[OPLINLIST] Re: Need suggestions regarding need of a patron with low vision

[Ed Rossman]

Hi Carol,

Regarding your low vision patron, I contacted the
Cleveland Sight Center on your behalf. They’re a
great organization who’ve been helpful to me in the
past. Below is their response. 

Their tech guy, Jason and I talked on the phone and he
suggested a very low-cost, low-tech solution of simply
taking the sheet music to a Kinko’s or other print
shop and blowing it up to a readable size for her,
similar to what you’re thinking below but without
the capital expense. For .50 - .60 cents a sheet, that
may be a good solution, and after a while perhaps the
patron can then go to Kinko’s on her own as long as
her interest lasts. 

A later clarification post you sent which I just saw
now mentioned “large print sheet music is not
readable for this person”. If so, I guess this is
not an option. Perhaps other libraries could keep it
as another tactic in a similar situation. 

Here’s the response from the Sight Center:
Hi Ed: 
Thank you for contacting Cleveland Sight Center
regarding your low vision patron.  I have requested
Jason Tawil, computer technician to contact you with
several ideas.   

I would like to recommend several things.  Maximizing
the helpful effects of lighting and magnification are
the first steps of assistance. 

You can check products available at the CSC Eye'Dea
Shop by going to our website at
Clevelandsightcenter.org and scrolling to Eye'Dea
Shop. 
Additionally, you might consider contacting the
Library of Congress - 
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped in  Washington DC.  There hours are Monday
- Friday 8AM to 4:30 PM.  Their number is
800-424-8567. Another number for research is
202-707-5100.  You 
will want to speak with the Music Department.  In the
past that was #2. Another idea for a refresher for
your patron is getting the audio instructional tape,
"Piano By Ear" by Bill Brown.  It is available from
the LBPH.   

Good luck with your search.  If you have an
opportunity to let me know about your success, I would
like to learn more. 

Jeri Rask 
Cleveland Sight Center 
1909 East 101st Street 
Cleveland, OH 44106-8696 
216-791-8118, extension 226
JRask at ClevelandSightCenter.org
---

As Chad said in another post, I think this’ll be an
increasingly important area libraries will need to
become involved in. I personally have never considered
the challenges of reading music for low vision
patrons, but I know musical training is a great brain
exercise that I can see more retiring boomers getting
into. 

Great question Carol!!! 
Let us know the solution you work out. 

Best regards,
Ed Rossman
Interim Branch Manager, Bertram Woods Branch
Shaker Heights Public Library
216-991-2421 x2250 

Author, Castles Against Ignorance: How to make
libraries great educational environments
http://www.castles411.com



We have a mature patron with low vision who loves
playing piano.  She 
wishes to begin taking lessons again and learn new
music, but her
 vision 
limitation makes it highly difficult.  We are trying
to find an 
'elegant' solution for her.  Considerations are:  Buy
a scanner and 
printer which can do larger paper so the music could
be scanned and 
printed on larger sheets (what scanner, printer and
software is best)  
OR get a scanner, software and flat panel--scan and
save the music,
 then 
put the panel on the piano and scroll the music with
remote mouse
 (again 
what can make this work).  This patron is not the
techie type nor does 
she have someone who can spend hours on the project,
so a "out of the 
box" solution is best.

We are confident this has been done by others, so we
are not wishing to
 
redo good research.  Please share with us your
knowledge on this or
 send 
this to someone you know who is current in the area of
low vision 
accommodation.  Local companies specializing in low
vision are 
attempting to sell units which are unwieldy and not
easy to use.   
Thanks in advance for any help!

Regards

Carol Pelz
Grandview Hts Public Library








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