Sunflower Talking Book Library: Lighting up the future of the visually impaired

This is a talking book library for the blind founded by Ms. Nguyen Huong Duong, established in May 1998, currently located in Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. In 2018, Ms. Nguyen Huong Duong passed away due to an accident. The leader is gone but her enthusiasm remains, philanthropists, volunteers, the Board of Directors of the Talking Book Charity Fund for the Blind and library staff are determined to maintain the operation.

During 27 years of continuous operation, the library has produced more than 3,000 book titles, with 475,000 audiobooks and over 20 million visits. The library's books are diverse in genres: history, science, literature, life skills, education , medicine... In particular, the library also updates textbooks from elementary to university, serving the learning needs of visually impaired students.

Mr. Tran Anh Khoi, Library Director, said that after the recent recruitment campaign, the library received many applications to become volunteer book readers. Huong Duong Talking Book Library currently has a team of more than 100 Vietnamese and foreign volunteers who read, scan, summarize books, and communicate. In particular, the reading and recording section currently has about 50 people waiting for voice assessment and recording schedules when there are vacancies.

A representative of the production department said that in recent years, the library has focused on professional production processes, from content assessment, recording, post-production to adding sound effects and careful censorship before release. Technology is also applied to management and production to improve efficiency.

Mr. Vu Trong Thanh, editor at the Vietnam Education Publishing House, said that he has been working with the Huong Duong Talking Book Library for 12 years. Every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 11:30, he goes to the studio. "For me, this job is both a hobby and a joy, and also a small contribution to bringing good books to the visually impaired," Mr. Thanh shared.

Gentle sounds have opened a new world for the blind - where knowledge, emotions and dreams are listened to with all the heart.

In addition to producing and popularizing audiobooks, the Sunflower Fund also conducts many other activities such as chess tournaments for the blind, giving walking sticks to the blind, awarding Sunflower Scholarships and Lotus Scholarships, teaching computer science, and instructing the blind on smartphone usage skills.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/thu-vien-sach-noi-huong-duong-thap-sang-tuong-lai-nguoi-khiem-thi-post649414.html