The M.C. Migel Library at the American Printing House for the Blind is one of the largest known collections of materials related to visual impairment in the United States. The library holds over 20,000 items that range in scope from original research to fiction with characters or authors who are visually impaired. While a majority of the collection is historical, we continue to acquire large numbers of new and relevant items in various formats. The collection includes journals, agency reports, proceedings, organizational newsletters, and a large amount of non-English language materials. The Library is also unique in that it contains thousands of individually cataloged periodical articles that are not thought to be organized by the subject of visual impairment anywhere else. The Migel Library’s online catalog includes items from the Barr Research Library at APH. The Barr Library began in the 1970s as a collection of materials used or authored by the Research Department at APH. As a result, many of its 4,500 items are unique manuscripts that were researched and created at APH.

we have been able to pursue a continuous digitization program with Internet Archive for the foreseeable future.

Holdings:

Approximately 25,000 print, audio, video and other items.

2,483 items digitized at Internet Archive, with hundreds more each year.

Subject Strengths:

Blindness; Disability; History of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Visual Impairment

Last Updated:

02 Apr 2020