Digital Talking Books are here!

Descriptive DVDs and VHS videocasstttes are available to blind and visually impaired TBS patrons.  Patrons may check out up to two DVDs and four videocassettes at a time. Videos are charged out for one week. Click the "Descriptive Videos" link under Search the Collection in the left column of this page to see what's available.

Columbia resident Carmella Broome, author of Carmella’s Quest: Taking on College Sight Unseen, published by Red Letter Press, is the 2011 recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award.  This award is presented annually at the American Council of the Blind’s national convention. Ms. Broome received this award for an article she wrote about partnering with the South Carolina State Library’s Talking Books Services department to record her book so that it could be enjoyed in audio format by blind readers.

Her article, In My Own Voice: the Carmella's Quest Collaboration, was published in the March issue of the American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) monthly magazine, The Braille Forum. “I used this experience to encourage readers to think outside the box if there is something they want to accomplish that might be possible with a little creativity,” Ms. Broome explains.

Congratulations to Carmella Broome!

Ms. Broome is a local author and a longtime member of the Talking Books Services. She is the author of Carmella's Quest: Taking on College Sight Unseen .

Ms. Broome is this year’s recipient of the American Council of the Blind’s national Ned E. Freeman Award for Excellence in Writing for her article, "In My Own Voice:  The Carmella's Quest Collaboration". It was published in the March issue of the ACB Braille Forum. 

To read Carmella’s article in Braille Forum online:

For MP3 version:  http://www.ptbs.org/ , then click the link for The Braille Forum - March 2011 Side Two

For HTML text version:   http://www.acb.org/node/218  

Her book, Carmella's Quest: Taking on College Sight Unseen is available from TBS in cassette (CBC00492) and digital (DSC00492) formats.  Carmella’s Quest was recorded at the South Carolina State Library’s Talking Books Services.

The book description: A young woman, legally blind since birth, must decide whether to surrender to her infirmity and remain dependent on others for the rest of her life or go off to college, get a degree, and strive to become self-sufficient. Against enormous odds, she chose to make her own way in the world. 2008.