Talking Books Plus News

NFB Newsline Contact

Ann — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:43:59 +0000

If you are interested in receiving the NFB- Newsline or have questions, contact Rob Pires from the RI Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. His phone is 222-2300 extension 325.

2012 Calendars

Ann — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:26:51 +0000

2012 Calendars in braille, print/braille or large print are available from several organizations. The list provides cost as well.

INSIGHT Early Intervention Services

Ann — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:55:02 +0000

INSIGHT, a RI organization that serves the needs of Rhode Island’s blind and visually-impaired population, has established early intervention services and new programs for kids and teens.

December 2011 Bestseller List

Ann — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:21:03 +0000

The December 2011 Bestseller List is online now.

The bestseller report compiled monthly by National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) combines 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

Arm Chair Travelling

Ann — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:15:36 +0000

Nancy Boucher, Reader Advisor at the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center created the “Arm Chair Travelling When It is COLD Outside” reading list. These books are available through the Rhode Island Talking Books Plus library. This list was made available through the Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Reader Advisors (lbphra) listserv moderated by Patrice Johnson.

RC Titles Withdrawal Schedule

Ann — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:43:36 +0000

The National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of which Talking Books Plus in Rhode Island is affiliated as a network library announced that “2012 marks the begining of the withdrawal of the RC collections from network libraries. NLS is working toward a reduction and eventual withdrawal of the RC collections from network libraries by mid-2015.” The digital talking books collection will continue to grow and remain available for loan by download or through the mail throughout this process. Eligibile individuals have free loan of the digital player.

The free blank cartridge and cable are given to Talking Books Plus members who sign up for download service. The download service called BARD is 24/7 . Downloadable digital talking books in the collection are always available. Members are never put on a waiting list. Download is as fast as the computer and server used.

Youth Holiday Talking Books

Ann — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:28:02 +0000

The 2011 Winter Holiday Bibliography is posted on the Talking Books Plus webpage. This booklist was compiled by Wolfner Library Youth Services. Wolfner Library is the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped network library in Missouri. Talking Books Plus is the network library in Rhode Island. Happy Holiday reading!

Inspirational Dog Stories

Ann — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:07:33 +0000

I discovered links to these titles at the end of Robin Kall’s article about Caleb’s Crossing in Go Local Prov Lifestyle. Robin is also Co- chair of the May 5, 2012 breakfast that is celebrating the 2012 Reading Across RI book, Caleb’s Crossing.

The following title is in the Talking Books Plus collection -

A Good Dog – The Story of Orson Who Changed My Life by Jon Katz DB63830

The other titles are not in the Talking Books Plus collection. However, audio versions are available.

Following Atticus – Forty Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan. I’ve heard that the audio version is worth listenting to as the author is the narrator. Amazon gave this book 5 stars.

All 5 books are listed in Related Articles, Well-Read: 5 Great Books for Dog Lovers.

E READERS FOR ALL AGES

Ann — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:13:53 +0000

Gloria Stuart, Assistive Technology Consultant at TechACCESS of RI did a spectacular job of explaining various nuances of popular E Readers at the 2011 Assistive Technology Conference held November 30, 2011 in Warwick, RI. If you missed the conference, it is usually held annually. Most likely, you’ll get a chance to experience it next year. Talking Books Plus exhibits at the conference so you can meet our staff there, too. In Gloria’s presentation she said that larger screens handle PDFs better and that E Ink looks like print paper offering less glare. Overall, Gloria covered content type, Digital Rights Management (DRM) content, screen technology, screen text size, E reader navigation, storage and or memory, battery life, study tools, audio support and keyboards. The E readers that Gloria had on hand and discussed in detail were the Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Fire, Nook, Sony Reader, iPad, and Galaxy Tab. She’s a great resource.

Rhode Island Materials Access Center

Ann — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:17:46 +0000

The RI Materials Access Center (RIMAC) provides accessible instructional materials for students with print disabilities. RIMAC works with districts to request texts from the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC). NIMAC downloads NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Access Center)-conformant files and converts them to the required student ready format. Visit the Rhode Island Materials Access Center website @ Northern RI Collaborative or call 401-495-2033 for more information. Specialized formats include braille, large print, audio and digital text.