April 2013 Bestseller List
By Ann | May 7, 2013
The Bestsellers Lists are compiled monthly by NLS. These lists combine information taken from the bestseller lists of the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
Bestsellers are included in the report when they appear on one of the above bestseller lists for a month or more.
Once a title appears in the report with an NLS number, it will not appear on future reports.
The acronyms used for newspapers and book clubs in the NLS bestseller report are:
Code Source
LAT Los Angeles Times
NYT New York Times
WP Washington Post
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Magazine transition to cartridge
By Ann | May 6, 2013
Subscribers receiving magazines on cassette will start receiving magazines in both casssette and cartridge. The transition from cassette to cartridge will be completed by early June 2013. Cassette will no longer be sent. Continue to discard magazine cassettes. However, magazines on cartridge must be returned in order to continue receiving magazines through the mail. Magazines are, also, downloadable through BARD. If not downloading, Talking Books Plus members may sign up for BARD service.
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BARD Email address change
By Ann | May 6, 2013
The following message is from BARD Support. If you have signed up for BARD but not for BARD Support, ask to sign up by emailing NLSDownload@loc.gov. This will keep you in the loop for further notices. To learn more about BARD and Talking Books Plus membership, visit the BARD webpage.
Hello,
We want to try to clear up some confusion related to email addresses and BARD accounts. You keep the same BARD account for as long as you use the service. It’s true that there is a strong connection between your email address and your account, since you use an email address as your BARD user ID when you log on. However, when you change email addresses, you don’t have to create a new BARD account with that new email address as your user ID. In fact, your application for the new account will be rejected because nobody is allowed to have more than one account.
The solution is to use the “Update Account Settings” link, located about two-thirds of the way down the BARD Main Page. This will take you to a page of options, including the one for changing the email address you use to log onto BARD. Once you change your email address/user ID, you will be required to reset your password. This is done to protect the security of your account.
Technically, as long as a particular email address is considered by BARD to be your user ID, you can still log onto BARD with it, even if it no longer functions as an email address. (BARD doesn’t know that you can’t receive mail there anymore.) This is good to know, because it means that you can still log on with it and get to the “Update Account Settings” link to change your user ID to the new email address.
You may be wondering then, “Why should I even bother to change it if it technically still works for logging on?” The answer is that the BARD server automatically sends messages (such as those containing new passwords) to the email address you use to log on, so it’s good to use a working email address as your user ID.
If you have any difficulty with changing your email address for BARD, or if it already sounds daunting to you, you can ask your regional library for help, or you can write to us at
NLSDownload@loc.gov
And request that we change it for you.
Limiting each patron to one BARD account not only streamlines administration of the program and helps to ensure its integrity, but also makes life ultimately better for you. By keeping the same account, rather than terminating an account every time you change email addresses, you won’t lose your Wish List and your list of previous downloads.
We hope this was helpful, but welcome any questions you still may have.
Sincerely,
The BARD Technical Support Team
NLS BARD Technical Support
e-mail: NLSDownload@loc.gov
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NLS Survey
By Ann | April 22, 2013
Here’s a chance to say something and be heard. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is conducting a survey. If you a U.S. citizen, age 18 or older and meet one of the following criteria: legally blind, cannot see or focus well enough to read regular print although wear glasses or contact lenses, unable to hold or handle print books or turn pages, or have a reading disability because of an organic or physical dysfunction you are eligible to take this survey. The survey will be used to improve services to current readers and find out what services non-NLS readers are looking for. Go to the NLS survey or call 866-545-1618 to schedule a phone survey. The survey will be conducted from March 11 – May 10, 2013.
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Ever Popular Crime Fiction
By Ann | April 22, 2013
A library survey shows that the world of mystery is ever-popular and that crime fiction still draws readers nationwide. The highest circulating subgenres in mystery ebooks are police procedurals and cozies.
Talking Books Plus collection includes 528 crime fiction titles in digital talking book format. One of the titles, Live by Night (DB75625) by Dennis Lehane has been nominated for the 2013 Edgar Award for Best Novel. In an interview, Dennis describes a great novel. He says “If I just want a plot, I can watch a movie. If I just want language, I’ll read poems. A great novel embraces both those things and so much more.” Talking Books Plus members can decide if they agree. National Poetry Month is being celebrated now.
Reader’s Advisors can help Talkng Books Plus members select crime fiction books to read or members can do a basic search on the NLS online catalog at http://nlscatalog.loc.gov/ by entering the search term, crime fiction and by selecting quick limits, NLS digital talking books.
Mystery survey article and Dennis Lehane interview source: Following the Digital Clues by Kristi Chadwick
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National Poetry Month
By Ann | April 22, 2013
Celebrate National Poetry Month with poetry books from the Talking Books Plus (TBP) collection. Poetry books recorded in 2012 by NLS has been compiled into the Poetry Month 2013 BookList on the TBP Reading List.
One title not on the booklist but recently added to the Talking Books Plus collection is Stag’s Leap (DB76141) written by Sharon Olds. The author is winner of the 2013 Pultizer Prize in Poetry.
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Cannot Read What Downloaded
By Ann | April 16, 2013
Ever find that a BARD book you downloaded won’t play on your NLS player and the book downloaded very quickly? Now that Web-Braille, the downloadable braille material service, has been added to the BARD collection, it is important that when selecting titles to download, the correct book number is selected. Any book number in the BARD collection that starts with DB is an audio title. If the book number is preceded by BR then the title is a braille book. Another difference between audio and braille titles listed in the collection is that braille books don’t have narrators listed in the descriptions. To narrow searching to DB titles only in BARD, choose “Audio only” in the ” Display results” pull down menu on the “Update account settings” page of BARD.
“Display results” selections include “Audio only”, Braille only” or “Both.” ”Both” is the default. If neither “Audio only” or “Braille only” is selected than DB titles are succeeded by braille titles when browsing the collection. A braille book can be downloaded by accident with this setup.
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Reading Across RI May Breakfast
By Ann | April 15, 2013
2013 Reading Across Rhode Island will have May Breakfast with Camilla Gibb, author of The Beauty of Humanity Movement on Saturday, May 4, 2013 9:00am – 12:00pm at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston, RI. Click here for more information and to download the registration form.
Topics: Books to Read, News & Info, Programs | No Comments »
Magazines on Cartridge
By Ann | April 11, 2013
As of April 9, 2013, the producers for TBP magazines began sending magazines on cartridges to RI Talking Books Plus audio magazine readers. The TBP magazines are being sent on digital cartridge as they become available. The magazines on cassette will cease being sent to Talking Books Plus audio magazine readers as of June 7, 2013.
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Music books and sheet music
By Ann | April 11, 2013
National Services for the Blind (NLS) offers Talking Books Plus members music scores, books and magazines about music and instructional music recordings directly from the Music Section of NLS. The collection includes Braille music scores, Braille books, Web-Braille music scores and books, Large-print music scores, Large-print books, and Music magazines. RI Talking Books Plus music borrowers should call the NLS Music Section toll free at 1-800-424-8567 or e-mail nlsm@loc.gov to order materials, request catalogs, or get more information.
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