Outreach Services

Contact
Phone: (256) 532-5980
Email: bphdept [at] hmcpl [dot] org

The Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is located in the Main branch of the Huntsville- Madison County Public Library. It is also part of a Library of Congress administered nationwide network of libraries serving persons who cannot use conventional printed materials. To see if you qualify to use the library's materials log onto http://www.loc.gov/nls/.

Registered BPH patrons may also log in directly to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) services.

View the BARD application instructions.

Reset your BARD password.

The Bookmobile is a library on wheels containing over 2,000 items in every category you might find at any branch library. This includes Best Sellers, DVDs, music CDs, children's materials, and Large Print to name a few.

Find out more about the Bookmobile or see its schedule here.

The Ready Reader Van is the main vehicle for the Ready Reader program.On board are picture books, board books, books-on-tape, videos, puppets, and other manipulatives. These are provided to educators at all Ready Reader sites for use in their classrooms.The Ready Reader Van service provides story times, book deposits, and literacy kits to 28 Head Start classrooms and a number of subsidized day cares throughout Madison County.

The Ready Reader Program works to combat illiteracy and prepare ALL children for kindergarten. The program provides literacy enriching storytimes,curriculum enhancing educator kits, and book deposits to 40 Head Start, Even Start, and governmentally funded day care classrooms throughout Huntsville and Madison County. Each month, the Ready Reader program visits over 700 children and checks out an average of 1,600 books! The Ready Reader librarians emphasize the main goal of our outreach—ensuring that all children in Madison County arrive for kindergarten “ready to learn” regardless of social-economic or cultural background.

Senior outreach services over 30 nursing home and assisted living facilities across Madison county. Book deposits of large print materials, videos and multi-media sets are delivered to each location. This collection rotates every 3 - 4 months, depending on the needs of the site, and is selected with the interests of seniors in mind.

The list of nursing homes and assisted living centers the Library serves is available here.