Jacobus tenBroek Library
...A research and resource center on blindness
The Jacobus tenBroek Library supports NFB members and other researchers interested in any non-medical aspect of blindness, including (but not limited to):
- education of blind children
- disability law and policy
- the history of attitudes toward the blind
- literary works by blind authors
We provide facilities for using our collections, regardless of format, by both sighted and blind readers.
What We’re Doing Now
Catalog
Our fully accessible catalog is now publicly available.
When you visit the catalog, be sure to read the information on its home page, and take a look at the "link to FAQs" for answers to some frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions or comments, please click on "questions about this catalog" for a form you can use to let tenBroek Library staff know of your concerns. We promise prompt replies to all questions, comments, or criticisms.
Don’t miss the opportunity to help us name the first general purpose online library catalog developed with the collaboration of blind access technology experts! Deadline for entries to our contest is April 15.
Name the new Jacobus tenBroek Library online catalog!
Full-text digital files
Ultimately our plan is to have our entire collection digitized, with links to relevant digitized material that we do not own. The entire digitized collection will be available through the Web and thus accessible around the world to anyone interested in blindness studies. With appropriate software, blind readers will have exactly the same ability to access the world’s literature on blindness as anyone else.
Many NFB publications are already available in full-text.
The tenBroek papers and other archival material
Request an appointment, or read our reading room policies for researchers.
The tenBroek Library holds the personal papers of Jacobus tenBroek and is responsible for the institutional archives of the National Federation of the Blind. In a climate-controlled storage area, the library houses audio and video footage of model rehabilitation programs, NFB national conventions, and advocacy actions taken over the seventy year history of the Federation. We are soliciting the personal and professional papers of other blind leaders, of blind and sighted inventors who have contributed to the blind, and of blind people in any walk of life. These are key sources on the history of blind people and the organized blind movement in the United States.
Thanks to a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (a division of the United States National Archives), we are in the process of getting the tenBroek Papers and the NFB Archives in better shape for use by researchers. We have completed a series-level finding aid for the tenBroek Papers and invite you to look at it. We anticipate opening the collection to researchers very soon.
To learn more about Jacobus tenBroek and the tenBroek papers, consider the following articles:
- The Story of the tenBroek Papers, by Lou Ann Blake (Braille Monitor, October 2006)
- Who Was Jacobus tenBroek? by Lou Ann Blake (Braille Monitor, May 2006)
- Within the Grace of God, by Jacobus tenBroek (NFB National Convention 1956)
Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
To carry forward the work of Dr. tenBroek in assuring that all citizens may have the opportunity for full participation in the society in which we live, the National Federation of the Blind hosts the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium. During the symposium participants examine the current status of both American and international disability law and discuss future change in the disability law of the United States.
Now Available: Walking Alone and Marching Together in streaming audio format.
Listen to the book Walking Alone and Marching Together in MP3 format. The entire book is available in thirty parts.
Exhibits
The Library offers exhibits highlighting technological and personal achievements by the blind. Currently on display:
- Everest Expedition - Explore the tactile exhibit dedicated to the NFB-sponsored Everest Expedition featuring Erik Weihenmayer's 2001 ascent of Mount Everest.
- Rocket Launch - Find out about the first ever NASA rocket launched by blind students.
- Youth Slam Tiles - Inspect the tiles inspired by the experiences of the participants of the Youth Slam.
As our library continues to expand, more links to additional information will be coming. We thank you for your patience and encourage you to check back frequently.
Plans for the Future of the tenBroek Library
Collection Development Policy Statement
Jacobus tenBroek Library Strategic Plan
For More Information
Jacobus tenBroek Library
Jernigan Institute
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Fax: 410-685-2340
E-mail: JtBLibrary@nfb.org
