The official policies of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania are established every year with annual resolutions adopted at the state convention.
The resolutions committee meets early during the convention. Each proposed resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring member, considered, and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or disapproval by the Convention.
Resolution 2008-01: Regarding the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
WHEREAS, the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania have been providing books in Braille to blind residents of Pennsylvania since 1882; and
WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania recognizes the importance of having books in Braille readily accessible to blind residents of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The National Library Service (NLS) came into being in 1931 and added literary works on vinyl records to the Braille volumes already being distributed by the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, in 1977, NLS converted its literary works from vinyl records to cassette tapes; and
WHEREAS, even with the advances in technology provided through NLS, the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania maintain the largest collection of Braille books of any circulating library in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the funding stream to keep these Braille books in distribution in Pennsylvania is three-fold: Library of Congress, United States Postal Service, and the budget of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, the portion of the funding coming from the State budget has not been increased for seven years, while costs such as rent, utilities, and staffing have steadily increased; and
WHEREAS, because of the limited funding provided through the State budget, the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania are in danger of losing space to store Braille books, which have been readily accessible to blind residents of Pennsylvania since 1882; and
WHEREAS, the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania are in need of funding to allow them to increase their Braille book collection and conduct outreach to increase their member base; and
WHEREAS, the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped serving eastern Pennsylvania is currently looking for a new director; and
WHEREAS, the blind of Pennsylvania would be best benefited by this director being a blind person who knows first-hand the importance of having Braille books available to blind persons; Now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania in convention assembled this ninth day of November, 2008, in the city of Middletown, Pennsylvania, that this organization work with the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania to obtain the funding through the State Legislature that they desperately need; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization assist the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Pennsylvania in outreach to blind persons in the Commonwealth; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania stress the need for the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to hire, as director, a blind person who truly understands the need for Braille books to be readily available to the blind of the Commonwealth.