Hawk
At first glance it’s a blank, white canvas but when examining the wall a bit closer we could see the instantly recognizable raised dots of braille. Although neither of us could read braille, we couldn’t resist reaching out to touch and feel the wall.
This is the sight that greeted myself, and fellow kids librarian Katie, when visiting Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS). VIPS is an organization that provides early intervention to children with visual impairment, and we were thrilled to be invited to tour their new building. Their facility is inspiring and we both found ourselves repeating the same word over and over again: wow.
Some walls are covered in braille that have repeating inspirational phrases or words. The teachers at VIPS told us that they usually find the same two words over and over again: hope and love. As we walked through the building we saw 3D, tactile art pieces that were begging to be touched. Soft leather covered an image of a cow, along with a slightly wet sponge for a nose to imitate a real cow. The play area has a cozy reading nook inside a tree with rough bark covering the outside. The area is surrounded by an elevated and curvy path to encourage learning mobility with canes. The sensory room took our breath away. Towering bubble tubes were the highlight of this room, with a sensory fidget wall and a ball pit in the corner. It was such an inviting space and everything about each area was carefully thought out.
Not only is VIPS a great resource for our community, but also for our library. The amazing people at VIPS helped us put together our braille sensory kit, and gave a fresh perspective on our collections. Some of the books we ordered as a result of the visit have arrived and are ready to make a home in our collection. One book that I’m very excited about is called “Six Little Dots” by Philippe Claudet. When the people at VIPS showed me this book, I saw the instant potential for storytime.
This book follows six colorful, textured dots as they take their place in the proper braille cell. The tactile illustrations are interactive: Little Dot Number One, sliding on plastic, hops and moves around, exploring different dot positions on the way. This visit was an a-ha moment for me. What a simple way to introduce braille to babies and toddlers in storytime. It’s an extremely interactive and tactile book that encourages kids to experience a story in a new and unique way. I could immediately see how fun it would be for the kids to be able to feel and touch the book while we read.
Unfortunately, braille books are rarely stocked in bookstores or libraries. While most people may opt to use the Indiana State Library for braille resources, it’s meaningful for those who come into our library to see that we have a book for them.
That’s not to say that only those who are visually impaired can check out our braille collection. The braille books in our collection are written in both braille and print, which means that anyone can read them. We welcome any child or caregiver to pick up a braille board book, junior fiction, or picture book and experience a new way of reading. Not only does the Greenwood Public Library have a small braille collection, but we also have the braille sensory kit available for check out, which includes fun items inside such as braille Uno and a tactile zoo picture book, to name a few. Our braille kit and books can be a great conversation starter with your child about how others experience the world around them.
You never know what you’ll find at the library but I’m pretty sure the Greenwood Public Library has something for you.
Tori Hawk is a kids librarian at Greenwood Public Library. GPL staff members share in writing this bi-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
