Carver Public Library
2 Meadowbrook Way
Carver, MA 02330
Phone: 508-866-3415
http://www.carverpl.org/
My friends and I visited Carver Public library to research information on local cranberry bogs and to do a wheelchair accessibility review. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the small rural town of Carver has a fully wheelchair accessible library.
Handicap parking spaces are conveniently located right up front in the library’s parking lot. We saw a Drop Off Box that is located on the front of the building where one can place books that are due when the library is closed and it is a perfect height for my wheelchair. Entry into this library is easy for the front entry doors are wide enough to fit my wheelchair through and the doors are automatic! The side entry door is not automatic so I recommend persons in wheelchairs to use the front entry door.
Once inside, we approached the Circulation Desk and introduced ourselves to the nice librarian working at the desk. We explained that we were here to do a wheelchair accessibility review and asked if a librarian was available to give us a tour. I found the Circulation Desk to be very wheelchair accessible for it is lower at the end and is a perfect height for me to complete any business or to check out a book.
The Librarian told us she would call Amy, the Reference Librarian for she would be the best person to help us with questions on accessibility and tour us throughout the building. While my friends and I waited for Amy, we pulled out a book and sat in an area where the table is designed to hold up a book which made it very easy for me to read. The table is at a perfect height for my wheelchair.
Amy soon arrived and we introduced ourselves. She was very kind and told me that she had heard of ‘The Traveling Wheelchair’ and has looked at some of the reviews we’ve posted on our website. Amy congratulated me on the service that we are providing for the community. She was ready with a pen and paper to jot down any recommendations that we could give to help make the Library more wheelchair accessible. I was very impressed for it was obvious that she really cares about making the library as accessible as she can for the disabled.
The Carver Library is part of the Sails Library Network. The building is beautiful and only about ten years old and I found it to be very wheelchair accessible. Amy gave us a brief history lesson and showed us pictures of the Savery family.
Portraits of the Savery family, who lived in Carver during the Civil War period of the 1800’s hang on the wall in the fiction section of the library. The Savery family helped the Carver community tremendously by finding people jobs to bring money into the town and by donating books to the town.
We also saw ‘The Carver Room’. This room has many books about
the history and ancestors of Carver and is open when Amy is working.
The restrooms are spacious and the height of the toilet is perfect for person in a wheelchair with all the ADA required safety bars at a perfect height on the wall. The sink is wheelchair accessible and at a perfect height as well but the pipes underneath are not covered which is only recently an ADA requirement. .
We took an elevator up to the second level to the reference area. The elevator was large enough to fit my wheelchair, friends and Amy. All displays in the library are at a perfect height for me to view from my wheelchair.
We asked Amy if the Library has magnifiers which can help visually impaired persons for it makes the text larger and she told us no but she will get a magnifier. We asked if the library has grabbers which can help persons in wheelchairs reach for books from the shelves. She told us that all the librarians would help any person get a book but said she will look into getting a grabber
Amy then led us to the area where computers are located. It was nice to see that many of the computers were being used by others visiting the library. I got to sit at a computer and found it to be a perfect height for me. Unfortunately, the Library does not have any programs that would either enhance the text or read back information on the screen for me like the
Plymouth Public Library has. For many years, I have worked on a computer at the Plymouth Public Library that has the Kursweil 1000/3000 and Magic Programs and it has really helped me plan my vacations, do research and has been a great source of information. The cost of this software is approximately $1,000.
Amy told us that the library and town doesn’t have much money to spend right now but told us that she and other librarians will always offer computer lessons and help to those who need it. I’m sure that Amy would take the time to offer me help if I needed it.
Amy then showed us where the library’s Audio Books on tape are located and it is clearly marked and easy to find. She told us about the Audio Books from their collection on tapes and how they have been introducing books now on CD’s. There is also a section in the library that is clearly marked for Large Print Books which is helpful for visually impaired.
The lighting in the library is very good for visually impaired persons like me. All the aisles are wide enough for my wheelchair to get from aisle to aisle.
The Carver Public Library also provides some Free or Discounted passes which you can use to access Museums, Parks, Zoos and other places that are located in Boston, Providence and locally.
I give Carver Public Library FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. I fully trust that Amy will ensure that the pipes under the accessible sink in the restroom are covered and I trust that she will obtain a grabber and magnifying glass. I also believe that once the library can afford it she will purchase a computer program that would enhance text and read material on the computer screen.
I give Amy, the Reference Librarian FIVE STARS for making the world more respectful, sensitive and accessible to all.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Thank you for the great review of our library! I was so pleased to meet Kenny & Company and really enjoyed our tour. It was interesting to learn that although the library is only 10 years old, there are aspects of it that are no longer ADA compliant. I talked to my director about the grabber and covering the pipes under the sink in the restrooms. She is going to talk to the town building inspector although she told me that she believes that a building is only required to be ADA compliant when it opens but not as new requirements are added. Learning about all these ADA requirements gives me a glimpse of the battles that Kenny must face. However, I really believe that a blog like The Traveling Wheelchair is invaluable in educating all of us about people with disabilities. Thank you for visiting us at the Carver Public Library and take care!