Reposted with permission from FOLDA [Friends of Libraries for Deaf Action] E-NEWS October 23, 2014

Citizens for Maryland Libraries (CML) and Maryland Library Trustees (MLT) will have its annual meeting on Saturday, November 8, 2014, 9:30 am – 2:45 pm at the Fletcher Branch of the Washington County Free library in Hagerstown, MD.

FOLDA, MD deaf community and libraries are grateful to Citizens for Maryland Libraries (CML) for its successful 2014 legislative session. It includes the requiring of the Division of Library Development Services (DLDS) of the MD State Dept of Education (MSDE) to establish a Deaf Culture Digital Library (DCDL). Maryland’s Governor signed it into the law on May 15, 2014.

We also applaud the MD legislation for authorizing MSDE to include operating funds for the Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) in its budget and for LBPH to receive a specified amount of funding each year.

LBPH of MD, founded in 1968, has one sub-regional library, called the Disability Resource Center (DRC), formerly the Special Needs Library (SNL) opened January 6, 1986 in Montgomery County. In November 2006, SNL merged with the new Rockville Library and became the DRC.

Under the direction of the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress (NLS) and the DLDS, LBPH and DRC provide library services to all eligible blind and physically handicapped citizens, including deaf blind citizens and deaf citizens with disabilities and who are not able to use regular books, audio tapes and the related at the public library.

Please make sure that DEAF BLIND CULTURE and also other Deaf Cultures in MD are aware of LBPH services in MD.

Maryland Trivia for Fun and Facts

Mary Titcomb, Librarian at the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown, MD, first introduced the bookmobile or mobile library in the United States, in Maryland in 1905.

Thirty-fifty years ago on December 6, 1977, the late Mervin D. Garretson made the first presentation about George W. Veditz at the Gaithersburg Public Library in MD. A copy of his presentation, The Veditz Genius, may be available from your local library. It has five illustrations of Veditz by the famed artist Ruth Peterson.

–Alice L. Hagemeyer, President , Friends of Libraries for Deaf Action FOLDA E-Editor.