Network Bulletin 97-10 Date: February 7, 1997 Subject: Certification and eligibility Index term: Patrons certified as reading disabled A recent review of readers by handicap code showed that the number of patrons registered with a reading disability as the qualifying condition is 13 percent of the overall readership. Some regional and subregional libraries are serving a percentage of reading disabled individuals that is considerably higher than the national average. We realize that local conditions may affect this, i.e., a concentration of reading disabled individuals attending a high school or college. Nevertheless, NLS wishes to remind network libraries to ensure that all individuals receiving talking- book service under the category of reading disability have submitted applications that are properly certified by a doctor of medicine or osteopathy. Applications for individuals with a reading disability that are not signed by either of the above, or those just marked with a rubber stamp, are not acceptable. NLS will be contacting for further discussion those libraries whose service population of reading disabilities exceeds 20 percent. For more information contact: Carolyn H. Sung Chief, Network Division