Ashcroft announces Braille enhanced StoryWalks

Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office announced today that the Missouri State Library and Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library are making available Braille Enhanced StoryWalk kits.

Included in the kits are weatherproofed double-page layouts of a picture book with braille overlay. Seven different picture book titles are available with additional titles being added in the future.

Through the State Library, Storywalk kits are offered to public and school libraries across the state and can be set up in parks, walking paths or on library grounds. They are intended to encourage families to read together while being active outdoors.

The braille enhanced feature provides accessibility for the visually impaired by including braille descriptions of the picture on each page.

“Our public and school libraries play such a vital role in our communities,” said Ashcroft. “We’re excited to offer libraries a way to expand their services to better serve all patrons.”

Ashcroft, along with State Librarian Robin Westphal participated in the first StoryWalk display that is currently setup at Memorial Park in Jefferson City lasting through Memorial Day weekend.

“Many communities already have incorporated StoryWalks along trails or in parks, but we are only the second state library to provide Braille-Enhanced StoryWalks,” said State Librarian Robin Westphal. “This project has been two years in the making and we appreciate the efforts of the Library Development staff including Lysha Thompson and Meghan McCormack.”