Bridging the Gap: A Digital Guide to ASL Books at Your Library

This year, Echo of Hands NJ visited more than ten public libraries across Bergen County to learn how well local library collections serve ASL learners and members of the Deaf community. We found that many libraries already had resources available, including books about American Sign Language and Deaf culture. At one library, we even met a Deaf staff member who could communicate directly with Deaf patrons through sign language.

Yet there was still a problem: discoverability.

Many ASL and Deaf culture-related books were placed in less visible areas of the library, sometimes in a distant corner or on a low shelf. The resources existed, but people could easily overlook them.

During one of my conversations with a librarian, I began thinking about how we could address this problem. In the modern 21st century, technology has become an important way people discover and access information. What if, instead of relying only on people physically finding these books on library shelves, we could make them easier to discover digitally?

That idea led me to create a digital guide to ASL and Deaf culture eBooks. The goal was simple: introduce people to resources they may not know exist and make existing library collections easier to find and use.

Borrow ASL eBooks in 2 Minutes

You can start exploring ASL and Deaf culture resources without even visiting the library.

1. Open the Libby app or visit your library's eBook webpage.

2. Search for “American Sign Language” or “Deaf culture.”

3. Log in with your library card to see the most accurate results.

4. Borrow a title and start reading immediately on your smartphone or tablet.

With eBooks, the resources are no longer limited to what someone happens to notice while walking through the library. They can be discovered from home, school, or anywhere else.

If you want to browse right now, you can check out the Bergen County Library System's ASL collection here: Bergen County Library System ASL eBooks.

This project is not a grand, sweeping campaign. It is a small guide designed to solve a small but meaningful problem: helping people find resources that are already there.

Echo of Hands NJ plans to continue building these small bridges and helping more people discover the resources that already exist in libraries across Bergen County. This campaign was conducted as a collaboration between Echo of Hands NJ and All About ASL. If you have questions or would like to find more ASL and Deaf culture resources, feel free to reach out to us.