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 "Accessibility" is the theme of our Alumni Library and Media Center, which opened in 1993. The spacious floor plan features custom-built bookshelves and tables, designed at a height convenient for people who use wheelchairs. The absence of fixed seating also allows them full use of the adjoining Presentation Room — a mini-theater, equipped with a 15-foot view screen, overhead projection system, surround-sound speakers, and closed captioning for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
It's not the content of our collection that makes the Media Center an extraordinary place ... it's the variety of formats that are available. Visitors can find information and enjoy many different kinds of entertainment in the medium that works best for them. Individuals who are blind or visually impaired can access books and other printed materials through large-print editions, books on tape, magnifiers, and scanners equipped with voice synthesizers. Other types of "assistive technology" enable those with little or no use of their hands to access a computer by means of a single switch. Our collection is non-circulating, and includes hundreds of titles available on audio cassette, video tape, and CD-ROM.
In addition to serving the staff and students of Crotched Mountain School, the Media Center welcomes more than 10,000 after school visitors each year. Here visitors can read a newspaper or magazine, assemble a jig saw puzzle, pay bills, or gaze at the panoramic view of the Unconoonuc Mountains, displays of student artwork, or our "Wall of Fame." Our staff is always available to provide reference services, as well.
We are able to keep the Media Center open after school, free of charge, thanks to an annual subsidy from Crotched Mountain Foundation, last year which totaled more than $50,000. Tax-deductible contributions in support of the Media Center are always welcome. |
