Changes to Talking Book Topics

Beginning with the November/December 2009 issue, there will be some changes to your large-print Talking Book Topics catalog.


Inclusion of Digital Books

This issue will be the first to include digital books. Since the call number is the same for both the RC (cassette) and DB (digital) versions, the book will only be listed once.

Ex:
        Gardening Through Your Golden Years
        DB/RC 59683

This book is available in both formats.

Book Length

Talking Book Topics has previously listed how many cassettes are in each book. Since digital books are on one cartridge, this is being changed to total listening time. You can calculate how many cassettes are in the book based on this. Each cassette holds approximately six hours.

Ex:

        Gardening Through Your Golden Years
        DB/RC 59683 1 hour, 52 minutes

This book has one cassette.

Order Form Change

The order form in the back of the catalog will have a new look. NLS will remove the codes from the order form and only list the book information.

Ex:

          12345      __ DB __RC
          12346                  __RC

The first book is available in both formats, while the second is only available in RC.

Cover and Title

The cover of the catalog will change to a line-art image of a digital Talking Book. The title of the annual compliation will change from Cassette Books to Digital Talking Books Plus.

If you have any questions, please call the library at 1-800-531-2063.

Woman Regains Vision After Procedure

Sharron Thornton lost her sight after developing Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, an allergic reaction to a medication. The illness caused the cells in her eye to die and harden, with scar tissue damaging her cornea.

Nine years later, an unusual surgery restored her vision.

Ms. Thornton underwent osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis, a rare procedure which used one of her teeth placed in the eye socket to support a prosthetic lens.

The procedure has only been performed about 600 times, and some doctors find it to be too extreme.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/16/tooth.eye.vision/index.html

Banned Books Week

September 26 - October 3 is National Banned Books Week. During this week, many libraries celebrate our freedom to read and the First Amendment that protects our right to do so.


Many popular books have been challenged or banned. Some of these include:


The Great Gatsby - for language and sexual references

To Kill a Mockingbird - for language and racism

1984 - for sexual content and pro-Communism

The Lord of the Rings - for alleged Satanism

And Tango Makes Three - for homosexuality

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - for homosexuality, sexual content


Exercise your right to read! Call the Talking Book Center today and order your favorite book!

To read more about Banned Books Week, please visit the American Library Association website: www.ala.org/bbooks

Gene Therapy Corrects Color-Blindness in Monkeys

Researchers at the University of Washington have been working on gene therapy trials with spider monkeys to correct color-blindness. So far they have been able to cure two monkeys of red/green colorblindness using injections of viruses carrying the red photopigments. Five months after the injections, the monkeys are now able to see red.

The researchers believe if the gene injections are found safe, they will be on the road to correcting colorblindness in humans. They may also be able to correct other vision problems such as retina diseases.


To read the article, please visit
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32879284/ns/health-more_health_news/

Louis Braille Exhibit Comes to Atlanta

January 4, 2009 was the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth. He was the inventor of Braille, a written language developed for the blind consisting of raised dots.

To commemorate the event, the Louis Braille Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit has been crossing the country. This exhibit features a 20-panel display produced by the National Braille Press. The panels are in both Braille and print, and teach not only about Louis Braille but also the language he left behind.

This event will make a stop at the Atlanta History Center from October 5-30, 2009. Don't miss it!

www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/louis/louis_tour.html

Self-Refractive Glasses Bring Vision to Many

Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford, has invented a pair of eyeglasses that the wearer can adjust. The glasses are filled with silicon oil, which acts as lens. The more oil in the glasses, the stronger the "prescription".

These glasses are currently being distributed in Ghana, where there is approximately 1 optometrist per 1,000,000 people. The majority of people who need glasses will never have the opportunity to visit an eye doctor.

The cost is about $19 per pair, which is still too high to produce all the necessary glasses. However, the technology may lead to cheaper and more stylish glasses being produced and distributed worldwide.


www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/16/liquid.glasses.self.refraction/index.html

Upcoming Senior Expo

Please plan to join the Northeast Georgia Senior Provider Network for our fall Senior Expo in October!

Senior Expo

Wednesday, October 14

9:00am - 1:00pm

Athens Classic Center

The expo will feature a variety of businesses and services geared specifically for senior adults and their families. There will also be a seminar on Medicare presented by the NEGA Area Agency on Aging at 10:30.

The expo will feature:

• FREE ADMISSION!


• 70 vendors including hospice, hospitals, medical care, government services, assisted living, memory care, referral services, financial planning, and MORE!


• Medicare seminar


• Health screenings


• Door prizes

FREE parking will be provided as well as shuttle service from the parking lot to the event site!

For more information, please visit www.athensseniornetwork.com/events or call the Talking Book Center at 706-613-3655.

Gwinnett Co. Digital Presentations

Our next digital presentations will be this Friday, September 25, in Gwinnett County. Come by and try out the new players!

10:30am - Duluth Public Library

12:30pm - Snellville Public Library

All Philadelphia Public Libraries Closing October 2

The Free Library of Philadelphia announced that due to a lack of funding, all of their branches will close on October 2, 2009.


All classes, programs, and outreach will cease on that date, and the building will no longer be operational. The closure will last until funding is restored to the library.


http://libwww.freelibrary.org/closing/

http://consumerist.com/5358416/philadelphia-to-close-all-public-libraries-october-2nd

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32845892/

Transportation Needs in Oconee County

The Athens-Banner Herald published a story this weekend about the lack of public transportation in Oconee County. This is extremely important for the visually and physically handicapped residents of Oconee who may have no other transportation options.

While the county currently only provides a van transportation service for the elderly, Athens-based Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living is hoping to receive funding to provide transportation for their clients in a 10-county area. They hope to have the service in place by next year.

www.onlineathens.com/stories/091209/new_492296668.shtml

Gwinnett Heat Adds Handball to Line-Up

Gwinnett Heat, Gwinnett County's adapted sports team, is adding handball to their list of activities. The team now has 11 members who are learning how play handball.

The game will be played in wheelchairs, although some of the team members do not use wheelchairs full time. The first game is this Saturday, at BHL Middle School in Athens.

Read the article and watch the practice video at this link:

www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=37&ArticleID=64444

Booklist Online Article

Booklist Online recently featured an article about all the sources of free audio books including NLS Talking Books, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, the Center for Applied Special Technology, Bookshare, and more.

The article gives a history of each organization as well as relative links. This is a good source for anyone looking for different book venues.

www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3745191

First Shipment of Digital Machines Goes Out!!

We have just put the first shipment of 12 digital book players in the mail to patrons!

Each player will come in a cardboard box, just like the cassette player. When you open the box you will find written and Braille instructions, as well as a copy of our Digital Policies. The player is wrapped in Styrofoam and plastic wrap. Please keep the wrappings to use for returning your player when it needs repair!

Remember you can also access the built-in User Guide for instructions on operating the digital player. This can be found on the standard machine by pressing and holding the green play/stop button and on the advanced machine by pressing the "info" button. Press and hold the button again to exit the user guide.

Each patron who receives a digital player is also being signed up for digital books on an auto-select basis.


Here are our Digital Policies, which will be found in the digital player box:

• Patrons may have 2 digital books checked out at a time. This limit will increase as our supply of books increases.
• Patrons must return digital books before more will be sent.
• Digital books must be returned within 1 month.
• Excessively lost or damaged digital books will result in suspension of digital service until all other patrons have been served.
• Evidence of damage, negligence, or misuse of digital books or equipment will result in suspension of digital services until all other patrons have been served.
• TBC will not notify individual patrons before players are sent out.

If you have any questions about the digital players or if you would like to add your name to the sign-up sheet for one, please call the TBC at 1-800-531-2063 or 706-613-3655.

ILA Offers Blank Digital Cartridges

When the new digital players are distributed, patrons will have the opportunity to use the BARD program to download additional books to use on their digital machines. In order to do this, patrons will need to download onto an external memory source and then plug that into the digital player.

One option for this external memory source is blank digital cartridges. Independent Living Aids is offering blank cartridges for sale to the public. These cartridges will be reusable and compatible with ANSI/NISO, Daisy, and MP3 formats. You will need to purchase a USB cable to use the cartridges.

Here is the press release from Independent Living Aids:

In a coordinated effort with the Library of Congress, we at independent living aids, LLC (ila) are excited to offer all network libraries of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH) and their patrons blank Digital Talking Book Cartridges (DTBC) required for playing books on the new Digital Talking Book Player.

Like those offered by the NLS/BPH, these cartridges have an asymmetric USB fitting and a pull ring to enable easy insertion and removal by those who are blind or low vision. However, these additional blank cartridges are NOT write-protected and are meant to be used and re-used for downloading books directly to any computer via the NLS, Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website at https://nlsbard.loc.gov/.

With over 20,000 Talking Books available in the new digital format, you now have a source for blank cartridges for your patrons and for your own duplication use. Currently, cartridges are offered in 1GB of memory space with 2GB capacity becoming available in early 2010. In addition, ila offers the USB cable needed for downloading books to the computer from the NLS BARD website. With a blank
cartridge and the USB cord, your patrons are just a few clicks away from listening to their favorite book.

Unlike the brown cartridges delivered by NLS, these new DTBCs are green. While the USB cord must be purchased once to facilitate downloading these cartridges, subsequent cartridges can be purchased separately. Please click here (PDF; 10MB) to see more images and specifications.

independent living aids, LLC is the oldest privately-held mail order company in the United States offering products for individuals who are low vision or blind. With over 30 years of experience providing essential aids with superb service, ila has become a trusted source for the blind and low vision community locally, nationally and to over 30 countries worldwide. All the items are carefully selected, quality products at reasonable prices. Helping customers remain independent is the goal and every item offered is chosen with that objective in mind.
===============================================================
independent living aids, LLC
200 Robbins Lane, Jericho, NY 11753
Web: http://www.independentliving.com/
E-mail: techsupport@independentliving.com
Phone: 800-537-2118 Fax: 516-937-3906

Choice Magazine Available Through BARD

For patrons using the NLS BARD program, Choice magazine would like to remind you they are available as a download.

Here is a copy of their press release:

CHOICE MAGAZINE NOW FREE AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FROM NLS

Reconnect with an old friend or meet a new one – CHOICE Magazine Listening is available for free digital download from the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Produced six times a year, each issue contains unabridged works from quality publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, and the New Yorker.

The articles, short stories, poetry and interviews are selected from more than 100 magazines and other periodicals. The selections are read by professional voice talent from the studios of the American Foundation for the Blind in New York. The recording is human voice, not synthetic text-to-speech.

CHOICE Magazine Listening is available free of charge only to people who are blind, experiencing vision loss or have other disabilities that limit or prevent reading standard print.

CHOICE continues to be released on four-track cassette tape for those who prefer that format. website: www.choicemagazinelistening.org or calling toll-free
1-888-724-6423. Information on the digital download from NLS at: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/cgi-bin/nlsbardprod/index.cgi or contacting a local NLS cooperating library located usually in state capitals in the US.

Blind People Dreaming

MentalFloss.com has an interesting article about the different kinds of dreams that sighted, blind from birth, and blinded later in life people have. They concluded that however you experience life translates into your dreams, leading to the amount of visual imagery in your dreams.

To read the article, please visit www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/33049

Holy Bible Available in Digital Format

Many Talking Books patrons request the Bible on cassette, and have asked if it will be available digitally.

NLS announced today they are rerecording the entire King James version of the Bible, combining RC 40842 (The Old Testament) and RC 40843 (The New Testament). This is the popular version narrated by Alexander Scourby. This combined Bible will be available on ONE flash cartridge under the number DB 68777. The recording will be navigable by testament, book, and chapter.

The RC version will continue to be available.

The Future of Libraries

CNN.com posted an interesting article today about the future of libraries as we move into an increasingly technological age. Libraries are adapting to incorporate new technologies and ideas, and becoming more of an idea-gathering place than a book warehouse.

The article also touches on the funding problems many libraries are currently experiencing. Lack of funds may mean some libraries can't provide the technology advances needed to keep up with demand or may become privatized.

To read the article, please visit www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/04/future.library.technology/index.html

AudioVision Suspends DVS Production October 1

The following is an email from AudioVision, a source for described movies:

Dear AudioVision customer,

This is to inform you that as of October 1, 2009 AudioVision will be suspending production and sale of described movies to libraries and blind consumers.

This halt to the production and distribution of described movies is necessary as our parent organization – The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. – rationalizes and reorganizes our business and charitable undertakings.

Until further notice of resumption in production customers will be unable to order new titles or replacements for AudioVision DVDs or CDs.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to working with you again soon.

John Harris
AudioVision
1-866-297-7623

Reminders

There will be no Cinema Classics program for September, but please join us September 22 at 3:00pm in the Athens-Clarke Co. Library Auditorium for our Family Day at the (Described) Movies.

Also, the Talking Book Center will be closed this coming Monday, September 7, for Labor Day. Remember to get in your book orders now so you will have plenty to read this holiday weekend!