Answers to Go with Susan Smith

Q. A friend recommended I try the dyslexic font option on my eBook reader. It does look quite a bit different. Have you tried it? Do you like it?

A. Even though I am not dyslexic, I do like that font. I prefer it in the evening when my eyes are tired.

San Marcos Public Library cardholders can check out eBooks from home. At this point, our Central Texas Digital Consortium offers more than 17,000 eBooks with access through OverDrive, Inc. Simply download the free Libby or Overdrive app for libraries.

These eBooks can be read on eReaders like Amazon Kindle as well as iPads and Android tablets, smart phones and computers. Most of these devices give you a choice of font style and size. Many devices, but not all, include fonts designed for dyslexic readers. If you would like help, just stop by the library.

Why was a special typeface needed for people with dyslexia? Christian Boer, a dyslexic himself, designed the Dyslexie typeface. It features a heavier, clear baseline which prevents letters from being turned upside down.

The shape of each letter is adjusted slightly; for example, "b" is not an exact mirror image of "d." Some Dyslexie font letters have longer sticks and the "n" and "h" are more clearly different, etc. (Source: DyslexieFont.com). OpenDyslexic is another similar font.

On the other hand, the British Dyslexia Association recommends plain, evenly-spaced sans serif fonts. Examples include Arial, Comic Sans, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet.

This article has referred to sans serif — without serif — fonts. The San Marcos Daily Record uses both serif and sans serif fonts. I pulled a copy of the Sunday, Feb. 23 newspaper and found both serif and sans serif fonts. The “Answers to Go” headline and text of my column are both in a font with serif. The “Community Calendar” headline is sans serif, as is a lot of the print in the advertisements on this page.

Compare the "R" in “Answers to Go” to the "R" in the “Community Calendar” headline. The fine line at the bottom of the "R" in "Answers To Go" shows that it is a serif font. On the other hand, the "R" in the "Community Calendar" headline is san serif.

Why choose one over the other? Serif fonts are more traditional while sans serif fonts seem simpler and more modern. Why not check out one of our eBooks and try several fonts to see which you prefer? Remember you can also change the font size on your eReader.

Researchers seem to be divided on whether these dyslexic fonts help readers diagnosed with dyslexia. For further reading, I recommend our TexShare databases, especially the Ebsco ERIC index to full-text educational research. For a quick introduction to the subject, Wikipedia’s article “OpenDyslexic” may be helpful.

Both our eBook collection and traditional book collection grow each month. We’ve been buying traditional books for many years. At this time, the San Marcos Public Library has almost 153,00 books for adults and children.

While I generally prefer traditional books, I do read eBooks late in the evening and when I travel.