Tax Documents in Alternative Format
By Ann | March 5, 2010
NLS has been informed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Alternative Media Center that it will not provide IRS tax documents in braille for automatic distribution to libraries.
A current list of accessible tax products is available by download. Individuals may also order hard-copy braille and large print documents by calling the IRS toll-free number 1-800-829-3676.
For more information contact: Dawn Stitzel, Head, Reference Section, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Email: dsti@loc.gov
Topics: General | No Comments »
Digital Machine Starting Automatically
By Ann | March 2, 2010
To Talking Books Plus members who are enjoying the new digital talking book machine (dtbm), please note that when a powered off machine is plugged into an outlet which experiences a power outage, the machine will automatically startup when power is restored. That’s because the machine is actually still on when the power is off. The sudden startup of the machine on its own could frighten folks if they don’t know this can happen. If the plugged-in player does not have a cartridge inserted, the machine will simply say “player on” but if a cartridge is in the machine, the cartridge will start to play the book. The voice coming from the machine is not a prowler in your home. It’s just the narrator from the book talking to you. When the machine is not plugged in and the machine is powered off, the machine is obviously not affected when power is restored from an outage. According to NLS, leaving a cartridge in the machine plugged in or unplugged will not harm the machine.
Topics: Digital Books, News & Info | No Comments »
Olympic Games Books
By Ann | February 11, 2010
For those wanting to whet their appetite for the 2010 Winter Olympic in Vancouver, Canada, here are some books of general interest about the olympic games and Vancouver.
Olympic Games
The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey RC62247, DB062247 Downloadable Talking Book
The Game by Ken Dryden RC20824
The Highlights of the Olympics: from ancient times to the present by John Durant BRA11585
The Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope BR14203, RC54426
The Olympics, a history of the modern games by Allen Guttmann RC36082
The Story of the Olympics by Dave Anderson RC50298
Vancouver, Canada
Apple’s America: the discriminating traveler’s guide to 40 great cities in the United States and Canada by R.W. Apple DB60635 Downloadable Talking Book
Note: Downloadable Talking Books are only available to Talking Book Members who have a qualified digital machine and have been approved to use BARD: Braille and Audio Reading Download. Read more about the digital machine and BARD on the TBP website.
The words in this posting, digital service and BARD, have links to other webpages.
Topics: Books to Read, Digital Books | No Comments »
Downloading Tip
By Ann | February 5, 2010
This blog is being used to share what one librarian calls “workarounds” for patrons who are downloading BARD titles to their digital machine. One patron claims to load her downloaded BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) books to a MP3 player and then plays the books on the NLS digital book machine by connecting it to the MP3 player via a cable. This tip is not an endorsement of how to download. It is merely posted to share information from other users of BARD.
Topics: Digital Books, General, News & Info | No Comments »
Blank Cartridge Update
By Ann | February 2, 2010
Blank cartridges for downloading digital books from the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) system are no longer available from Independent Living Aids, LLC. American Printing House for the Blind and Adaptive Technology, a division of Perkins Products of the Perkins School for the Blind, are selling blank digital talking book cartridges. Visit links for both American Printing House for the Blind and Adaptive Technology to get pricing and GB. Adaptive Technology sells the USB cable as well.
The words in this posting, American Printing House for the Blind and Adaptive Technology, have links to other webpages.
Topics: Digital Books, News & Info | No Comments »
Kick Off RARI Conference
By Ann | January 21, 2010
The 2010 Reading Across Rhode Island (RARI) project is being launched at a conference on January 30, 2010 at Bryant University. This conference is designed for readers, book discussion leaders, librarians, and educators from across the state. Conference attendees will meet workshop presenters ready to link the themes of the book to RI-based activities. Presenters include Dr. Judy Litoff, author of Since You Went Away, letters from the homefront during WWII; Dr. Jim Brosnan, reflecting on the literary aspects of the novel and Mary Flynn of Miriam Hospital on Economical Eating. The cast of Living Literature under the direction of Barry Press will close the day with a Reader’s Theater adaption of the novel. For more information, download the conference brochure.
The words in this posting, download the conference brochure, have a link to another webpage.
Topics: Books to Read, News & Info, Programs | No Comments »
Flash Drive for Downloading
By Ann | December 24, 2009
A growing number of Talking Books Plus members have their digital players. Many of these same members have joined the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service. With more than 15,000 audio books available for download at the BARD site, members want to know what flash drives work with the digital player. The BARD service is free. Members only need to acquire their own flash drive. Since not all flash drives work with the NLS digital player, here is one member’s experience with the flash drive she purchased. She bought the DANE ELEC brand from Target. She paid $12 but was told that when on sale they can sell for 2/$10. She bought the 2 GB size. She has used the flash drive 15 times already without any difficulty.
Topics: Digital Books, General, News & Info | 1 Comment »
Digital Player Firmware Update
By Ann | December 9, 2009
For those who have a Talking Books Plus digital player and download their books, here is an update of the digital player firmware. The update is now available for download. 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). According to the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, because of the lengthy transit time from manufacturer to library, it will be several months before players from the manufacturer will have this firmware loaded.
Topics: Digital Books, News & Info | No Comments »
2010 Reading Across RI Selection
By Ann | November 17, 2009
In the Talking Book Plus collection as RC67526, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows has been selected as the book to read in the 2010 Reading Across Rhode Island program.
Members of Talking Book Plus are invited to join Reading Across RI in learning about the German occupation of the Guernsey Islands through the letters of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. According to the Providence Public Library announcement of the Reading Across RI selection, “this novel transports you, as is the nature of good books, and carries you away, improbabilities and internal logic notwithstanding. It revives the lost art of letter writing, empowered by deeply human characters who literally leap out from the pages as they contrast a dark period in history with wit and wisdom, and in doing so, demonstrates the power of the human spirit.”
The words in this posting, 2010 Reading Across Rhode Island program, has a link to another webpage.
Topics: Books to Read, News & Info, Programs | No Comments »
Louis Braille Digital Exhibit
By Ann | November 16, 2009
Louis Braille: His Legacy and Influence is a compelling digital exhibit that pays homage to the life and work of Louis Braille, the inventor of the tactile six-dot reading and writing system which changed the way that blind people were able to understand and contribute to the world. The exhibit was created by the Library of Congress, and it complements an in situ exhibit at the Library’s James Madison Building. Clicking on the “Exhibition Items” will bring up two dozen items from the exhibit. There’s quite a trove here, including a historic image of the Library of Congress’s Reading Room for the Blind from 1902 and a tactile map of the District’s Metrorail system. Many of the documents also have extra interactive features that allow users to zoom in and out around each dot, image, or corner.
The above information comes from Bill Graczyk, Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library. The words in this posting, Louis Braille, His Legacy and Influence, have a link to another webpage.
Topics: News & Info, Programs | No Comments »
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