AUBURN, Ala.- The Auburn Public Library has expanded its collection with an eye toward accessibility.

Thanks to a $2,500 donation by the Auburn Public Library Foundation, the Library purchased approximately 200 picture books for adults living with cognitive impairment, dementia and other memory-loss conditions.

Picture books can serve as a conduit to accessing memories, allowing individuals to reminisce, engage with loved ones or friends and delve into long-term memories. While individuals experiencing memory-loss conditions may have forgotten how to read, flipping through the pages of a picture book can give them a sense of reading and fosters self-assurance and connection. There are textual and wordless books in the collection that feature topics such as scenes from nature, children, inspirational messages, Bible verses and synopses of decades.

The Library also has a curated collection of books featuring a font that makes reading more accessible to individuals with dyslexia. In addition to this collection of books, the Library circulates two reader pens designed to read aloud scanned text as they are moved across a page. The C-Pen Reader and the LingoPen also have the ability to define selected words for the reader, and the LingoPen can translate words from a variety of languages. Individuals interested in checking out a reader pen may inquire at the Library’s front desk.

For more information, email weblibrary@auburnalabama.org or call (334) 501-3190.