1. Southwest Georgia Library for Accessible Services
Serving 22 counties in southwest georgia

2. What is SWGLAS? The only subregional library in the state of Georgia
Outreach advisory center
Houses a large collection of recorded materials for patrons who are blind or physically handicapped
All materials mailed free of charge

3. SWGLAS covers the 22 counties in blue.
The rest of the state is served by Atlanta.

4. Who do we serve? Baker Lee Brooks Lowndes Calhoun Miller Clay Mitchell
Colquitt
Quitman
Decatur
Randolph
Dougherty
Seminole
Early
Terrell
Echols
Thomas
Grady
Webster
Lanier
Worth

5. Eligibility You are eligible for this program if you:
Are legally blind
20/200 or less in better eye with correcting lenses
Cannot see well enough to read standard print
Are unable to handle print books or turn pages because of a physical handicap
Are certified by a medical doctor as having a reading disability due to an organic dysfunction (i.e., dyslexia)

6. How does it work? Materials are delivered to your home
Once you receive the materials, flip the index card over on the materials to return them
All materials check out for 30 days
Completely FREE

7. Competent Authority Need signature of a competent authority
In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical limitations:
Doctors of medicine
Doctors of osteopathy
Ophthalmologists
Optometrists
Registered nurses
Therapists
Professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies:
Social workers
Case workers
Counselors
Rehabilitation Teachers
Superintendents
In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians.
In the case of a reading disability due to an organic dysfunction:
Doctors of medicine
Doctors of osteopathy

8. Types of Materials Popular Materials: Free Bibles available
Including:
Best-sellers
Biographies
Children’s Books
Classics
Foreign Language Materials
Mysteries
Religious
Romance
Science Fiction
Free Bibles available
Materials are available in recorded format only

9. Over 70 magazines are available for subscriptions, including:
Additional Materials
Over 70 magazines are available for subscriptions, including:
Consumer Reports
Ebony
Good Housekeeping
Jack & Jill
National Geographic
Newsweek
Sports Illustrated
Magazines are available in Braille and Downloadable formats
Independent living catalogs and displays

10. Newsline Read newspapers via the telephone
Can subscribe by contacting SWGLAS
Newspapers include:
Atlanta Journal – Constitution
Macon Telegraph
New York Times
Tallahassee Democrat
USA Today
Wall Street Journal

11. Bookshare Bookshare is available for free to all GLASS patrons
Accessible Online Library
Has over 455,000 accessible titles
Provides multiple ways to customize your reading experience

12. Deposit Collections Available
Talking books are available as a Deposit Collection
Deposit collections are placed at:
Assisted Living Facilities
Nursing Homes
Public Libraries
Schools
Senior Centers
A Typical Deposit Collection

13. Finding Materials Search our catalog at webopac.klas.com/glass
Contact us to receive materials:
Telephone:
(Local) or (Toll Free)
Mail:
301 S. Monroe St.
Bainbridge, GA 39819
To reserve materials online:
Call us to receive log-in information

14. Digital Players USB Flash Cartridges One cartridge per book
Over 17 hours of battery life
As of December 31, 2016, books recorded on cassette (RC) are no longer circulating.
Cassette players and books on cassette can be returned when patrons are done using them
Contact SWGLAS for information on how to return cassette players

15. Download Digital Books with BARD
Computer
Mobile Devices
Braille and Audio Reading Download
Users must fill out an application to use BARD
For application:
BARD books can be downloaded using a computer
Books cannot be played on the computer
Download books to a flash drive or cartridge
BARD has a mobile app!
The app is available on the following devices:
iPhone
iPad
iPod Touch
iOS 4.3 or later
Android 4.1 or later
Kindle Fire 2nd Generation or later

16. Special Equipment Vision Simulator Goggles
Prints materials into Braille

17. Special Equipment Magnilink S Magnilink Voice
Mobilux Digital Touch HDS
Magnilink S
Magnilink Voice
Video magnifier for use with a computer for reading and viewing material
Portable, text-to-speech machine
Handheld digital magnifier that can display with reverse contrast

18. Special Equipment Screen Reading Software Optelec 20/20 +
Perkins Brailler
Check your local library for availability
Reads printed material on a computer screen
Enlarges materials placed underneath it by projecting on a screen
Can enlarge up to 60 times its normal size
A Braille typewriter
Braille –N- Print Slimline

19. How to Apply Obtain an application form: Call us E-mail us
Visit us in person
Visit your public library
Download a form from our website

20. Outreach Opportunities
Churches
Senior Centers
Caregiver groups
Institutions
Agencies such as
DFACS
Health Departments
Informal talks
Newspaper articles
Television interviews
Library displays
Demonstrations

21. By the Numbers Counties we serve: 22 Service Population: 525,306
Over 8,600.4 square miles
Population per square mile: 56.8
Service Population: 525,306
1.4% eligible for service
7,354 eligible for service
40% of eligible population being served as of December 2016
Number of active patrons: 2,962
Number of materials checked out in 2016: 5,950
Year we opened for service: 1974

22. Contact Us Visit us in person! Call us! E-mail us! Visit us online!
301 S. Monroe Street,
Bainbridge, Georgia 39819
Call us! OR
us!
Visit us online!
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