Illinois Service Resource Center

10/13/2026

For our followers in and around Will County, check out this great program from the Forest Preserve District of Will County:
https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/event-calendar/birding-for-the-blind-and-visually-impaired-(10233)
During this Fall Migration period, it's the perfect time to get outside to hear birds heading south for the winter (and those like the cardinal pictured who spend the cooler months right here in Illinois).

10/19/2026: Join us as we bird by sound alone in this program geared toward the blind and visually impaired.

10/06/2026

ISRC: October 2026 Digital Update - https://mailchi.mp/6f056b7e0b29/isrc-october-2026-digital-update-13906181

10/01/2026

For today's , we offer you Wanda Hears the Stars. As Hispanic Heritage Month and World Blindness Awareness Month come together in October, this is the perfect book about innovation, resilience and empowerment to share with young people.

Wanda Diaz Merced is a real life astrophysicist and computer scientist who was raised in Puerto Rico. When she saw her first meteor shower, she wanted to learn all she could about stars. When she started losing her sight in college, she realized that a career in astronomy was going to be challenging, but she refused to change her course. Eventually, Wanda found a way to turn the images she struggled to SEE into soundwaves she could HEAR.

Check out Wanda Hears the Stars and other great books and resources at the ISRC Library: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
(if prompted the Library Name is "ISRC Library" - no password is required)

09/28/2026

For we are featuring the classic kids' game Hedbanz ✨ It's so important for kids to acquire and practice rich language. In a fun and silly way, Hedbanz gets kids to ask all kinds of questions to answer "What Am I?"

The ISRC Library has lots of games, videos, and resources, along with nearly 3000 books. Check out our library today!

09/24/2026

Our today is The Words in my Hands by Asphyxsia. An awesome coming of age teen read about identity and deaf culture and standing up for what you believe in. Besides being an engrossing story about a not too distant dystopian Australia, the book is also a beautiful read with fascinating pages that feel like peeking into someone's journal.

Smart, artistic, and independent, sixteen year old Piper is tired of trying to conform. Her mom wants her to be "normal," to pass as hearing, to get a good job. But in a time of food scarcity, environmental collapse, and political corruption, Piper has other things on her mind--like survival. Piper has always been told that she needs to compensate for her Deafness in a world made for those who can hear. But when she meets Marley, a new world opens up--one where Deafness is something to celebrate, and where resilience means taking action, building a community, and believing in something better.

You can check the book out through the ISRC Library's online catalog https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
(if prompted, the Library Name is "ISRC Library" no password is required).

09/22/2026

Great opportunity to see this amazing museum and library! There will be free admission and interpreters on September 27 in honor of International Day of the Deaf!

09/22/2026

It's

This is a week to bring awareness to how 🐾PAWESOME🐾 Deaf Dogs are. That they are fully trainable, lovable, and social pets. Deaf Dogs can do everything that other dogs can do except hear. It’s estimated there are about 35,000 dogs in the United States who are deaf in both ears.

Our Librarian, Mary Kay, has an English Setter, Stanley (pictured below), who was born deaf. Stanley watches Mary Kay and her family closely and responds to many hand signs. He is energetic and snuggly and so so smart.

Here in the ISRC Library we have a number of books sharing how wonderful deaf dogs are. Check out these great titles today:
- I Deaf-initely Can & We Deaf-initely Can by Karlie Waldrip
- Deafinitely Awesome: The Story of Acorn by Timy Sullivan
- Piglet Comes Home & Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf Blind Pink Puppy and His Family both by Dr. Melissa Shapiro
https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
No account is needed to browse or use our library catalog. If you are prompted to log in, enter the library name: "ISRC Library." No password is required

09/21/2026

It's ⏰ Did you know that the ISRC Library has ✨Bed Shaker Alarm Clocks✨ that can be checked out? Especially as older students begin to practice more independence, this tool can help kids with hearing loss and kids on the autism spectrum build great morning routines ☀

Check out our Library Catalog at:
https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
(If prompted, the Library Name is "ISRC Library" - no password is necessary)

09/17/2026

Today's are the books on our features table highlighting Deaf Authors. This is just a small selection of the books in the ISRC Library written by authors who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind. During Deaf Awareness Month, why not check out a book written by a Deaf Author?

You can easily search the Library Catalog for Deaf Authors and Illustrators. View the ISRC Library Catalog at: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
(if prompted the Library Name is ISRC Library, no password is necessary)