The APH Library primarily supports the research, business, and educational needs of APH staff. It secondarily supports visiting researchers and those pursuing careers in the education of the blind. The collection provides research services and resources related to Tactile Graphics, Braille, Low Vision, Early Childhood Development, Assistive Technology, Tests and Assessments, Multiple Disabilities, Accessibility, and Professional Development.
Additionally, the APH Library also provides access to several online journals and research databases. Materials cover a range of topics in the field of blindness and visual impairment and support the informational and professional development needs of APH staff.
Appointments or inquiries may be made by calling 1-800-223-1839 ext. 705 or emailing resource@aph.org.
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The APH Library houses approximately 25,000 print, audio, video and other resources, including 9,600 items digitized at Internet Archive and Open Library, covering subjects related to
- Blindness
- Low Vision
- Disability
- History of Ophthalmology and Optometry
- Visual Impairment Works by People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired.
The AFB Migel Memorial Collection
Named after philanthropist Moses Charles Migel (1866-1958), the M.C. Migel Memorial Collection is an archival preservation collection containing manuscripts, published fiction, academic research, and many other media. The collection contains one of the largest known collections of non-medical materials related to blindness and visual impairment in the United States.
The collection holds over 20,000 items ranging in scope from original research to fiction with characters or authors who are visually impaired. While the majority of the collection is historical, we continue to acquire new and relevant items in various formats. The collection includes journals, agency reports, proceedings, organizational newsletters, and a large amount of non-English language materials. The collection is also unique in that it contains thousands of individually cataloged periodical articles not thought to be organized by the subject of visual impairment anywhere else.
- The Blind Musicians Collection
The Blind Musicians Collection, the only known collection of its kind is dedicated to preserving the works of visually impaired and blind musicians regardless of genre, period, or notoriety, the collection has grown to include 130 artists and 350 albums and includes an onsite listening station and public access via a Spotify playlist.
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The APH Library will automatically search common keyword fields such as title, author, ISBN, publisher, publication year, format, table of contents and descriptions.
The Library maintains a subject list, which can be searched in both the basic and the advanced search options.
Filter options on the left of the search results page allow users to further refine the relevance of a search by designating the APH collection, item format, language, and items available online for viewing.
Note: Languages ranks the top 10 results by quantity and may not account for all languages available for that search result.
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Materials from the APH Library are restricted to use on-site, except by APH employees. No materials should be accessed outside of the collection space without the knowledge of an APH Resource Services’ Librarian. The public is welcome to visit to view its materials.
- Digitized items can be made available upon request to non-APH employees as appropriate by relevant copyright law.
- Access to materials will be governed by APH policies and procedures and supervised by the APH Resource Services Librarians.
- Beyond physical access, material can be pushed-shared electronically within copyright laws.
Materials may be checked out from a Resource Services Librarian in person or through email for three weeks at a time, with three additional renewals. If another user is waiting for a book to be returned, renewals might not be available. Please do not take a book without first checking it out. Materials should be returned to the librarians. Any item that is damaged or lost while checked out is the responsibility of the individual who checked out that item. They or their department will be responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of that item. If a book is needed for the duration of a project, it should be purchased with project funds.
Current and bound periodicals cannot be checked out. Please use these items in the library or on-line. Exceptions may be made by special arrangement with the librarians. Patrons are responsible for the safe return of library materials.
Reference Services and Interlibrary Loan
The library offers reference and inter-library loan services to supplement the collection. If you have been unable to find a specific piece of information, please contact Resource Services for further assistance.
APH Library Digital Access
APH is dedicated to digitizing significant materials and providing free, open access within the allowances of copyright law through collaborative partnerships. The AFB Migel Memorial Collection has approximately 9,900 items digitized at Internet Archive and Open Library available in a variety of accessible formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, and read-aloud. Approximately 9,900 items cataloged in APH Library are currently available for free and open access at Internet Archive and Open Library in a variety of accessible formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, and read-aloud. APH Library items can be located under the M.C. Memorial Collection and Library collection.
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The Library has digitized several pathfinders to assist users in their research.
Bibliography of Research on the Visually Handicapped, 1953-1967
Books About the Blind: A Bibliographical Guide to Literature Relating to the Blind
Dictionary Catalog of the M. C. Migel Memorial Library, Vol. 1 and Vol.2
M.C. Migel Memorial Library and Information Center Acquisitions List, January 1983-December 1984
Migel Collection Bibliographies
Secondary Material By Researchers Who Have Consulted The Migel Collection
Selected References Compiled in the M. C. Migel Memorial Library 1965-1972
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Blog on Blindness – Produced by the Louisiana Tech Institute on Blindness, this blog reports on topics pertaining to teaching strategies, braille, cane travel, elementary school, and legislation.
Low Vision: The Reference – LVTR is a bibliographic database that currently contains 12,708 references on low vision. It is designed to aid students, clinicians, researchers, and others in identifying reference works relevant to their interests.
Medical Heritage Library – Search the full-text and catalog records of this digital curation collaborative that includes some of the world’s leading medical libraries.
National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Research Library – A collection of research relating to the non-medical aspects of blindness.
Ray Charles Memorial Library – A commemorative venue to preserve and promote Ray Charles’s triumph in overcoming challenge and culminating his life, the primary focus of this library is to help schools and students find a way to infuse music back into the curriculum of our schools.
Samuel P. Hayes Research Library – Founded in 1880, the research library at the Perkins School for the Blind holds a collection of more than 40,000 items of nonmedical aspects of blindness and deafblindness.