Library facilities for the mentally challenged are a rarity in the United States. Through a grant awarded to the North Jersey Developmental Center, The Library Co-op was selected to develop a library and resource center that would provide possibilities for intellectual growth for this special population. Throughout the first six months of implementation, we were inspired by the awareness that mental health and patience can lead to the mastery of ordinary tasks and that needs and interests are the same regardless of developmental levels. This report is the story of our research, our frustrations, and our successful conclusion. A brief outline of our findings follows: 1. Little or no money is budgeted for media centers in either private or public institutions that cater to the mentally handicapped. 2. Grant money comes from the public sector. We found no private grants dedicated to this purpose. 3. While the most specialized material adaptable to developmentally disabled adults is high-interest/low-ability, it may not always be appropriate. Selectivity is essential to appropriate library development. 4. Very few publishers print material that covers subject matter of interest to retarded adults. 5. Training in the distribution and selection of material should have the benefit of a professional librarian's knowledge and experience. 6. Media centers for the handicapped should be model community environments, enhancing and expanding life skills which habilitate the clients. A crucial aspect is to normalize, humanize, and deinstitutionalize. 7. Technological advancements have increased the availability of information to the handicapped. Assistive devices are in a dynamic state of redevelopment. Page turners, mechanized wheel chairs, magnifiers, and innumerable other aids are changing the lives of the handicapped. The technology of microcomputers, exemplified by touch screens, allow for a wealth of physical and intellectual experiences heretofore unavailable. 8. Anyone currently entering the field of special library development focusing on adults with disabilities is a pioneer.
