I was pretty busy at the Wisconsin Library Association Conference last week, so I didn’t make it to a lot of sessions. But I always learn something when I do—and last week was no exception. I plan to let you know about some of them, starting today.
I went to one on hearing loops. I’ve been hearing about them for a while, but never really took the time to learn more. But my mom’s quite hard of hearing, so I’m always looking for possible solutions for her.
A hearing loop is “a loop of cable around a designated area, usually a room or a building, which generates a magnetic field picked up by a hearing aid.” (Wikipedia) That hearing aid has to be one with a t-coil. Hearing loops are installed in churches, theaters, auditoriums, and. . . LIBRARIES! There are “desk size loops” that can be used at information desks.
The statistics about hearing loss are pretty interesting. Hearing loss is the third most common health condition for people over age 65, but it is an invisible disability invoking little sympathy. Think about how your library and hearing loops could reach this population.
Read more at:
I’m going to!
A Life in Libraries 