TBC Closed Friday

The Talking Book Center will be closed this Friday, January 1 for the New Year's holiday. Call now to get your books for the long weekend!

Digital Book Automatic Selection

The Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped's newsletter, Bright Future has a good article about digital book autoselection. Below is part of their newsletter, which can be found at: www.library.state.ok.us/bright/

For Those with New Digital Players…



As I write this article, we have received and mailed out 282 of the new digital talking book machines (DTBMs). We have also tried sending out digital books (DBs) to everybody with those players. However, some of you are returning those first books and then not getting new ones to replace them, right? Here’s why--many of you have just a few subject codes on your patron records, Westerns being far and away the most popular. We currently have one copy of a digital western on the shelf. Our computer system is going to look every night to see if a book in one of your preferred subjects is available, just like it does with cassette books, but if there are none on the shelf, it can’t select a book for you.

Here’s what you can do about it. If you haven’t received a new book in a few days, call us! Ask to speak to a reader advisor. We will be happy to help you look at what books ARE available and select some for you, maybe even building up your digital request file. We are getting more and more new titles in every day, but until we build that collection up, don’t just depend on books showing up. Get involved and give your reader advisor a call!

Also, we have received calls about our cassettes and digital cartridges. Cassettes will not play in the digital players. Only cartridge books will play in them. And cartridge books will not play on a cassette player.

--Julia Alderson, Administrative Librarian

This is also true for our Talking Book patrons. If you have a new digital player (although we have sent out far less than Oklahoma!) and you are not receiving digital books as you return them, please contact us so we can make sure you get some books. You can also download books from the BARD website to play on your digital machine.

Happy Holidays!

Just a reminder the Talking Book Center will be closed this Thursday and Friday due to Christmas. Hope everyone has a restful holiday weekend!

Problem with Braille "Conundrum" Magazine

If you are a TBC patron who subscribes to the Braille edition of "Conundrum" magazine, please be aware there was a problem with the November issue. The cover is correct, but the pages are of a computer magazine. The distributor will be resending the correct issue.

TBC Holiday Schedule

The Talking Book Center will be closed Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 of this week. We will also be closed next Friday, January 1. Call early to order your books for the long weekends!

Diskette TBT and BBR Discontinued

NLS is discontinuing the computer diskette version of Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review due to low demand and increasing costs. These publications are still available in the following formats:

• large print
  
• cassette
  
• embossed Braille (BBR)
  
• online at www.loc.gov/nls/tbt (TBT)
  
• online at www.loc.gov/nls/bbr (BBR)
  
• BARD download
  
• Web Braille at www.loc.gov/nls/braille/mags/bb.html (BBR)
  

If you need to make changes to your subscriptions, please call the Talking Book Center at 1-800-531-2063.

Sources for Braille and LP 2010 Calendars

Information from the NLS Reference Section:

2010 Calendars

Listed below are organizations that produce calendars in braille,
print/braille, or large print.


American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
800-223-1839
(502) 899-2274 fax
info@aph.org
www.aph.org/products/index.html
Accepts orders by fax, mail, or telephone.

Braille DateBook calendar in a two-ring binder. Calendar has tabbed pages of durable plastic. Catalog no. 1-07899-10, $66.
Calendar replacement pages, catalog no. 1-07898-10, $16.
Filler paper and extra tabs, catalog no. 1-07897-00, $10.

Large-print/braille (36 point) 8-1/2 x 11-inch APH InSights Art Calendar. Includes holidays and moon phases. Features selected art from the APH juried competition. Catalog no. 5-18971-10, $7.50.

Large-print (60 point) E-Z track Calendar low-vision calendar and appointment book in a three-ring binder. Each page enumerates and holds space for four days of the month, with room for notes. Calendar with binder, catalog no. 1-07900-10, $32.50. Inserts only, catalog no. 1-07910-00, $28.50.

Large-print/braille everyday activities calendar in a three-ring binder with color dividers between each month, two days per page. Calendar can be used year after year. For children ages three to eight. Catalog no. 1-08121-00, $60.

Large-print/braille individual calendar kit. Kit contains two brightly colored embossed bold-line grid sheets for making individual month-at-a-glance calendar. Catalog no. 18971-00, $18.



Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB)
919 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 627-0600, ext. 3242
(617) 922-0692 fax
lscarpa@asb.org
www.asb.org
Accepts requests by e-mail or telephone.

Large-print (42 point) month-at-a-glance desk calendar. Opens up to 11 x 17 inches. Includes space for notes or appointments. Free.



The Big Type Company
W136 N5265 Campbell Court
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
800-933-1711
(262) 783-6599 fax
bigtypeco@yahoo.com
www.bigtypeco.com
Accepts prepaid orders by mail, online, or telephone.

Large-print (42 point) month-at-a-glance desk calendar. Opens up to 11 x 17 inches. Includes space for notes or appointments. $11.50.



Cleveland Sight Center
Eye-dea Shop
1909 East 101st Street
P.O. Box 1988
Cleveland, OH 44106-8696
(216) 791-8118, ext. 4667
877-776-9563, ext. 4667
e-commerce@clevelandsightcenter.com
http://eyedeashop.com
Accepts orders by mail, online, or telephone.

Large-print wall calendar. Opens up to 17 x 22 inches. Includes a bold tip pen. Catalog no. 026-CA2010, $10.



The Lighthouse of Houston
Attn: Reflections, The Lighthouse Store
3602 West Dallas
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 284-8466
(713) 284-8451 fax
reflections@houstonlighthouse.org
www.houstonlighthouse.org
Accepts prepaid orders by fax, mail, online, or telephone.

Large-print (36 point) 11 x 17-inch wall calendar. Catalog no. 1400, $5.50.



Lutheran Blind Mission
Library for the Blind
Attn: Dave Andrus
7550 Watson Road
St. Louis, MO 63119-4409
888-215-2455
blind.mission@blindmission.org
www.blindmission.org
Accepts requests by e-mail, mail, or telephone.

Braille 8-1/2 x 11-inch scripture calendar. Features a Bible verse and raised picture each month. Also available as a large-print (21 point) 8 x 14-inch edition. Free.



Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund
3500 North Elm Road
Jackson, MI 49201
(517) 780-5096
(517) 780-5548 fax
http://mi-braille.org
Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, or telephone.

Large-print/braille 6-1/4 x 3-3/4-inch purse-size, spiral-bound calendar. Includes a separate listing of major holidays. Free.



National Braille Press
88 St. Stephen Street
Boston, MA 02115-4302
(617) 266-6160, ext. 20
800-548-7323
www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/2010POOH.html
Accepts orders online or by telephone.

Large-print/braille 12 x 12-inch wall calendar with Winnie the Pooh motif. Includes a sheet of one hundred and twenty full-color stickers of Pooh and his friends. $13.99.



National Federation of the Blind
Independence Market
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2216
(410) 685-2340 fax
IndependenceMarket@nfb.org
www.nfb.org
Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, mail, or telephone.

Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch calendar. Features one page per month, a personal day page, and a listing of major holidays. Catalog no. BBC10B, free.



National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress
Attn: Reference Section
Washington, DC 20542
(202) 707-9275
800-424-8567
nlsref@loc.gov
Accepts requests by e-mail or telephone.

Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch datefinder and signature guide. Covers a twelve-month period from July of the current year to June of the following year. Measures 5 x 3-1/2 inches. Free.



Olmsted Center for Sight
1170 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14209-0398
(716) 882-1025, ext. 4508 or 4560 or (716) 888-4500
(716) 882-5577 fax
cmyers@olmstedcenter.org or dgipson@olmstedcenter.org
www.olmstedcenter.org/Home/Programs/ResourceCenter
Accepts prepaid orders by mail.

Braille 5-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch desk calendar with two days per page and dividers for each month. $46.97. Refills, $38.99.



Sight Connection
9709 Third Avenue NE, #100
Seattle, WA 98115-2027
800-458-4888
(206) 525-0422 fax
csbstore@csbps.com
www.sightconnection.com
Accepts prepaid orders by fax, mail, or telephone.

Braille magnetic board calendar holds the days and months of the year in 1-inch tiles. Tiles are in braille and print with raised tactile numbers and letters. Includes extra tiles. Catalog no. PLU 809, $33.75.

Large-print spiral-bound calendar with 3/8-inch numbers in 2-inch squares. Each month includes a page for notes. Catalog no. PLU 434-10, $10.

Large-print desk or wall calendar. Opens up to 17 x 22 inches and features 1-inch numbers and room for notes on each number. Lists major holidays. Catalog no. PLU 437-10, $12.



Sioux Links Publishing
Attn: Customer Service
705 Eagle Run
Dell Rapids, SD 57022
888-201-5640
(605) 428-5110 fax
largeprintcalendar@yahoo.com
Accepts orders by e-mail, mail, online, or telephone.

Large-print monthly 11 x 17-inch wall calendar that opens up to 23 x 17-1/2 inches. $13.95.



Society for the Blind
Aids to Independence Store
2750 24th Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 452-8271, ext. 302
(916) 452-2622 fax
store@societyfortheblind.org
www.shopsftb.org/servlet/StoreFront
Accepts orders by e-mail, fax, mail, or telephone.

Braille 5-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch desk calendar with clipboard that shows two days per page. At the top of each page are the day of the week, date, and month. Catalog no. SKU 20-06-01, $65.95.

Large-print (72 point) appointment book calendar. Opens up to 11 x 17 inches. Catalog no. SKU 18-02-04, $11.

Large-print (72 point) 11 x 17-inch calendar that opens up to 22 x 17 inches. Catalog no. SKU 18-02-01, $11.

Retina Microchip Has Human Trial

A story on CNN in October featured a microchip that could be implanted in the retina to restore partial sight.

http://negatalkingbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/microchip-may-help-restore-vision.html

CNN.com now has the story of Barbara Campbell, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a progressive eye disease that destroys the retina cells. She is currently one of 14 people in the United States participating in a study of the new microchip.

To read her story, please visit www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/11/bionic.eye/index.html

Mac/BARD Compatibility Resolved

Here is a recent email from NLS regarding the issues BARD users were having when using Mac operating systems:

An update (version 2.1.3) of the digital player firmware is now available for download at http://www.loc.gov/nls/DTBM. Please refer to this web site for a comprehensive list of historical changes to digital player firmware.

Version 2.1.3 corrects an issue for patrons using the Apple Macintosh OSX operating system to download books from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD). OSX adds additional files (to the actual book files) that the player recognizes as a second book (although they are housekeeping files for OSX). The updated firmware ignores these files allowing Apple users to download files from BARD without having to do any corrective action.

If you are a Mac and BARD user, please refer to this firmware update in order to download your books.

Quadripalegic Becomes Rugby Star

Talbot Kennedy was a star athlete in high school, until a fall from a trampoline damaged his vertebra and left him paralyzed from the neck down. While recuperating at the Shepard Center, Kennedy joined the Smash Rugby team.

Kennedy is now one of the team's leaders and has learned many valuable life lessons through participating in the sport. To read his story, please visit
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/16/wheelchair.rugby/index.html

Multiple Choices Open House

Multiple Choices Independent Living Center will host an Open House this Friday. Drop by and tour the facility and see what resources they can offer you.

Multiple Choices Open House
December 11, 2009
11:30am - 6:00pm

850 Gaines School Rd Athens
706-549-1020
www.multiplechoices.us

Holiday Movie Program

Join the Talking Book Center Tuesday, December 8 for our Holiday Movie Program. Our Holiday Film will be the George C. Scott "A Christmas Carol", complete with audio descriptive narration. Please call the TBC at 706-613-3655 with any questions.

Holiday Descriptive Video
Tuesday, December 8
3:00pm
Athens-Clarke Co. Library Auditorium

Last Digital Demonstration!

This Friday is the last stop on our "Digital Demo Library Tour"! Come by the Toccoa-Stephens Co. Public Library this Friday, December 4, at 11:00am to see and try out the new digital player.

TBC staff is now available to schedule new presentations with the digital player. If you are a member or employee of an institution, business, group, or other organization and would like us to come and demonstrate the digital player, please call 1-800-531-2063. Presentations take about 30 minutes.

Council on Aging to Host Health Fair

The Athens Council on Aging will host a health fair at their Hoyt Street headquarters this Thursday, December 3. The fair will feature information on many health topics presented by the UGA Social Work students and the MCG Nursing students.

Health Fair
December 3
9am - 12pm
Athens Council on Aging

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/112909/new_529945955.shtml