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Author Jane Austen once wrote: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
We know of one Upper Peninsula resident who might agree with Austen. His name is Johnny Arenz, and Great Lakes Talking Books is his equivalent to Austen's library. Ninety-year-old Arenz is a retired elementary principal who never took for granted that reading was fundamental until he began losing his site. Now he consumes audiobooks just as voraciously, and GLTB, an audio book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, reading disability, or a physical disability that prevents reading or holding a book -- is a big part of making that happen.
"We provide the service for people who are all ages in the Upper Peninsula and also in Crawford County and Alpena County in northern lower Michigan," GLTB reading advisor Tonia Bickford told The Mining Journal in a recent interview. "Our service is extended to people who can't read the way they used to due to a physical disability, reading disability, blindness or low vision. There's a variety of reasons and they don't have to be permanent."
And the content can be accessed by setting up an account on an application available on electronic devices such as smartphones or tablets, something it seems most of us carry around these days.
The offerings are even compatible with Braille-display machines.
But if you don't have any of these options, GLTB patrons can also use a digital talking book machine with selected books loaded on cartridges.
Arenz, who has himself read over 2,500 books since he retired 37 years ago, wanted to make sure to sing the praises of the program and all those who helped him and so many others for whom reading is fundamental.
We applaud all involved with this worthy program, and would like to thank Johnny Arenz for bringing it to The Mining Journal's attention.
To learn more about the services at GLTB, visit online at greatlakestalkingbooks.org or contact Bickford by email at tb@greatlakestalkingbooks.org or call 906-228-7697, ext. 0.