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| News Release |
For Immediate Release: April 2, 2008 |
The Owl meets the Mockingbird
Owl Radio to present audio version of To Kill a Mockingbird;
eligible recipients invited to request special radio receivers
San Antonio radio reading service Owl Radio, Texas Public Radio, the San Antonio Public Library, and the San Antonio Public Library Foundation have announced a partnership to allow the print-impaired to participate in The Big Read San Antonio 2008, a city-wide celebration of To Kill a Mockingbird. From Monday, April 21, through Wednesday, April 30, Owl Radio will present the audiobook version of To Kill a Mockingbird every day at 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Radio reading service broadcasts can be heard only with a special receiver, available at no charge to eligible recipients. To get ready for the upcoming To Kill a Mockingbird readings, Owl Radio invites any potential recipients to apply for the special receivers. Organizations, such as assisted living centers, which serve the visually challenged, are especially urged to participate. Once the application has been approved, the radio will be delivered and installed by a representative of Owl Radio. A donation of $25 or more with each application is requested, but not required, to help pay for the service. Owl Radio representatives emphasized that, though donations are vital to their operation, no qualified applicant will be denied service because of an inability to contribute. For more information about Owl Radio, or to receive an application, go to www.owlradio.org, or call (210) 829-4223.
Library Director Ramiro Salazar said, “The San Antonio Public Library is proud to partner with Owl Radio and Texas Public Radio to ensure that the Big Read is truly a community-wide celebration of literature and literacy. We hope this exciting project will extend Owl Radio’s listener range even further throughout our area, and we appreciate HarperCollins Publishers and Caedmon Audio’s allowing us to present this special programming to our community.”
Texas Public Radio’s Director of Programming & Operations, Nathan Cone, is equally excited about the project. “To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the all-time classics of modern literature,” he noted. “We’re pleased that we can be a part of bringing the printed page to life through these broadcasts to Owl Radio listeners.”
Owl Radio, a free community service of the Low Vision Resource Center, provides daily radio broadcasts of newspapers, magazines and other information for persons who are unable to read regular print due to a visual, physical or reading impairment. The service, which is co-sponsored by Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Express-News, has been on the air continuously in San Antonio since March 6, 2002, and in the Hill Country since January 10, 2005. Owl Radio is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those who cannot read, reducing their feeling of isolation by providing a wide range of around-the-clock programming; and to developing a more aware citizenry by providing current information about community events and issues, thus helping increase the community involvement of people who are blind or visually impaired.
Texas Public Radio is a community of listener-supported, non-commercial radio stations in South Central Texas and the Hill Country. KSTX 89.1 FM is a regional source for in-depth news, information and entertainment programs, and the only local source for National Public Radio’s flagship newsmagazines, Morning Edition and All Things Considered. KPAC 88.3 FM is the only source for 24/7 classical music in San Antonio. KTXI 90.1 FM offers a blend of classical music, news and information programming in the Hill Country. More information is available at www.tpr.org.
For more than 100 years, the award-winning San Antonio Public Library has been a vital center for free learning, knowledge, communication, culture and enjoyment for all San Antonians. With a world-class Central Library, branch libraries throughout the city, and outstanding online resources, the San Antonio Public Library is as close as around the corner or the nearest computer. More information is available at www.mysapl.org, or by calling (210) 207-2500.
The San Antonio Public Library Foundation was organized in 1983 to support the public library and to increase the awareness and use of the library through financial support and programmatic efforts, thereby enhancing the community's appreciation and utilization of the library as a cultural and educational institution. For more information, call (210) 225-4728 or visit their website, www.saplf.org.
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
Posted/Updated: 03/25/2009
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