Good Resource for Cozy Mysteries

Do you like "cozy mysteries"? These are mysteries that are usually lighter, and have much less gore and violence than thrillers. Some famous cozy mystery authors are Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton, Lilian Jackson Braun, and Carol Higgins Clark.

The website www.cozy-mystery.com is a great resource for finding new cozy mystery authors and series. Take a tour and see if any new authors sound interesting to you, then call us at the Talking Book Center to reserve the books. We can also help you find cozy mysteries you might enjoy!

Georgia Council of the Blind Event

Here is some information from the Georgia Council of the Blind about their "Aloha GCB" event:

GCB Council of the Blind

850 Gaines School Road

Athens, GA 30605

706- 208-7132

1-888-519-3988

“Aloha GCB”


REGISTRATION INFORMATION



WHEN: Saturday, August 13, 2011



WHERE: Carrollton Cultural Arts Center

251 Alabama Street

Carrollton, GA 30117



HOTEL: Jameson Inn, 700 South Park Street, Carrollton, GA 30117. Hotel reservations can be made now by calling (770) 834-2600 or toll free (800)526-3766. Be sure to tell them you are with the Georgia Council of the Blind to get the $81.75 (taxes included) per night. The hotel rate will allow up to 4 people per room. Check-in time at the hotel is 3:00 pm and the check-out time is 11:00 am. THE DEADLINE TO MAKE HOTEL RESERVATIONS IS July 12, 2011 to receive the reduced rate.



REGISTRATION INFORMATION: The registration fee this year is $20.00 before July 15th (postmarked) and $25.00 after July 15th. The cost of the Banquet this year is $25.00. You will be able to select your meal preference on the enclosed registration form (Please Also advise server of your specific meal preference). In order to reserve a Banquet meal, you must register before July 15th, 2011. After you have made all of your choices, total them up and put the total on the form. Make your check payable to



Georgia Council of the Blind; there is an addressed envelope for your convenience.



You can also register for the convention on-line. Go to http://georgiacounciloftheblind.org for more information.



REGISTRATION AT THE ONE-DAY EVENT:

Registration will be open at the event on the following dates and times.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12th FROM 5 PM TO 7 PM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13TH FROM 8 AM TO 9 AM



GCB 2011 One Day Event Tentative SCHEDULE:



Saturday August 13, 2011

8:00 - 9:00 Registration

9:00 - 9:15 Opening Remarks

9:15 - 10:45 Business Meeting

10:43 - 11:45 Scholarship Presentation

11:45 - 12:00 Break

12:00 - 2:00 Banquet at Little Hawaiian

Banquet Agenda

Welcome

Invocation

Acknowledgments

Introduction of Keynote Speaker

Keynote Address

Presentations

Closing Remarks

Adjournment

2:00 - 2:30 Break

2:30 - 3:30 Convention Site Presentation

3:30 - 4:30 Board Meeting

**schedule subject to change**

If you have additional questions or need any further information, feel free to contact us at the above contact information (top of page). The reigistration form and the menu are attached.



We look forward to seeing you in Carrollton!!

Purchasing Blank Digital Cartridges

If you use BARD to download Talking Books onto flash drives, you may have encountered errors with them. Sometimes you will hear "Cartridge Error" or "No book available". Other times, the book may start but then abruptly announce "end of book".

Many times these errors are because the software on the flash drive is not compatible with the NLS player. While flash drives are a choice for BARD storage, you may wish instead to purchase the NLS-designed blank cartridges and the USB connection cord.

Here are four places you can purchase blank cartridges:

1. American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH)
1839 Frankfort Avenue
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
(502) 895-2405
800-223-1839 (Toll-free customer service in the U.S. and Canada)
www.APH.org
Contact: Customer Service
cs@aph.org

2GB Cartridge: $12.00
USB Cable: $5.00
Free Shipping


2. Perkins Products
175 North Beacon St
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 972 7308
(617) 926 2027 (fax)
www.perkinsproducts.org Talking Book Accessories section
perkinsproducts@perkins.org

1GB Cartridge: $10.99
2GB Cartridge: $11.99
USB Cable: $5.00
Free Shipping


3. Howell Mobility Products
717 Louis Avenue
Royal Oak, MI 48067-4603
(248) 548-1788
(248) 548-1788 Fax (call first)
www.howellmobility.com
canes@howellmobility.com

2GB Cartridge: $11.00
USB Cable: $3.00
SHIPPING, HANDLING, AND SALES TAX CHARGES
Howell Mobility Products says: "Shipping and handling rates for small cable and cartridge orders are less than our normal rates. For shipping and handling within the U.S. add $3.00 for up to 10 items. For over 10 items, use the regular rates, which total %5 of your order with a $7.00 minimum. For shipping outside the U.S. please call us. MICHIGAN RESIDENTS please ADD 6% SALES TAX."


4. Vistas
Braille Institute
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 663-1111, Ext. 1245
(323) 663-0867 Fax
www.brailleinstitute.org

2GB Cartridge (order #21601): $15.95
USB Cable (order #2141): $7.95
Shipping charge of $8 per order. Customers outside California pay no state tax.



Cartridges can be loaded the same way flash drives are, and can be cleared and reused. If you have any questions about the cartridges, please call the Talking Book Center at 1-800-531-2063.

FDA Endorses New Vision Drug

The FDA has endorsed a new medication aimed at treating macular degeneration, which is one of the most common eye disorders. The new drug, Eylea, is given by injection.

A ruling is expected by mid-August.

This information came from the New York Times article found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/business/18bizbriefs-FDAPANELENDO_BRF.html?_r=1&ref=health.

Sending Mail to the Talking Book Center

Although the Talking Book Center is temporarily located at the Oconee Co. Library, please continue to send all mail to our address on Baxter Street in Athens. We have a courier service set up between the libraries, so we will get the mail you send to us.

Please DO NOT send us mail at the Oconee Co. Library address. The Oconee Co. Library has a post office box, and does not use the Experiment Station Road address to receive mail. Sending mail to this address may cause it to be returned to you or delayed.

All mail to the Talking Book Center should be sent to:

Talking Book Center
2025 Baxter St.
Athens, GA 30606

AssistiveMedia.org

AssistiveMedia.org is an internet-based audio reading service for those with visual and reading impairments. Below is a portion of an email from the Found and Editor-in-Chief:

Assistive Media is a nonprofit online reading service for people who are visually impaired. I am sending this email as a courtesy to invite you and your patrons to access our easy-to-use free service at www.AssistiveMedia.org

Through the blessings of the authors and publishers, we provide online (mp3) recordings of in-depth journalistic articles from popular periodicals such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper's and many others. All of this is free and we do not require memberships or accept advertising. We do this for the love of it.

Books are downloaded from the site www.assistivemedia.org. If you have any questions about the site, you can email them at: info@assistivemedia.org.

If You Like....Maeve Binchy

You might like books from these other writers:

• Rosamunde Pilcher
  
• Fern Michaels
  
• Phyllis Whitney
  
• Belva Plain
  
• Eugenia Price
  
• Anne Rivers Siddons
  
• Anne Tyler
  
• Joyce Carol Oates
  

Blind Student Turns Life Around

The Atlanta paper featured a profile on Dionicio Torres, a 20-year-old student who recently graduated with honors from Banneker High School in suburban Atlanta. Torres is legally blind, having lost his eyesight due to a gunshot wound to the head after a drug deal went badly. Torres has now turned his life around to be an inspiration to other students and wants to be a translator.

Read about Torres' story here: www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/finally-seeing-life-in-962755.html.

Author Lilian Jackson Braun Dies at 97

Lilian Jackson Braun, author of the popular "Cat Who..." series, has died at age 97. You can read about her life in a New York Times article.

Have you tried the "Cat Who..." books? Here they are, in order. Call the Talking Book Center at 1-800-531-2063 to order any you may have missed.

Books are available in the noted format: (C) cassette, (D) digital, or (B) downloadable from BARD.


The Cat Who....

(1) Could Read Backwards - 34788 (C)(B)

(2) Ate Danish Modern - 40270 (C)(B)

(3) Turned On and Off - 39656 (C)(B)

(4) Saw Red - 25132 (C)

(5) Played Brahms - 35518 (C)(B)

(6) Played Post Office - 35536 (C)(B)

(7) Knew Shakespeare - 29477 (C)(B)

(8) Sniffed Glue - 29164 (C)(B)

(9) Went Underground - 29945 (C)(B)

(10) Talked to Ghosts - 30691 (C)(B)

(11) Lived High - 33455 (C)(B)

(12) Knew a Cardinal - 33478 (C)(B)

(13) Moved a Mountain - 34783 (C)(B)

(14) Wasn't There - 35584 (C)(B)

(15) Went Into the Closet - 36441 (C)(B)

(16) Came to Breakfast - 39858 (C)(B)

(17) Blew the Whistle - 39490 (C)(B)(D)

(18) Said Cheese - 41656 (C)(B)

(19) Tailed A Thief - 44143 (C)(B)

(20) Sang for the Birds - 46432 (C)(B)

(21) Saw Stars - 47906 (C)(B)

(22) Robbed a Bank - 49500 (C)(B)

(23) Smelled a Rat - 51464 (C)

(24) Went Up the Creek - 53663 (C)(B)

(25) Brought Down the House - 55345 (C)(B)

(26) Talked Turkey -57377 (C)(B)

(27) Went Bananas - 59520 (C)(B)

(28) Dropped a Bombshell - 61762 (C)(B)

(29) Had 60 Whiskers - 63760 (C)(B)

Sunlight Might Promote Healthy Eyes

An article on CNN.com discusses a recent study which suggests that children who spend 10-14 hours in the sun each week have healthier eyesight than those who do not. The theory is that sunlight prevents the overgrowth of retinal dopamine, which can cause nearsightedness. Children who spend more time indoors seem to be more likely to have vision problems.

To read the article, please visit: www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/01/myopia.causes/.

TBC Closed This Afternoon

The Talking Book Center will close at 2pm today. We will be hosting a booth at the Lanier Gardens health fair this afternoon. Come by and see us!

Lanier Gardens/Talmage Terrace Health Fair
801 Riverhill Drive
Athens, GA
706-369-7100

Thursday, June 2
2pm - 6pm


We will be open regular hours tomorrow.

Athens Banner-Herald Reports on Library Expansion

Construction on the Athens-Clarke County Library is underway! Today's Athens Banner-Herald has a great article about the exciting things to come. This renovation is the reason that the Talking Book Center has temporarily relocated to the Oconee Co. Library. When we move back to Athens, we'll have a great new space for our patrons to enjoy!

Don't miss today's article. You can find it at: www.onlineathens.com/stories/060111/new_837809005.shtml. You can also follow along with the ACCL Renovation Blog.

Some patrons are having trouble reaching us in Oconee. We still have our toll-free number - 1-800-531-2063. We also have a temporary local number - 706-310-3650. Both these phone numbers connect directly to the Talking Book Center. Give us a call and get your summer reading books!