Lordy, Lordy,
the Library turned
Forty!
(on Friday, September 18, 1998)
Sir Walter Raleigh would be proud.
From a idea hatched in a group bearing his name, the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped was born. And for forty years it has grown and matured to become the vibrant organization it is today.
Volunteers from the Sir Walter Lions Club of Raleigh, with the help of the Raleigh Host Lions Club and the North Carolina Lions Association for the Blind, were instrumental in getting the library started in September, 1958. These foresighted groups pledged the funds that got the þedgling library off the ground.
In 1959, the State of North Carolina agreed to operate the library. In 1960, the library had six employees, served just over 1,000 patrons, and had a circulation of just over 28,000 books. By 1980, the 25 employees were serving more than 7,000 patrons, and circulation had grown to more than 200,000 books per year. Today, 33 employees serve well over 10,000 patrons, and the circulation is approaching one half million books per year. The library does so much mailing that it has its own Zip Code!
When it flrst started, the library had only about 1,000 titles on long playing records. Today, the collection has soared to more than 75,000 titles on tapes, records, in braille, in large type, and on video tapes. The collection continues to grow at a rate of more than 2,000 titles per year.
When it was born, the library started life in the back of the old Mansion Park Building in downtown Raleigh. Over the years, it has outgrown several locations, and today, it is housed in a modern, 21,000 square foot building on Capital Boulevard.
At its inception, the staff of the library pushed mountains of paper to keep up with the patron and circulation records. Today, a complex computer system keeps track of all transactions.
Things have not always been easy. During 1977, the library was damaged by a flre set by an arsonist. In 1996, Hurricane Fran roared over the building, and the facility, though unharmed, was shut down for a week. In 1997, the library took a lightening strike that played havoc with its delicate computer and communications equipment.
Without the continuing support of our volunteers, patrons, and friends through out each year, the library wouldn't run as smoothly as it does.
From readers and writers to filers and friends, volunteers not only give valuable time to the production and dissemination of reading material for the blind, but their generous spirits liven our workplace.
The rows and rows of shelves filled with many types of books are an amazing sight. The team of men and women fix, process, pack, and ship the 1,500 books that are mailed out each day.