Talking Books Library

Next Book Discussion January 24, 2023

By Alicia Waters | November 2, 2022

January 24, 2023
2:00 – 3:00 pm

Firekeeper’s daughter by Angeline Bouley (DB 102762) 14 hours 16 minutes.

Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. Suspense. 2021.

You may REGISTER here to receive the Zoom information or call (401)574-9310, or you can email talking.books@olis.ri.gov.

Topics: Books to Read, Programs | No Comments »

VA Benefits Mobile App

By Alicia Waters | September 29, 2022

6 Reasons You Should Download the VA Health and Benefits Mobile App

To manage your VA appointments, message your providers and learn about all the top reasons to download the VA Health and Benefits Mobile App visit https://tinyurl.com/VAHealthApp

Topics: News & Info, Resources | No Comments »

Braille On Demand

By Alicia Waters | September 28, 2022

As part of its braille modernization initiative, NLS launched the Braille-on-Demand pilot project this past summer. This project will allow active NLS patrons to request and receive one hardcopy braille title per month to KEEP for their personal use. Braille titles will be limited to books currently available on BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download service. To request a braille-on-demand book, please complete the form at https://tinyurl.com/freeBraille or call (401)574-9310 TTY 711 if assistance is needed.  

Topics: Accessibility, Resources | No Comments »

Announcing BARD Mobile for iOS 2.0

By Alicia Waters | September 19, 2022

We’re excited to tell you that NLS has released version 2.0 of BARD Mobile for iOS. In this version, the BARD Website option is replaced by a new and powerful search engine that has the following abilities:

To conduct a search, choose the Search option at the top of the Get Books screen, just above Wish List. Keyword is the default search type, and Audio is the default format. Change these settings if you like, type or dictate search terms in the search field, and choose Go or Search. To change the format or type of search from the Search Results page, select the search field at the top; all the options on the original search page are now available. To sort the search results, choose Title, Author, or Latest. To access options such as Download and viewing other books by the same author with VoiceOver, touch the title of interest, flick up or down to the desired choice, and double-tap. If you don’t use VoiceOver, select the More info button to the right of the title, and then choose either Download, Add to Wish List, or More Actions.

Additionally, Version 2.0 fixes problems with:

The update should be available by Friday, September 23rd. We hope you enjoy it.

Topics: Digital Update | No Comments »

National Hispanic Heritage Month

By Alicia Waters | September 15, 2022

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month.  Celebrate this month with activities and events sponsored by the Library of Congress.  For more information about activities and events go to:  

https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

Books by Hispanic authors:

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (DB 100680)
Juliet comes out to her family just before leaving for an internship with a feminist author in Portland, Oregon. Things don’t go so well, but she heads off to Portland where she plans to figure out what it means to be a Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. Spanish language. 2019.

Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States by Felipe Fernandez-Arnesto (DB 78528)
Puerto Rico in 1505 to the twenty-first-century debate over immigration reform. Encourages the embrace of Hispanic culture and posits that doing so would be to the nation’s advantage and enrichment. History. Sociology. 2014.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (DB 35608)
First published in 1984. A series of vignettes introduces the friends and family of the narrator, Esperanza, who lives on Mango Street in the Puerto Rican section of Chicago. In this transient neighborhood of people speaking a mixture of Spanish and English, Esperanza, whose name means “hope,” learns to cope with being an out-of-step girl by telling stories. By the author of Woman Hollering Creek (RC 33451).

Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity by Paolo Ramos (DB 102333)
This activitist and journalist travels across the United States to understand the genesis of the controversial term “Latinx,” meeting the groups of people who define it. Many are from marginalized groups, and the new term has given them a sense of solidarity. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Social Sciences. Spanish language. 2020.

Topics: Books to Read, News & Info | No Comments »

The Many Faces of BARD

By Alicia Waters | September 13, 2022

The NLS Patron Engagement Section is now offering a monthly program called The Many Faces of BARD. This program will occur on the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It will last for one hour and will cover one aspect of BARD (the Braille and Audio Reading Download) usage. Each program will start with a brief presentation. The remainder of the time will be spent answering questions about the presentation or other questions related to BARD usage. NLS will announce the topic for the next presentation at the end of each program. These sessions are open to all patrons. They can be joined by going to https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1611161911?pwd=bVh5ejFsWFBlL21KY0VqaHlRMUlSQT09 [loc.zoomgov.com] on a computer or calling 1-669-245-5252.

For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.  Dial: US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 or +1 669 216 1590 or +1 551 285 1373.
Meeting ID: 161 116 1911
Passcode: 489758

To call into a session, participants must use the telephone numbers provided here for Zoom.gov [zoom.gov] rather than the regular Zoom telephone numbers. Upon connecting, participants will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the program begins. When they enter the room, they will be on mute, and they should remain on mute unless the host calls upon them to speak. At that time, they may unmute by using Alt-A from a computer or star 6 if dialing in by phone.  All Many Faces of BARD programs will be recorded. If participants do not want to be on the recording, they should refrain from speaking. 

Topics: News & Info, Programs | No Comments »

BARD Mobile Android App Fixes

By Alicia Waters | September 13, 2022

NLS is releasing version 1.4.5 of the BARD Mobile Android app. This release brings major improvements, bug fixes, and increased stability since the March 2022 release.. 

Version 1.4.5 includes:
·  the ability to pause and resume downloads
·  sort and search capabilities in Bookshelves and the various Get Book lists
·  the ability to delete books from Wish List
·  a new More Info book details screen
·  the ability to switch Recently Read books within the Now Reading screen
·  a new Settings tab with new settings for User Account and Audio Settings pages
·  a number of features in Audio Settings that are default set to “off,” such as:

1. background playback to play books without the screen on
2. auto-lock during playback to support uninterrupted background playback of books
3. automatic start playback to automate playing of books loading in the Now Reading screen
4. automatic five-second rewind from the last reading position when returning to the Now Reading screen to resume playback

The release includes more than a dozen bug fixes that include:

·  app stability with poor network connectivity, interruptions, and accessibility and configuration changes
·  audiobook Now Reading playback issues
·  resuming paused books downloads
·  issues with Sleep Timer when navigating from other parts of the app
·  rewind and fast forward audio notifications
·  corrections to book narrator metadata fields displayed

Users should be able to update supported Android devices by Friday, September 9. If users have not automated BARD Mobile updates, they will need to go to the BARD Mobile entry in Google’s Play Store and enable the update. NLS recommends users enable the option to automate updates to ensure they receive timely updates. BARD Mobile users can confirm that they are running the latest version by checking the bottom of the app’s Settings screen. NLS plans to follow up quickly with a v1.4.6 release to address additional bug fixes.

Topics: Digital Update | No Comments »

BARD Issues

By Alicia Waters | September 8, 2022

The National Library Service has been receiving complaints about problems with BARD. They are aware of the problems and are working to resolve the issues. They appreciate your patience as they continue to work to restore the BARD services.

Topics: Digital Update | No Comments »

Online iPhone Chat for Voiceover

By Alicia Waters | September 7, 2022

Technology Programs from Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library

iPhone Chat for Voiceover Beginners
First Saturday of the month, 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM Eastern
Join Zoom Meeting
https://nypl.zoom.us/j/89251247778?pwd=dkNJUzV4QVpIMllRa1NYbVdrUHlQdz09 [nypl.zoom.us]
Meeting ID: 892 5124 7778
Passcode: HzR9p4
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,89251247778# US
+19292056099,,89251247778# US (New York)
Dial by your location
        +1 646 931 3860 US

iPhone Voiceover Chat: Beyond the Basics First Saturday of the month, 2:30 to 4 PM. Eastern
Join Zoom Meeting
https://nypl.zoom.us/j/87478102159?pwd=R0VqVkhGZEpycHF6UmF4M0lUc1hpZz09 [nypl.zoom.us]
Meeting ID: 874 7810 2159
Passcode: 956jj0
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,87478102159# US (New York)
+16469313860,,87478102159# US
Dial by your location
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Topics: Programs, Training | No Comments »

Online Braille Study Group

By Alicia Waters | September 7, 2022

From Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library

Braille Study Group  online, Saturdays 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern:
Join the Zoom Meeting
https://nypl.zoom.us/j/81824972219?pwd=NDZ3UGR1S3FrSGhsRGN0T2pxVFZjZz09 [nypl.zoom.us]
We welcome learners at all levels! Bring your questions, get support for your learning goals and find out how to learn Braille for free from home. 

Topics: Programs, Training | No Comments »


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