I Met a Hero
I think I have mentioned that one of my consulting jobs is doing outreach for the Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library. This gig allows me to travel around Massachusetts and spread the word about all the library services. You might have figured out that I am kind of a reading junky so this is nothing but fun for me. I usually speak to groups at Councils on Aging or I speak to groups in a wide variety of residential facilities. Most often my audience is made up of care givers and older people who either want to learn about the program or just have something to do for that exact moment. NO two presentations are ever quite the same. Most of the time something interesting can happen and take us off on a wonderful journey.
Yesterday I did a presentation at the Andover Senior Center. The woman who arranged this presentation was concerned because she did not have many people attending. I said we would come anyway and see how it went.
Well, although there were some people there who were really interested in the program, I was the one who had the big surprise.
Some People get excited about meeting a football star or a recording artist or an actor. Well, for me it is talking book narrators. Not that I have ever met one before but I certainly spend a lot of hours with these great readers who translate the printed word into adventure, drama, or humor.
Dan Bloom, who works for Minute Man Talking Books in New Hampshire,
Reads for The National Library Service. As soon as he began to speak I knew I had heard that voice before. What a treat this was. I also think he enjoyed hearing from someone who really loves talking books.
When I got home I went to the BARD website and searched for him. Indeed I have enjoyed some of his books and I downloaded more to take with me on my upcoming vacation.
You can visit the Minute Man Talking Book web site and learn more about what they do.