[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 2, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E189-E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE 
                    FOR THE BLIND AND PRINT DISABLED

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RODNEY DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 2021

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today I rise to 
recognize a great accomplishment--the 90th anniversary of the National 
Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. In my role as ranking 
member of the Committee on House Administration, I've had the great 
opportunity to learn about the many services the Library of Congress 
provides--not only Congress, but to all Americans. One of its most 
notable and inspiring is the National Library Service, or NLS, an 
institution committed to serving readers with disabilities with the 
mission of ensuring ``that all may read''.
  The history of the NLS began in 1897, with the seventh Librarian of 
Congress, John Russell Young, established a reading room for the blind 
that included more than 500 books and music items in raised characters. 
By 1913, Congress began to require that one copy of each book be made 
in raised characters and available at the Library of Congress for 
educational use, but the collection had its limits, as it was only 
available to visit in-person.
  In 1930, Representative Ruth Pratt of New York and Senator Reed Smoot 
of Utah led a movement to make the collection more accessible across 
the country, leading to the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act, which, on 
March 3, 1931, created what we know today as the National Library 
Service. In the 90 years since then, the NLS has expanded its service 
to reach children and individuals with additional types of physical and 
reading disabilities through not only books, but the world's largest 
accessible music materials collection.
  But this 90th anniversary isn't only a celebration of the NLS, it is 
a celebration of the

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central role local libraries play in connecting constituents across our 
entire country to its collection. In my own state, NLS and the Illinois 
State Library Talking Book and Braille Service provide service to 
nearly 10,000 individuals and institutions in Illinois. This includes 
more than 1,000 individual patrons and institutions in my district.
  Madam Speaker, the National Library Service for the Blind and Print 
Disabled is one of those magical programs that exemplify the good our 
government can do for all Americans, especially our sisters and 
brothers with disabilities. Today, I give them my congratulations on 
their 90th anniversary, my appreciation of their commitment to access 
and literacy, and my thanks for all they do.

                          ____________________