As an outreach librarian whose clientele consists predominantly of the 70+ crowd, I have learned that small things can make a huge difference. I often hear my patrons say that they can’t see well enough to read regular print anymore. Well, step aside tiny print! Large print books could be the answer.
In recent months we’ve made some changes to our large print collection. We’ve replaced worn-out copies with newer titles. We’ve noted the genres that are frequently requested and have made an effort to stay on top of recently published titles in those areas. Our standing orders have been refreshed to better reflect readers’ needs. The collection is already starting to look fresher and more appealing!
It’s a simple move to go from regular-sized print to large print and it often means the difference between not reading at all or going back to a lifelong enjoyment of books. It’s an easy choice.
Thorndike Press, a publisher of large print books, points out the following benefits of trying large print books.
- The typical font size in large print books is 16 pt.
- Type is printed in a jet black color, making the contrast between paper and ink higher than regular print books.
- There are fewer words on the page and that makes visualization easier, eliminating the struggle of making out words or letters.
Anyone can use our large print collection, but those who are homebound can request large print or audiobooks when they sign up for Home Delivery, too. We offer fiction, mysteries, westerns, non-fiction, and romance. And don’t forget — if we don’t have the title you want in large print we can try to find it through interlibrary loan.
The 10 highest circulating books (2021) in the library’s large print collection are:
“Dark Sky” by C.J. Box
“Three Women Disappear” by James Patterson
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
“Haunted” by Heather Graham
“The Bitterroots” by C.J. Box
“The Return” by Suzanne Woods Fisher
“Before She Disappeared” by Lisa Gardner
“A Picture of Love” by Beth Wiseman
“The Best of Me” by Nicholas Sparks
“Buried Secrets” by Barbara Cameron
About The Author: Lori
Lori is the Information Services Outreach Librarian at Salina Public Library. A native of DeKalb, Ill., Lori spent only one summer detassling corn for DeKalb AgResearch and made an impressive $2.35 per hour. She stayed in her hometown and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.A. and M.A. in art history. Lori moved to Kansas in 1990 with plans to get a Ph.D. in art history from KU, but that quickly turned into attending Emporia State University and receiving a second master’s degree in library and information science. She met a fellow library student named Nick and they married over spring break just before graduating. Lori enjoys reading about, looking at, and researching anything having to do with art or art historical matters. Every spring she encourages her 30 fruit trees to bear well, and gardens on her three acres in Saline County. She appreciates the style of the 1920s-40s, and can often be found knitting, cooking (and eating) delicious Italian food, obsessively playing Words with Friends or working a crossword puzzle. Lori can be reached at infoservices.lori@salpublib.org.
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