News ISSN 1046-1663 October-December 2002, Vol. 33, No. 4 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress www.loc.gov/nls: Improvements and a new look Starting in late spring 2001, visitors to the NLS web site have found a coherent site architecture along with a consistent appearance across all pages. The web site was redesigned to provide consistency and ease of navigation for target audiences--NLS patrons and potential patrons, librarians and service professionals in the NLS network, and members of the public interested in learning about the free library service--while ensuring compatibility with adaptive technology such as braille output devices and synthetic speech equipment. Today the NLS home page presents clear electronic links, created with text-based browsers in mind, that anticipate the interests of most visitors, whether newcomers or seasoned patrons; answer fundamental questions about NLS; and direct visitors to essential resources within the site and beyond. From the home page, visitors can link by a single keystroke or mouse click to full explanations of the NLS basics: who is eligible, what is available, where libraries are located, and how to sign up. General information on NLS history and mission may be discovered at "About NLS," and noteworthy recent developments are described at "What's new at NLS." Readers may link to presentations on how to search for particular texts, how to order books, how to get the most out of machines and equipment, and how to find answers to questions that may not have already been addressed. The home page also presents links to descriptive listings of NLS books and magazines. Bimonthly annotated listings of new books, Braille Book Review and Talking Book Topics--usually posted to the web site several weeks before they become available in print, recorded, or braille editions--are available through a link, as are annual and biennial catalogs, subject bibliographies, and listings of magazines in alternative formats. One of the site-wide navigation links at the top of each page takes visitors to an application to search the NLS International Union Catalog of more than 360,000 titles in alternative formats. Persons can use a basic search form for a quick author, title, or subject search, or can link to a form that allows refining their search strategy using various points of access beyond author, title, and subject. The online version of Braille Book Review also contains active links to electronic files for the books listed in each issue, which are available free through the Web-Braille system to registered users for download or use online with braille output devices. More than five thousand braille books, all NLS-produced braille magazines, and several hundred braille scores and magazines from the NLS music collection are now available through Web-Braille, and the collection is expanding every day. Nearly 2,500 individuals are currently signed up. Many publications that inform, advise, and assist readers are posted on the web site, including current and back issues of NLS newsletters News and Update, factsheets, and reference bibliographies and circulars. Reference publications cover such subjects as assistive technology, library service and information technology, braille readers' concerns, specialized services, and accessibility issues. Particular information for patrons of the NLS Music Section and for patrons living abroad is available now, also. Useful items directed at network library personnel and talking book narrators and producers are online as well. An area added to the NLS web site in recent months, , provides links to web versions of various print publications that describe the NLS work on digital talking books. Many of the files at feature internal links for efficient navigation within the document, links to other relevant files on the site, links to the greater Library of Congress domain, and links to every network library. From analysis to implementation The recent restructuring of was directed by Tom Martin, NLS Network Division assistant chief, who became web manager in March 2001. Martin joined NLS in 1980 as a network consultant. Since then he has held a variety of positions that have provided him with knowledge of the program's scope and the requirements of its patrons. In preparation for his duties as web manager, Martin underwent extensive training in information architecture and web design--the coding strategies that allow vast amounts of text to become specified, layered, linked, and available through the Internet. The web site's history is long by Internet standards. It was begun in 1994 as an experimental outreach project, just as the World Wide Web was confirming its viability as a revolutionary international communications tool. The work was initiated on a voluntary, spare-time basis by NLS staff members Judy Dixon, consumer relations officer, and George Thuronyi, then of the Publications and Media Section. From the start, the essential purpose of the site developers was to make printed information available in alternative formats to readers with access to the assistive technologies that transform standard text to large-print, paper and refreshable braille, or synthetic speech. Dixon and Thuronyi's web activities were endorsed by NLS management, who viewed the electronic channel as a useful adjunct to its publications program, and recognized the Internet's huge potential as a means for providing information in alternative forms. A modest page 6 story in the July-September 1994 News (Vol. 25, No. 3) announced the advent of digitized information to readers, explaining--in words that sound almost naive from the vantage of 2002--that "the Internet is a worldwide electronic network that links an estimated twenty-five million computers in more than 100 countries." The new Internet presence took advantage of a Library of Congress file system called MARVEL that had gone online in mid-1993. Subequently, Thuronyi and Dixon expanded the NLS online document collection, striving to keep pace with accelerating developments in the larger world. Information technology's enrichment and the increase in numbers of individuals adept in its use progressed in tandem; the technology was vigorously asserting itself in every aspect of commercial, educational, and private life. There would be no turning back. News (January-March 1999, Vol. 30, No. 1) announced the "debut" of to the waiting world. Now, instead of the rather cumbersome and restrictive procedures of a few years earlier, readers needed only a PC, a modem, and a paid-up Internet service provider contract to reach not only NLS but the whole immensity of cyberspace. New tasks for a new era By the end of the century, NLS management saw clearly that its program warranted a permanent presence on the Internet that required full-time attention. Martin viewed his first task as the establishment of a site architecture to present the information at . Dixon and Thuronyi had often been called upon to improvise, backtrack, and rethink from day to day as the web evolved and transformed itself. Martin inherited a challenging, eclectic array of files that differed in appearance and validity of markup. Martin set out first to regroup and categorize the files and documents already on the site, looking for shared themes and commonalities. The resulting structure led in turn to navigational pointers that would enable visitors to move through the site. Reviewing records of the most frequently requested pages and discussion with NLS staff helped to identify the information as targets for links from the site-wide navigation at the top of each page. Martin also instituted "breadcrumb navigation" on each page. This series of text links moves from the home page, through the various levels, ending at text for the title of the current page. The current site architecture can be seen in the web address that takes the reader along a virtual pathway from the Library of Congress to the National Library Service, to NLS's Reference Section, to reference directories, to cooperating library address lists, and finally to the stored information about the regional library in Alabama, including a live link to the Alabama regional's own web site and an e-mail link to the library's director. Access is paramount During the transition period Martin worked closely with Judy Dixon, who, in addition to her knowledge of the web site's intricate history, possesses a profound knowledge as both an advocate and a user of the assistive technologies that transform digitized text for braille output or synthetic speech production. With Dixon's collaboration, Martin worked to incorporate document markup that could enable the preferred mechanisms of the access software. Web pages that are created primarily for the consumption of sighted readers, for example, make use of particular structures, layout tables, in their coding apparatus to manage visual materials for attractive display on the monitor; but some assistive devices become "confused" and balk when they encounter such structures. Martin, therefore, adopted document design that eliminates layout tables at . The site's original intention--to present textual information in alternative formats--remains its primary purpose today. Martin also focused on aspects of the site that are not apparent but assist readers in experiencing certain kinds of conceptual relationships in the site through strategic repetitions, parallel structures, and contextual markers. A kind of structural predictability throughout the site eases fluid navigation. Readers who wish to view a traditional linear table of contents may click on a "site map" link that appears at the top of each page. Further development anticipated During the spring of 2001, Martin analyzed the accumulated materials on the site and created a new site architecture. Once the architecture came clear, he developed templates to ensure consistent appearance and navigation. Finally, Martin began applying templates to each document and renovating the markup to be uniform. The summer of 2001 saw the introduction of a new home page, and the new appearance and site structure took command. From that time on, new publications were marked up for the web using the new standards. Beginning in spring 2002--because Internet technology never stands still--the entire site was again refurbished, this time to employ coding strategies that encourage ever more supple and efficient travel throughout the site. Consistent markup maximizes the use of technology that reinforces the meaning of text on web pages, specifically for the purpose of making the information at hand accessible and understandable by people using assistive technology. For the future, will continue to provide patrons with useful material in alternative or enhanced formats. An NLS Electronic Distribution Council oversees web development to ensure a consistent, timely, and relevant web presence. Interactivity will be pursued at many levels, streamlining procedures in network administration, inventory management, patron registration, book ordering, and information dissemination. Projects such as Web-Braille, which has already enriched the lives of thousands, and experiments such as the digital audio magazine delivery program will enliven the years to come, bringing improved quality to reading materials and playback equipment--along with reduced costs, greater flexibility, and faster, more efficient service. (photo caption: A prime concern is compatibility with adaptive technology such as this braille output device.) NLS: That All May Read Site Index Home Page Search the Catalog Advanced Search Ordering Books Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Sign Up Eligibility Reading Disabilities - NLS/BPH Factsheet Contact Us Information Request Form List of Contact Persons General Information Pages Who Is Eligible What Services Are Available Special cassette and record players Cassette player operating instructions Magazines In Accessible Format Listen to a sample of a talking book (RealAudio format) Where Are Libraries How to Sign Up What's New About NLS/BPH Laws Functions Organization List Description of Network List of Network Libraries What's New Press Releases Supporting Publications That Can Assist Our Readers Newsletters - NLS News and Update Reference Publications Technical Writings "Digital Talking Books: Developing a User Interface" by John Cookson and Lloyd Rasmussen, presented at Technology and Persons with Disabilities sponsored by the Center on Disabilities, California State University, Northridge; March 2001 http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf2001/proceedings/0030cookso n.html (This abbreviated portion of the site map indicates the variety and depth of web site entries.) NLS developing Internet audio magazine delivery NLS is preparing to launch a pilot program in 2003 to test the delivery over the Internet of digital audio magazines presented in real human speech. A small group of eligible readers will be selected to participate in the program, working closely with the NLS engineering group to develop a successful system. NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke summarized the undertaking: "As our engineering group began to demonstrate the capability of digital audio technology, NLS realized that it might be able to make use of these features to deliver digital versions of magazines to program users. The magazine program offers the right combination of relatively small audio files, the need for direct, timely delivery to users, and an existing delivery system--the web." While intended to lead one day to a full-time, full- scale Internet delivery system, the project's more immediate function is to serve as a tool for experiment and exploration in NLS's massive decade-long transition to digital technology. John Bryant, head of NLS's Production Control Section, who will direct the effort, has said "we plan to use web delivery of human-voice audio magazines to test the use of the ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002 standard to learn more about digital audio delivery in preparation for the more challenging audio books, with significantly larger files, that we will be producing in the future." The standard in question, recently adopted by the National Information Standards Organization and the American National Standards Institute, defines the format and content of the electronic file set by which a digital talking book is organized (see News, Vol. 33, No. 2, April-June 2002). At present, forty-four magazines are produced and issued on audio cassettes; they reach subscribers by mail. The range of interests represented is broad, including such titles as Analog Science Fiction, Ebony, Smart Computing, National Review, Sports Illustrated, Cricket, the New York Times Book Review, and magazines in Spanish, French, and German. NLS exhibit schedule--FY 2003 NLS will exhibit at twenty-eight conferences in fiscal year 2003 as part of its public outreach effort. Audiences are selected to maximize contact with potential patrons and groups that work with eligible individuals. Exhibits are operated by NLS staff and local network affiliates. Conferences on the 2002-2003 schedule are listed in order of their appearance. 2002 October 10 World Sight Day Washington, District of Columbia October 24-27 National Rehabilitation Association Indianapolis, Indiana October 25-30 National Association for Home Care Salt Lake City, Utah October 30-November 3 American Music Therapy Association Atlanta, Georgia October 31-November 3 East West Eye Conference Cleveland, Ohio November 9-13 American Public Health Association Philadelphia, Pennsylvania November 22-26 Gerontological Society of America Boston, Massachusetts 2003 January 24-27 American Library Association Midwinter Conference Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 10-16 Music Library Association Austin, Texas February 19-22 Foundation for the Junior Blind Beverly Hills, California February 27-March 2 Council on Social Work Education Atlanta, Georgia February 28-March 2 National Education Association Washington, District of Columbia March 13-16 American Society on Aging Chicago, Illinois March 13-16 National Association of Activity Professionals Gatlinburg, Tennessee March 20-23 International Vision Expo New York City, New York March 21-25 American Counseling Association Anaheim, California April 9-12 Council for Exceptional Children Seattle, Washington May 1-3 National Braille Association Middleburg Heights, Ohio June 6-9 American Occupational Therapy Association Washington, District of Columbia June 13-17 American Diabetes Association New Orleans, Louisiana June 21-24 American Library Association National Conference Toronto, Canada June 27-29 American Nurses Association Washington, District of Columbia June 28-July 4 National Federation of the Blind Louisville, Kentucky July 5-12 American Council of the Blind Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 10-16 National Association of Area Agencies on Aging Baltimore, Maryland July 15-19 Association on Higher Education and Disability Dallas, Texas August 22-28 American Legion National Conference St. Louis, Missouri August 26-30 Blinded Veterans Association Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America National Book Festival offers presentation on Digital Talking Books Books for the Blind in the Twenty-first Century was one of the featured presentations in the Library of Congress Pavilion during the National Book Festival, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and First Lady Laura Bush, on Saturday, October 12, 2002. The National Book Festival kicked off with a gala event Friday evening in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress Jefferson Building. The gala was attended by President and Mrs. Bush, Librarian of Congress James Billington, the first lady of the Russian Federation, Ludmila Putin, and the more than 60 authors participating in the festival. Speaking to the gathering, Laura Bush highlighted the importance of the occasion. "For my family, and for the people in this room, there is nothing more vital than the life of the imagination and the accumulation of knowledge and experience through reading. Even though our guests are as diverse as the country itself, we are all readers at heart. I am confident that the second National Book Festival will satisfy our craving for the adventures of a good book," she noted. The National Book Festival opened at 10 a.m. Saturday on the West Lawn of the Capitol, spilling over into the first two blocks of the Mall. The authors read from their works and signed their books, and a pantheon of storytellers and performers from a variety of cultures entertained those attending the festival. Blind sportsman and author Erik Weihenmayer was among the distinguished guests. Many participants collected information from exhibit booths housed in the LC Pavilion, the Pavilion of States, and Let's Read America I. Representatives included staff from the American Foundation for the Blind, the American Printing House for the Blind, RFB&D (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic), and of course NLS, all under the heading of "Books for the Blind and Handicapped." Network librarians from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who have undertaken a collaborative effort to conduct the Take a Talking Book Outreach Campaign for Seniors joined NLS staff informing visitors about the free library service. Judy Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer, demonstrated computer braille for visitors to the booth. Books for the Blind in the Twenty-first Century was featured in the LC Pavilion theatre. In a presentation designed with children in mind, research and development officer Michael Moodie and senior engineer Lloyd Rasmussen reviewed the past, present, and future of audio books and free library service for the blind. They briefly discussed the legislative action that established NLS and then explained the technology that is the backbone of the program. The team kept their audience engaged by displaying or demonstrating elements representing the evolution of the talking-book program, such as the old rigid discs, cassettes, and the technology behind the forthcoming digital book. (Editor's Note From time to time we introduce members of the Friends of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America, some of the many talented and accomplished individuals who illustrate the diversity of interests and achievements possible to blind and handicapped peoples.) (photo caption: Judy Dixon (center), NLS consumer relations officer, discusses the NLS program with visitors at the National Book Festival.) Seven-year-old patron meets his hero In the midst of all the activities at the National Book Festival on October 12, 2002, author and nationally acclaimed mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer met with one of his fans, seven-year-old John Vickers of Athens, Texas, who is a patron of the Texas Regional Library in Austin and a "friend" of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Lisa Beth Vickers, the child's mother, contacted NLS and asked if it were possible to arrange for her son to meet Weihenmayer, with whom he had communicated via e-mail. Vickers explained that when John heard about the National Book Festival and learned that Weihenmeyer would be there, he really wanted to come. She and her mother made arrangements and were pleasantly surprised when the Texas Commission for the Blind "underwrote a major portion of our trip." John, a first-grade student at Bel-Air Elementary School, lost his sight approximately two years ago as a result of a brain tumor. Vickers explained, "John has Neurofibromatosis Type 1, which often causes tumors of the optic chiasm and most often results in blindness. This is a genetic disorder that is difficult to diagnose and goes undiagnosed, as in John's case, until visual problems are realized." "John lost his sight within three days of starting kindergarten," Vickers said. It was then that doctors discovered a brain tumor. John underwent surgery and then a year of chemotherapy. Although the tumor was effectively reduced to the size of a pea, John's optical nerves were damaged beyond repair. NLS staff were able to connect the sportsman and the young man. Weihenmayer and John spent approximately thirty minutes together. John came prepared with a print-braille book and braille flash cards to share with Weihenmayer. Vickers said, "John thinks Erik is super cool! He was so impressed to learn that Erik is planning to parasail off the side of a 3,000-foot cliff. He told me that Erik missed only one braille card on his 'test.'" The sportsman attained celebrity status as the blind mountaineer who conquered Mount Everest in May 2001. He was one of the featured authors at the festival, where he discussed and autographed his book, Touch the Top of the World (RC 51505), for fans. Arriving in Washington, D.C., two days before the National Book Festival, John, his mother, and his grandmother toured the NLS facility. He visited various sections, learning how audio books are made. Vickers reported on her return home that John's "teacher let him get up in front of the class and tell all about his trip. He gave the class a poster of Erik and showed off his map from NLS and all of the other goodies he brought home." She said, "I cannot thank Erik Weihenmayer and the Library of Congress enough for all that they did to make our trip so special." (About the Friends Individuals, institutions, and corporations may join the Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America. The nonprofit group supports library programs for blind and physically handicapped persons in the United States and Canada through a number of activities and products. The Friends of Libraries is associated with national library programs and encourages local friends groups in the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America, Inc., 1800 Johnson Street, Suite 800, Baltimore, MD 21230, USA; phone (410) 659-9314.) (photo caption: John Vickers and Erik Weihenmayer meet during the National Book Festival.) Maryland celebrates its home for a decade On September 14 the Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (MLBPH) celebrated ten years at its current downtown Baltimore location. The five-story facility has a gross area of 46,218 square feet. The library, which operated out of a 7,776-square-foot leased space from 1968 to December of 1992, commemorated the event with a ceremony titled "Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped on the Move: Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present, Planning the Future." Maryland governor Parris N. Glendening also proclaimed September 14 as "Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Day." The event, hosted by the Friends of MLBPH and the library staff, included speeches to commemorate the library's humble beginnings as a staff of seven serving 1,000 patrons, to its present-day service for eleven times that many patrons by a regular staff of fifteen and a volunteer staff of fifty. Sharon Maneki, vice president of the Friends, introduced the speakers. After introductory remarks by William Bingman, president of the Friends group, and by acting director Jill Lewis, Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, discussed moving the building in 1992 and his personal use of the library as a patron. Other speakers included Irene Padilla, Maryland state librarian; Nancy Grasmick, superintendent of education; and Frank Kurt Cylke, director of NLS. Other highlights were the annual presentation of the Estelle B. Williamson Literacy Awards, given to Courtney Despaux, a younger patron who will use the money to purchase braille equipment, and to Karen Frank, a teacher at the Maryland School for the Blind, where she is developing a braille tactile program for preschoolers. The audience of more than 135 patrons also witnessed the dedication of the June Kleeman Children's Center to the first president of the Friends group. Sharon McFarland, former director of the library, was on hand to cut the cake. The final event was the keynote speech of narrator Laura Giannarelli, who treated the audience to an uproar of laughs as she reminisced about cues and miscues over her long career at NLS. For the attending patrons, many of whom had never before visited the library, there was a walking tour of the facilities and exhibits of the library's collections. The ceremony was recorded for those who were unable to attend. (photo caption: Patron Courtney Despaux discusses her prize with Nancy Grasmick, Maryland superintendent of education.) (photo caption: Visitors enjoy refreshments and conversation after the ceremony.) Network exchange Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (DCLBPH) served as the hospitality center for the World Sight Day held October 10. The sponsors--the National Eye Institute, Lions Clubs International, Lighthouse International, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness--hosted the event at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, home of the DCLBPH. "Because it was about sight, we were asked to be involved," said regional librarian Grace Lyons. "We decided to combine the activity with our annual open house and organized an exhibit area to distribute accessibility information to the community." Approximately 18 vendors participated, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia, Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program, and NLS. World Sight Day was launched by Lions Clubs International in 1998 to recognize and reinforce the importance of eradicating preventable blindness. Immediate past president of Lions Clubs International, Frank Moore, noted, "Although we have long been committed to eradicating preventable and reversible blindness around the world, we are focusing increased attention on working with our partners to prevent vision loss in the United States. Molly Raphael, director of D.C. Library Services, opened up the event highlighting the role of libraries as "connectors of information." She said the day was especially important to her personally, as she lost an eye in an automobile accident at the age of 17. Missouri (Jefferson City). Approximately once a week Wolfner Library offers patrons recommended reading lists on a variety of topics for youth and adults. Wolfner started the lists as an e-mail service but now distributes them in alternative formats as well as through its web site. In its two years of operation, staff members of the library have created more than 100 short bibliographies, with more than 1,800 copies sent to individuals. Sample titles include Never Judge a Book by Its Movie, Spies You Wouldn't Suspect, and Beyond Oprah. All books are NLS titles, some in recorded format and some in braille, so the bibliographies can easily be used by other NLS libraries. Lists can be viewed on the Wolfner web site at . To receive them as distributed, send an e-mail to Wolfner Library at and ask to be added to the distribution list. California (Los Angeles). The Braille Institute Library wrapped up its summer reading program with a celebration on Friday, July 19. The theme was the Olympics--"Take the Lead...Read!" Guest speakers were Los Angeles police officer Rosalyn Bryant Clark, silver medalist in the summer 1976 Olympics for track and field, and Robert Balk, gold and silver medalist in the Paralympics 2000 World Championships for skiing. This year 206 children read a total of 1,765 books on cassette and in braille. Summer reading chairperson Julie Uyeno introduced Braille Institute's president Leslie E. Stocker and vice president Barry N. Kaye, who presented certificates and prizes. Prizes ranged from book certificates to passes for entertainment events. Activities included a dance contest led by committee members Nicole Bailey and Dawn Fuller and storytelling by reader advisor Lyda Troedson. At the end of the party, guests received goodies bags that included toys, candy, and an audio and braille letter from Timothy Goegel, bronze medalist in men's figure skating in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Canada's Torgi awards honor NLS partner An NLS-produced title was honored with a Torgi Literary Award in the partner-produced category at a ceremony in Toronto on September 17. The awards, sponsored by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Library for the Blind, are Canada's only such program to recognize books in alternate formats. A winner in the nonfiction category was As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl, by John Calopinto and narrated by Bruce Nelson at NLS. Torgi's were first given in 1984 to highlight the importance of books in alternate formats. The award was named for Morley Torgov, author and narrator of the inaugural winning book, The Outside Chance of Maximillian Glick. A winning title's author, publisher, and narrator each receive a Torgi tactile plaque and a copy of the book in the alternate format. Winners are chosen by volunteer panels of library patrons. Detroit patrons work with playwrights group The Detroit Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is actively involved in Radio Playwrights, a drop-in workshop begun in 1999 as a partnership with the Matrix Theatre Company. Participants meet every week at the Frederick Douglass Branch of the Detroit Public Library to write, perform, and produce original radio plays. The Matrix Theatre Company is a well-known community- based group in southwest Detroit, promoting creativity and social justice through the development and production of original theater. "This has been a most successful program," says subregional librarian Dori Middleton. "It is important to the people involved, who have to make a considerable effort just to get to the library every week. We have a core group of six people who have participated faithfully from the beginning, and right now there are about twelve. Over the years at least two dozen patrons have taken part. This is a drop-in program, so the numbers vary." Radio Playwrights broadcast its first radio drama, "The Cousin," in the spring of 2000 on the Detroit Regional Information Service channel, a sub-carrier radio station designed specifically for blind and physically handicapped people. That year it also created "Udder Confusion," a radio comedy of a humorous journey through outer space. At the present time, Radio Playwrights is producing a third radio drama, "Disconnected Love." "We record at the library, and though we have no studio, we've learned to make do," says Middleton. "The first presentation was done in our bookmobile garage--which was rather strange. The other two took place in our meeting room." These various programs are supported by the Innovation Fund of Empowerment Zone, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Detroit City Arts, and the Matrix Circle. (Material for this article is from Dori Middleton, Detroit, Michigan, subregional librarian.) (photo caption: Patron photo adorns playwrights brochure.) International briefs Dominican Republic. The Blind Dominican Foundation (FUDCI) plays a leading role in providing sight-impaired individuals with a variety of cultural and educational opportunities and benefits through its talking-book program, distance library services, training and teaching programs, and a national braille printing press. The braille press expands the horizons of sight-impaired individuals by printing many thousands of transcribed volumes. The talking-book program is one of the first far- reaching services that offers recreational and instructional materials to users who have severe disabilities other than blindness. The distance-book program also accommodates those who live outside metropolitan areas and have little access to braille materials. Based on 2001 numbers, more than 278 individuals benefited from the distance-book program as compared to 50 individuals taking advantage of it in 1999. The instructional programs sponsored by FUDCI teach and train sight-impaired individuals to use the computer through a PC-voice system and to become acquainted with different computer programs. More than 57 individuals benefited from these computer classes in 2000-2001. The Dominican Republican Foundation plans in 2002 to transcribe the books used in the Dominican Republic's educational system and to obtain a new and faster printing press. In addition, it will introduce the compact digital book and create cultural centers in different towns and cities. The Blind Dominican Foundation also organizes support groups for disabled people, provides scholarships for needy students, and offers lessons in the English language. It intends to purchase more technologically advanced equipment for the use of the blind and visually impaired people in the Dominican Republic. (Information for this article is from a report presented at the Association of Caribbean University, Research, and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) preconference held in Jamaica, May 25, 26.) Novosibirsk, Russia. Nineteen countries participated in the International Exhibition and Book Fair of Siberia 2002 held April 23-26. NLS exhibited its braille book materials as part of an exposition, "Editions in Alternative Formats in the Electronic Age," within the fair. The exposition also included a conference, "Libraries Providing Services for People with Disabilities and Public Sector on the Way to Social Partnership." Yuri Y. Lesnevsky, director of the Novosibirsk Regional Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired, coordinated the exposition. Countries exhibiting, in addition to the United States, were Australia, the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Commonwealth of Independent States, Croatia, France, Japan, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In all, there were 122 participants in the exposition and conference. In addition, there were 86 representatives from 24 Russian regions who also visited the exposition exhibit. The exposition's Diploma and Grand Gold Medal "for the use of new, progressive technologies of social value and of modern design" was awarded to the Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind. "Grandfather Oscar's Stories," by Chilean writer Ernesto Lopez Arcos, was translated from Spanish into Russian and then published in three alternative formats: braille and tactile graphics, large print, and cassette. (Information for this article is from Yuri Y. Lesnevsky, director of the Novosibirsk Regional Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired.) Sweden. The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB) has produced about 1,500 new talking books as digital titles since it started digital production at the end of 2000, in addition to producing approximately 1,000 titles for students. Analog copies are made from digital masters for many titles. Conversion of 4,000 analog titles to digital format is projected each year for the period 2002- 2003. TPB contracts with ten small companies to achieve these amounts. TPB has 7,000 enlisted borrowers, 1,000 of which are public libraries, and circulation is approximately 230,000 items per year. The catalog database lists 120,000 titles in 150,000 copies. Approximately 400 braille titles are produced annually. Braille books are lent directly to patrons, including university students with reading disabilities. (Information for this article is from a paper, Future Systems: A Scandinavian Approach to Integrated Library Systems, by Birgitta Irvall.) IFLA. Brad Kormann, chief of the NLS Materials Development Division, briefed members of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) on the development of the digital talking book (DTB) at an open meeting of the Section on Libraries for the Blind in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 18, 2002. Kormann described the function, form, and flexibility of DTBs, as well as NLS's continuing pursuit of providing new and lasting technology to its patrons. He also explained the twenty-step plan that the NLS Digital Audio Development Project (DAD) adopted three years ago when it set out to create a DTB that would make the mission of NLS even more effective. Citing research and development, engineering and manufacturing, and the plan for production, Kormann outlined NLS's goal of providing 20,000 digital books and 50,000 players by 2008. (Information for this article is from a report presented at the Association of Caribbean University, Research, and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) preconference held in Jamaica, May 25, 26.) Digital-design exhibit opens An exhibition of possible digital talking-book machines opened October 21 on the sixth floor of the Library of Congress (LC) Madison Building--a high-traffic area near the cafeteria open to LC staff and the general public. The machine prototypes are winning entries in the recent design contest sponsored by NLS and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). See News, July-September 2002. Events included (1) remarks by first-place winner Lachezar Tsvetanov, (2) a luncheon for involved NLS staff and consumers hosted by Librarian of Congress James Billington (second from left), and (3)a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Kristina Goodrich, IDSA executive director and chief operating officer; Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind; Tsvetanov; and Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. (photo caption: (1)) (photo caption: (2)) (photo caption: (3)) The Program The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress publishes books and magazines in braille and in recorded form on discs and cassettes for readers who cannot hold, handle, or see well enough to read conventional print because of a temporary or permanent visual or physical handicap. Through a national network of state and local libraries, the materials are loaned free to eligible readers in the United States and to U.S. citizens living abroad. Materials are sent to readers and returned by postage-free mail. Books and Magazines Readers may borrow all types of popular-interest books including bestsellers, classics, mysteries, westerns, poetry, history, biographies, religious literature, children's books, and foreign-language materials. Readers may also subscribe to more than seventy popular magazines in braille and recorded formats. Special Equipment Special equipment needed to play the discs and cassettes, which are recorded at slower than conventional speeds, is loaned indefinitely to readers. An amplifier with headphone is available for blind and physically handicapped readers who are also certified as hearing impaired. Other devices are provided to aid readers with mobility impairments in using playback machines. Eligibility You are eligible for the Library of Congress program if:  You are legally blind--your vision in the better eye is 20/200 or less with correcting glasses, or your widest diameter of visual field is no greater than 20 degrees;  You cannot see well enough or focus long enough to read standard print, although you wear glasses to correct your vision;  You are unable to handle print books or turn pages because of a physical handicap; or  You are certified by a medical doctor as having a reading disability, due to an organic dysfunction, which is of sufficient severity to prevent reading in a normal manner. How to Apply You may request an application by writing NLS or calling toll-free 1-800-424-9100, and your name will be referred to your cooperating library. News is published quarterly by: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 All correspondence should be addressed to the attention of Publications and Media Section. Editor: Vicki Fitzpatrick Writers: Jane Caulton, Jason Greenberg, Irene Kost, and Edmund O'Reilly