Month and the James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., has resources available for families to learn more about Louis Braille and how essential Braille is for those who are visually impaired.

National Braille Literacy Month teaches us to be inclusive and embrace people

of different abilities, ensuring that everyone has opportunities in life.

Here are some ways you can learn more about Braille and help your community:

• Donate Braille books or donate resources to blind people. You could also volunteer or learn more about North Central Sight Services and the Center for Independent Living, which provide resources for those who are visually impaired.
• Take on learning a new skill. If you know someone visually impaired and you want to lend a helping hand, learning Braille could be a great idea.
• Check out Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP). This wonderful resource makes materials available for PA residents with disabilities related to reading print. You can access this at the library’s website, jvbrown.edu, and then clicking “Online Resources” and then “Resources for Adults” and then clicking the “LAMP” icon.
• Check out a book in Braille at the library or learn about Louis Braille. The library has children’s books in Braille, including “Up, Down and Around,” “Guess How Much I Love You,” “All About Braille: Reading by Touch,” and “On the Move: Knowledge You Can Touch,” among others.

This month is dedicated to the legally blind and visually impaired and reminds every one of the importance of literacy for all.  If you have a title you’d like to recommend for purchase visit our website and select “Using the Library” and then the link for “Recommend for Purchase”. Please know that filling out the form does not guarantee acquisition; however, the library appreciates recommendations for all ages.

The James V. Brown Library is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through
Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. Walk-in passport services are available from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.