READ ON! Spring, 2008

A Newsletter of Accessibility Services from The Louisville Free Public Library

"A book can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” From Madeline L. Engle’s Newberry acceptance speech for A Wrinkle in Time, 1963 

Digital Talking Books Update

The National Library Service is in the midst of conducting a download pilot program for readers to test Digital Talking Books (DTB).  It is now open to all Talking Book readers who have high-speed Internet access and compatible digital players.  This program is called BARD, which stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download.  Talking Book Libraries won’t receive their first digital players until late 2008, and the full conversion to digital format will take several years. 

If you cannot wait to get an NLS machine, you can buy a DTB player from a commercial source and use it to download digital Talking Books.  Currently the only player on the market that will be compatible with the NLS flash cartridges is the VictorReader Stream from the company Human Ware, which sells for $329.  For more information on the VictorReader Stream, please consult the Human Ware website: http://www.humanware.com.  Once you have your own DTB player, you can apply for the BARD program at http://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb.

LTBL would like to remind its readers that our cassette players will still be in use for years to come.  Most of the collection of older books and all of the magazine titles will be available only on cassette for the foreseeable future.  Therefore, even if you receive a digital player next year, you will need to keep your cassette player, as well.  Look for more updates on the conversion to digital players in future editions of READ ON and Talking Book Topics. 

NOTE:  Two additional devices can now be used to read downloadable audio materials from NLS:

• The LevelStar Icon is a portable device for the visually impaired that gives you access to all of your contacts, documents, and media on the go.  Icon, with its 40 GB hard drive, can store thousands of documents and audio files.   Icon users are now able to download NLS books directly using the Icon's powerful web browser and its wireless connection, and play and navigate them using Icon's Bookshelf.  To learn more about the Icon and its support for NLS content, please visit www.levelstar.com, or call 1-800-315-2305, or send email to info@levelstar.com.
• American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.'s Braille Plus Mobile Manager is a hand held, accessible tool that combines entertainment and productivity into one device small enough to easily fit into a pocket or purse.  With its large hard drive, the Braille Plus stores dozens of books at a time, and with its built-in web browser, the user can download and read any of the NLS DTB collection without having to use a computer at all.  For complete information about the Braille Plus, please see www.aph.org/tech/pda_info.htm.

Current owners of these devices are just a free software upgrade away from adding the ability to download and read NLS talking books and magazines.

Remember, to authorize any new device for download, just go to the download site's home page, choose "Update my settings," and then choose "Add a new player."

Librarian’s Corner – Recommended Reads

• RC 62252   One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith.   A day-to-day account of 1960’s life in Alaska’s Twin lakes region based on the journals of Dick Proenneke, a retired mechanic and carpenter who set out to build a wilderness homestead.
• RC 64409  The Stories of Mary Gordon by Mary Gordon.  Forty-two tales by the award-winning writer.  In City Life, a New York wife and mother haunted by childhood dysfunction withdraws after a confrontation with a neighbor.  Includes Death in Naples, Now I Am Married, and other pieces that challenge assumptions about family, self, life and mortality.
• RC 64972  Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself  by Alan Alda.  The actor recounts how he nearly died in Chile.  He muses about what is really important and examines the turning points in his life.  Follow up to RC 60651.
• RC 64633  The Wedding Bargain by Agnes Turnbull.  Thirty year old secretary Eliza Hanford’s boss proposes a marriage of convenience.  Liza agrees, and the arrangement is a success until her husband is wrongly accused of murder.  As the criminal trial progresses, Dan and Eliza realize how much they truly love each other. Written in 1966.
• RC 55882 Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton   Former First Lady’s memoir of eight years in the White House.  Discusses how she and President Bill Clinton faced political opposition, legal challenges, personal tragedies and the scandal of the Lewinsky case.  Bestseller, 2003.
• RC 60907 Character is Destiny by John McCain   Republican Senator from Arizona profiles heroes of exemplary character.
• RC 63126 The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama   Democratic Senator from Illinois details his ideas to improve the country.  Discusses American values, the U.S. Constitution, religion, globalization and other subjects of interest to voters.  2006.
• RC 28047  All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum   Thoughts and observations on the joy of life.

Patron in Good Standing Policy

A patron in good standing is different from an active patron.  An active patron is one whose service has not been cancelled.  A patron in good standing is one whose record shows they actively use the service and can be relied on to follow LTBL policy by returning items on time and in good condition.  Remember:  It’s not too late to become a patron in good standing!  You can begin by returning your books within the thirty-day loan period.

It is likely that a patron’s standing will be taken into consideration when assigning new digital talking book players as they become available.  It may take 4-6 years for every patron to receive one, so this equipment will be in high demand during that time.  All patrons should strive to maintain good standing, but those who are interested in receiving digital equipment are especially encouraged to do so.

The following is the Louisville Talking Book Library’s policy defining a patron in good standing.

• Current Status
  • The patron is currently registered with LTBL and has checked out and promptly returned at least 1 book in the past 6 months.
  • The patron has no record of inactivity for the past year.
  • The patron may be Magazine Only status with at least 1 magazine subscription other than those for catalogs and newsletters.
• Overdues
• Overdues are defined as Braille and recorded books checked out longer than 1 month, plus a 1-week grace period.  DVS/DVD movies are overdue if checked out longer than 2 weeks, plus a 3-day grace period.
• The patron currently has no overdue items.
• The patron has a record of no more than 1 instance of overdues in the last year, and that instance does not comprise more than 25% of the patron’s total circulation.
• Lost Items -
• Lost items are defined as those the patron claims to have returned, as well as those that were never returned.
• The patron has a record of no more than 1 instance of lost items in the past year, and that instance does not comprise more than 25% of the patron’s total circulation.
• Damaged Books -
• Damaged books are defined as those with broken tapes, broken cases, missing tapes, or incorrect tapes.
• Normal use often results in damaged books, so LTBL generally does not record them on patron records.
• Blatant negligence or vandalism will be noted on patron records and repeated occurrences will affect patron standing.
• Machines -
• Damaged machines are defined as those that show signs of destruction beyond reasonable wear and tear, or are so filthy they must be disposed of.  Infested machines are those returned with live or dead insects.
• The patron has only 1 machine on loan.
• The patron has no record of lost, damaged, or infested machines in the past 5 years.

Author Series at the Louisville Free Public Library

The library is sponsoring a lecture series featuring some well-known authors, who are listed below.  These events are open and free to the public.  For tickets, call 574-1644.

• Andrew Ferguson, April 10th, 7:30 p.m. discusses his newest book, Land of Lincoln.  The book is a hilarious, offbeat tour of Lincoln shrines, cabins, museums that explores America’s love-hate relationship with our 16th President.
• Philip Shenon, April 22nd, 7 p.m.  The Commission:  The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.  Discusses startling new information about the inner workings of the 9/11 commission and its relationship with the Bush White House.
• Kevin Phillips, May 8, 7 p.m.  A political and economic contributor to the Los Angeles Times discusses his book Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism.
• Lauren Weisberger, May 29th, 7 p.m.  Author of The Devil Wears Prada discusses her newest novel Chasing Harry Winston, the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives, and change them fast.
• Omar Tyree, July 23rd, 7 p.m.  A New York Times bestselling author discusses his latest book, Pecking Order, a classic urban novel.
• David Maraniss, August 4th, 7 p.m.  This Pulitzer prize winning journalist is the editor of The Washington Post.  He discusses his newest book, Rome 1960:  The Olympics that Changed the World.

Technology and Human Resource Fair

Celebrate the spring, your skills & abilities for the possibilities of helping others, and technology on the Job! OnWednesday, May 21st 2008, the Office for the Blind invites you to a Technology and Human Resources Fair inconjunction with the Gateways to Employment Workshop program for college juniors and seniors. All blind & visually impaired citizens, their families and professionals are welcome. Vendors for Freedom Scientific, Humanware, the American Printing House for the Blind & more will talk about technology on the job and show some new devices and software. Representatives from a cross-section of volunteer organizations will be there to share possible volunteer opportunities too! Explore your possibilities! If you work for free, you might discover a new career, get paid for something you love, and receive the benefit of helping others. The Fair will be held Wednesday, May 21st 2008, at the Charles W. McDowell Center, 8412 Westport Road, Louisville, KY  40242 from 1:00-4:00 pm.  Light refreshments will be provided. For more information call Buffa Hanse at 502-429-4460 and ask for her to be paged.

American Council of the Blind National Convention

The ACB will hold its 47th Annual National Convention July 4th-12th, 2008 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY.  Highlights include exhibits of adaptive technology, workshops on various topics of interest, general sessions offering information on current affairs and a youth activity center.  This is a great opportunity for networking with others who share similar concerns.  For more information, visit the ACB website at www.acb.org or call 1-800-424-8666

Useful Websites for Assistive Technology

If you're connected to the Internet and don't have a screenreader handy--say, you're at your friend's house--you can go on this site and voila! you can have a screenreader without having to download any software.  For more details, check out the following link Accessibility is a Right. For all sorts of tutorials and information about technology, and just plain fun try BlindCoolTech.com.

Louisville Free Public Library On-Line Databases

The Library offers a full suite of on-line resources for your use.  All you need is your LFPL library card.  If you don’t have a current library card, call 574-1625 and we can help you obtain one. These databases are arranged by subject, and contain valuable information.  For example, under the heading Legal Forms, you can access all sorts of documents, from tax forms to rental agreements.  If you want to learn more about these products and other databases that are available, visit our Research Tools pages.

National Library Service Website and Databases

The National Library Service and The Library of Congress website offers a wide range of on-line resources.  Try the two sample links listed below, and see if you agree.  These are wonderful resources that will provide high quality information for both pleasure or educational purposes that are available for your use and enjoyment.  We urge you to take a look if you haven’t before.

• Library of Congress for Kids and Families
• America's Story from America's Library

Employment Resources for Persons with Disabilities

• Vocational Rehabilitation
  410 E. Chestnut, Louisville, KY  40202  595-4173
  Assists with job readiness and job search issues, accommodations, and other issues relating to obtaining employment. 
• NIA Center, One Stop Career Centers 
  2900 W. Broadway, Louisville, KY  574-3700
  Assists with employment training and issues, transportation and other services. 
• Dress For Success
  309 Guthrie Street, Louisville, KY  40202  584-8050
  Job interview suits; Professional Women’s Group, designed to enhance social and business skills for job retention and advancement in the workplace.  Must have a referral from Vocational Rehab to visit.
• First Impressions Suit Closet For Men
  Center for Accessible Living, 305 W. Broadway, #200, Louisville, KY  40202  589-6620
  Note:  Must have a referral from Voc. Rehab, but disability is not a requirement for assistance.  Job interview suits by appointment only. 
• Canaan Community Development Corporation
  2840 Hikes Lane, Louisville, KY  40218  776-6369
  Employment program; provides job search assistance.
• Office of Employment and Training (OET)
  600 W. Cedar, Louisville, KY  40202 595-4165
  Job leads provision and other assistance pertaining to employment search.  
• Office For The Blind, Charles McDowell Center
  8412 Westport Road, Louisville, KY  40242  429-4460
  

Important Items to Remember

Louisville Talking Book Library
301 York Street
Louisville, KY 40203
502-574-1625
Hours:  Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

We want you to enjoy Talking Books.  Your Reader’s Advisor will tailor your service to suit your needs.  She will be happy to assist you in any way possible.  Please do not hesitate to call on us for any of the following:

• to make book requests
• with any questions or problems
• whenever your name, address, or telephone number changes
• to temporarily stop service
• if you want to change the types of books you get, or the number of books you receive
• when you have problems with books or machines
• if you want to change the format of your newsletters or catalogs

• to cancel your service

Include your name, address, and telephone number on all correspondence, request lists, e-mails, and telephone messages.  We frequently receive request lists with no name and no way to identify the sender. 

Please return each book as soon as you finish it.  The maximum loan period is 30 days.

Remember to rewind all movies and cassette tapes before returning them.

Mark an “X” on the mail card of any defective book.  Do not mark on the cassette.

Take care of all cassette books, Braille books, and cassette players; keep them free of food, liquids, dust, and debris.

In providing information to readers of READ ON, the Louisville Talking Book Library does not endorse any product or service referred to in this newsletter.

This newsletter is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Service sand Technology Act as administered by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives.

Sponsored by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, an Agency of the Education Cabinet.