.MARSHALL, Minn. (AP) – Professor Lloyd White, who teaches German at Southwest Minnesota State University, has donated his vast collection of German Braille books to the Library of Congress.

White’s books will be part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped collection in the Library of Congress.

White, who is blind, said he had gathered many Braille books throughout the years and a fellow professor asked if he was going to clean out the office where he kept three big cases of books.

“It is my collection of German literature,” White said. It consisted of many of the works of Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Hebbel, Grillparzer and others.

At first, White thought about donating the books to the SMSU Library.

“Lloyd called us and asked if we wanted to have his books,” said SMSU librarian Sandra Fuhr. “He had apparently decided he didn’t want to take the books home.”

But Fuhr said she thought the books needed a different home where they would get more use.

“She, bless her heart, sent out letters to our (state) library for the blind and they suggested the Library of Congress division of the Library for the Blind,” White said.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped administers a free library program of Braille and audio items to eligible borrowers in the country by postage-free mail.

White said he gave about 160 Braille volumes to the National Library.

“I also gave them a 23-volume Braille dictionary,” White said. He kept the smaller dictionary, which only has 14 volumes.