Virtual National Book Festival 2021
By Alicia Waters | June 23, 2021
Mark your calendars for the Library of Congress, National Book Festival this year. The festival will be a virtual event, allowing all to attend this great event! Sept. 17-26, a 10-day event with the theme, “Open a Book, Open the World.”
https://www.loc.gov/events/2021-national-book-festival/
Message from the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden and the National Book Festival Press Release [loc.gov].
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Free Help for Our Caregivers
By Alicia Waters | June 4, 2021
Join FREE Caregiver Support Groups
Online, virtual zoom sessions
Are you a “caregiver”?
Do you provide help to a family member, a loved one or a friend?
- Support groups provide opportunities to share experiences with other caregivers and get information about resources that can help
- You can decide to attend one, two or more sessions right from your own home!
- Retired volunteer professionals will lead the discussions
- All you need is an email address, internet access, and a digital device– a computer, tablet, or smart phone
- Offered by volunteers of The Village Common of Rhode Island
Visit — The Village Common of Rhode Island
For more information, call 401-228-8683
The Village Common can provide an iPad if you need an internet device.
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BARD Express Enhancement
By Alicia Waters | June 1, 2021
BARD Express 2.5.54.16 [2.5.54.16] will be released the week of May 31st. This version will be supported by Windows 8.1 through 10.X operating systems. Screen readers supporting this latest update of BARD Express are JAWS for Windows 2018 to the most current version and NVDA 2017.1 to the most current version.
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Talking Times Newsletter Summer 2021
By Alicia Waters | May 20, 2021
The Talking Times Newsletter is now available at https://olis.ri.gov/tbl/newsletter/. Keep up with all the latest information about the TBL program by reading the Talking Times and have a great summer!
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BARD Mobile Android New Release
By Alicia Waters | May 7, 2021
NLS has released version 1.3.1 (build 49) of BARD Mobile Android, which supports Android 7 through Android 11. This new version includes configurable visual contrast settings.
BARD Mobile Android users can adjust their screen contrast by selecting Settings then Contrast. There are four different high-contrast settings in black, white, and yellow. These are in addition to the Android device’s Visibility enhancements, which can be adjusted under both the general Accessibility Settings for the device and from within the BARD Mobile app Settings.
BARD Mobile Android users can identify the version of the app running on their devices by selecting Settings, then checking the Application Version. Users who have enabled automatic updates for BARD Mobile in the Google Play Store will get version 1.3.1 seamlessly, while others will need to manually update BARD Mobile Android through the Google Play Store.
For more information on these features and more, consult the Android user manual at
https://nlsbard.loc.gov/apidocs/android/v1.3.1/ [nlsbard.loc.gov]
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2021 Braille NBA Season Schedule
By Alicia Waters | April 26, 2021
Braille production of 2021 NBA second-half schedule
Due to continuous delays caused by the pandemic, the 2021 NBA season schedule is being published in three parts. Part one was published and produced in ebraille on BARD and in hard-copy braille.
Part two was published by the NBA in late February for the second half of its 2020–21 season, which began this week. Due to the staggered start dates and last-minute publication by the NBA, producers will not have enough time to publish part two of the schedule in both ebraille on BARD and hard-copy braille. Part two of the schedule will be made available on BARD only.
The release of part three by the NBA is yet to be determined. If part three is released by the NBA far enough in advance, producers will be able to provide part three in both ebraille on BARD and hard-copy braille.
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NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program
By Alicia Waters | April 26, 2021
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), supported by the National Library for the Blind Endowment, sponsors a paid internship that offers legally blind individuals the opportunity to gain work career experience and explore career options working in the areas of collections building, program delivery, and business oversight and management. Application details can be found at www.loc.gov/nls/about/internship-program [loc.gov]. The deadline for the Fall 2021 session is June 1. All interns will work remotely.
For more information, please contact:
Erica Vaughns
Head, Administrative Services
NLSInternships@loc.gov
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Braille Sports Schedules
By Alicia Waters | April 13, 2021
Braille production of most sports schedules continues to be impacted by pandemic-related delays.
MLB, the schedule with the most patron interest, was uploaded to BARD the week of April 5. It is anticipated that distribution of physical braille copies will begin by the end of April.
The contractor assigned to produce sports schedules is working diligently to obtain each schedule as it is published. However, the publication of many schedules has been delayed due to evolving COVID restrictions that impact the scheduled games.
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Veterans Beware of Tax Refund Theft
By Alicia Waters | April 5, 2021
Did you know that Veterans and service members are more likely to be the target of online scams than civilians? This tax season be on the lookout for scammers, who use identity theft, imposter scams, and other descriptions, to commit fraud. Find out how to keep your information and money safe from scammers!
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New Talking Books Discussion Group
By Alicia Waters | March 27, 2021
Join us by Zoom or phone line on…
April 27, 2021
Time Change: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
All American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez: The Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderers’ Row by James Patterson (DB 90220)
After Aaron Hernandez made his first Pro Bowl, he was linked to a series of violent incidents that culminated in the death of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who dated the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée. Investigates Hernandez’s first-degree murder conviction and the mystery of his own shocking and untimely death. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.
**We have just watched the Super Bowl with former players from the New England Patriots playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…and we remember Aaron Hernandez.
REGISTER: by emailing talking.books@olis.ri.gov or by calling (401)574-9310.
The Zoom link, meeting ID, passcode and phone numbers will be provided to you after you register..
**Deadline for email registration and to call for your name to be added for participation is April 26, 2021.
**Book discussions will take place quarterly. Next discussion on July 27 and October 27 at 2:00 pm. Check back for book titles.
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