TOWSON, MD—In an effort to supply children in low-income households with glasses for the coming school year, Baltimore County Public Library is once again partnering with the nonprofit Vision To Learn, which will visit 12 of our branches over the summer months. Children who step aboard the organization’s mobile vision clinic will receive free eye exams and if needed, new glasses of their choice.

It’s available for children 17 and under and all participants will need to be able to identify and verbalize basic shapes during the eye exam. If glasses are required, an eye examination is provided by a licensed optometrist. The child will then be able to choose from a large selection of frames. The eyeglass order will be processed and the new eyeglasses will arrive within 2 to 3 weeks. Parents will be notified when the glasses are available.

“We are delighted to offer this partnership with Vision To Learn for another year. Children who cannot see well, cannot learn, and at Baltimore County Public Library we are directly addressing the inequities that get in the way of residents’ ability to succeed and thrive. Providing free eyeglasses to children who need them is just another way the Library continues to serve the community,” said Baltimore County Public Library Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine.

Vision To Learn will visit the following branches and appointments are available between 9 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Each appointment is 10 to 15 minutes, which includes an exam, glasses selection, and equipment cleaning between patients.

Last fall, Johns Hopkins University revealed the results of a groundbreaking study showing the impact of providing glasses to children at schools. Researchers say of the thousands of Baltimore children who participated in the study, “those with glasses did better in school and the impacts were greater than more costly measures such as lengthening the school day, providing computers, or creating charter schools.”