News

ISSN 1046-1663

July-September 2000, Vol. 31, No. 3

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

The Library of Congress





Digital planning takes shape



As the Digital Talking Book Standard being developed by the National

Information Standards Organization (NISO) nears completion, NLS is forging

ahead with a range of product developments and procedures that are bringing

the domain of digital technology ever closer to hand. A computer mockup of a

digital talking-book (DTB) file is under way; innovative duplication

procedures are successfully undergoing rigorous scrutiny; and full-length,

digitally mastered recordings are being developed.

     "We're moving carefully and steadily forward as outlined in Digital

Talking Books: Planning for the Future," says NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke.

"Getting beyond theory to the first working systems is a very positive

step."

     By September 30, a draft of the NISO Digital Talking Book Standard

will be circulated for public review. Preparation of the standard began in

late 1996 to evaluate and codify the desirable features of DTBs for blind

and physically handicapped readers in the light of evolving technology. Many

details have yet to be refined, but the draft standard is well enough

established that experimentation with software and equipment can move ahead.

     NISO progress. Work toward the development of a standard for DTBs

continued at a meeting in Los Angeles, March 19-21 of this year. Members of

the NISO DTB standards committee identified areas where significant work

still remains to be done and assigned subcommittees to schedule and carry

out these tasks. The Navigation Control Center, a text file that provides

readers using portable players quick access to the main structural

components of a book (chapters, sections, pages, notes, graphics), was

identified as the key area in which substantive work was still required; a

group began work on the open issues immediately after the main meeting

adjourned. The committee also decided to develop a selection of sample books

and prepare at least two playback devices to demonstrate the capabilities of

DTBs. NLS and several other agencies made commitments to build the sample

books over the summer and to devise a test plan that will determine how well

a player or a book meets the requirements of the standard.

     The full NISO committee will next meet in October at the Canadian

National Institute for the Blind in Toronto.

     DTB simulation project. NLS has made significant progress developing a

prototype of a DTB file. The software is partially operational, but some

functions remain to be implemented, according to Tom McLaughlin, assistant

head of the NLS Quality Assurance Section, who has guided the development of

the prototype to this point.

     An outside contractor has been engaged to work with NLS to help create

capabilities for basic and advanced navigation through a document. These

features include immediate access to a given page, setting multiple

bookmarks, allowing users to hear or deliberately skip footnotes, navigating

through tables and lists, and various speed-control possibilities. The

simulation that will result from this phase of the project will operate on a

standard PC using conventional software. 

     MSCE tape duplication facility. The digital recording and duplicating

facility at the Multistate Center East (MSCE) is operating smoothly in the

production of digital running masters for network-produced magazines. The

Telex digital duplication equipment, installed in May 1999, converts open-reel masters to digital files at eight times real time. It then duplicates

these digital files at sixteen times real time on to four-track analog

cassettes for distribution to regional libraries. The digital equipment is

contributing significantly to the MSC's production of 300-500 four-track

cassettes every week. 

     The apparatus, still under experimental development at the MSC, is

largely the responsibility of audio duplication technician Mary Crain, who

consults regularly with Telex personnel and NLS audio book production

specialist Bill West. Not only are efficiency, speed, and consistency of

output superior, but the digital recording procedures yield end products of

a noticeably higher acoustic quality than comparable analog operations can

generate.

     Recording Studio. The NLS Recording Studio has completed the recording

phase of its first digital talking-book master, a collection of fairy tales

by Charles Perrault, and has five more digital recordings in process.

     Peter G. Peterson's Gray Dawn, selected as the studio's second major

project, is a book that presents particular problems that are characterized

as "abstruse" in NLS parlance. Laden with specialized language, charts,

figures, and graphs, as well as an index, Gray Dawn will provide a challenge

to the developers of digital navigation software, who must find ways of

marking these features for ease of comprehension, location, and retrieval by

the reader. At the same time the book is being recorded, a contractor is

applying special codes to the text file of Gray Dawn. When work on the audio

and text files is completed, they will be combined with other components to

create a full-featured DTB compliant with the draft NISO standard. Four

novels, comparatively straightforward in terms of production, are also in

process. 

     Studio director Marge Goergen-Rood is enthusiastic about the digital

developments at NLS despite the occasional frustrations inherent in

establishing new procedures and attaining a comfortable measure of

familiarity with new technology. The digital mastering equipment has

entailed a sharp learning curve and a variety of systems management

challenges, but the long-term gains in sound quality, editing speed, and

overall efficient production will amply repay the effort.

(Digital Talking Books: Planning for the Future and other documents

pertaining to digital strategy are available on the NLS web site

<www.loc.gov/nls/dtb.html>.)

(photo caption: The first digital talking-book master produced in the NLS

Recording Studio is a familiar childhood favorite that contains eleven

classic fairy tales.)





Collection-building group praises book collection



The National Advisory Group on Collection Building Activities met at NLS May

24-26 to develop recommendations for the national book and magazine

programs. Having gathered views from their local constituencies, the

representatives conferred to consider targeted areas and to establish

priorities as a group. The resulting recommendations concerned procedural

matters, quality issues, statistics, and access.

     Book collection. The group commended NLS "for its excellent work in

building its collection of classics and contemporary literary work and

continuing to develop the breadth and depth of these collections," for

increasing the production of Spanish titles, for achieving diversity and

balance in its holdings despite budget constraints, for improving

PRINT/BRAILLE book covers, and for restrained selection of debut or

experimental fiction.

     Access. Commendation was also expressed for the Web-BLND and Web-Braille projects and for providing libraries with copy allotment procedures

on the World Wide Web. The representatives asked that NLS make subject

bibliographies and catalogs available on computer diskette and that NLS give

priority to new bestseller and biography bibliographies.

     Statistics. Among the issues mentioned for improvement were providing

more information to the committee on readership, collection distribution by

genre, and magazine subscriptions. The representatives recommended that NLS

develop and conduct a study to quantify the changing composition of the

patron population served by NLS and its impact on network services.

     Procedures. The members asked that NLS continue to work to develop a

mechanism for purchasing materials from out-of-print book vendors. The

committee also would like NLS to revise the online copy allotment screen to

put juvenile and young adult materials together and to include the modified

Dewey code for juvenile titles.

     Quality. The group requested that NLS give priority to identifying and

deleting obsolete, dated materials and that subject bibliographies be

compiled taking currency and relevancy of materials into account. The

members also recommended that finished cassettes be randomly tested as to

sound quality, especially at higher volume levels. Another recommended

improvement was to revise NLS specification 300 (book mastering) to spell

authors' full name(s) at the beginning of each recorded book.

     Magazines. It was recommended that NLS develop and conduct a patron

survey concerning magazines. Also, the committee requested that NLS search

for a new magazine on classical, popular, and country music and that NLS add

Teen People to fill a gap in the magazine program for young people.

     Radio reading services. One recommendation was addressed to the

network. The committee encouraged network libraries and radio reading

services to work collaboratively to provide local materials to registered

users.



The recommendations are being considered by NLS staff, who will have

responses compiled and sent to committee members.

(photo caption: Librarians Lois Gross and Celia Holm (standing) exchange

remarks with patrons Michael Richman and John Taylor.)

(photo caption: Patron Barbara Walker examines a PRINT/BRAILLE book with a

cover using the print book art.)





Committee members



Consumer group representatives: John Taylor (Iowa), American Council of the

Blind; Corinne A. Blank (Virginia), Blinded Veterans of America; Barbara

Walker (Nebraska), National Federation of the Blind.

Readers-at-large: Gary Adelman (Illinois), Midlands; Michael Richman

(Vermont), North; Michael Duke (Mississippi), South; Michael Jones

(Colorado), West

Librarians: Maggie Bacon (Michigan), Midlands; Carol Taylor (Connecticut),

North; Barbara L. Moyer (Florida), South; Lois Gross (Colorado), West; Celia

Holm (New York), Children's and Young Adult





New software development enhances Web-Braille



In July NLS announced the activation of a software feature that will link

its Web-Braille system on the Internet to the NLS International Union

Catalog for braille and audio materials, enabling electronic braille readers

for the first time to make full use of the search capabilities of the

catalog. Electronic braille books may now be accessed by author, title,

subject, language, keywords, and other search terms.

     Web-Braille, inaugurated on August 24, 1999, was a milestone in the

history of library service for blind and visually disabled individuals,

providing eligible braille readers with a direct channel to thousands of

electronic braille files. The program has proven successful, with nearly

1,000 patrons already involved. More than 3,000 titles are currently

available to individuals, schools, and libraries with Internet connections

and output devices such as braille embossers or refreshable braille display

equipment. The collection is growing at the rate of about forty titles every

month.

     For the first ten months of its existence, the Web-Braille program

offered only limited search options; but, because of its success, an

initiative was launched to increase the accessibility of available books.

"The enthusiasm that greeted the Web-Braille program called for an

accelerated response by NLS to the wishes of patrons for improved search

capabilities," says Robert Axtell, head of the NLS Bibliographic Control

Section. "The undertaking involved a united effort by Library of Congress

information technology specialists, NLS consumer relations officer Judith

Dixon, and Bibliographic Control staff, all working together to realize for

our braille-reading constituency the full functionality of the automated

catalog."

     Now the records of the International Union Catalog contain direct

links to the electronic Web-Braille files. For books that are retrievable

through Web-Braille, readers will receive a message that notes the

availability of the book as a grade 2 braille digital file. New users of the

system are directed to register with a cooperating network library to

establish their free user ID and password. Registered readers may proceed

directly to the online text of the book they want with virtually a single

keystroke. 

     The NLS International Union Catalog is a database of records for

finding books in braille and recorded formats. The 325,000 titles listed,

represented in 23 million copies, are from the NLS collection as well as

other agencies serving blind and disabled readers throughout the English-speaking world. Patrons may search the full catalog of books in all special

formats (including, optionally, books that are in process) or choose to

limit their search to Web-Braille titles.





David Whittall appointed network consultant



David M. Whittall joined the NLS staff on June 5 as a network consultant and

will be responsible for the libraries in the Northern and Southern Regions

of the NLS network beginning in October. He has more than thirteen years of

network library service.

     His duties include providing consultant services through visits and

communication with libraries serving blind and physically handicapped

individuals. He will work collaboratively to improve library services, as

well as write reports and collect statistics that will help identify service

trends throughout the network. He will also serve as a liaison at national

and regional exhibits, conferences, and meetings.

     Whittall, a native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, is an enrolled member of the

Citizen Band Potawatomi tribe of Oklahoma. His family moved to the San

Joaquin Valley of California when he was twelve. He received a bachelor of

arts degree in fine art from California State University of Los Angeles.

     In 1983 he worked at the Braille Institute Library in Los Angeles,

California, where he was machine coordinator. In 1988, Whittall returned to

college and worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, becoming full-time upon

graduation. He worked on a Space Shuttle experiment called Radiat 7 that

flew on the International Microgravity Laboratory, IML-1, Flight STS 42,

before returning to talking-book library service. In 1992 he joined the

Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library in Phoenix, Arizona, where he

was machine supervisor, working with the Telephone Pioneers of America,

Chapter #66, repairing cassette players for the patrons in Arizona as well

as those of fourteen other regional libraries. Whittall expanded the

sublending agency network throughout Arizona to provide new alternatives for

patrons' needs. 

     Whittall is happy about working at NLS. "It is a great program, and

I'm excited about working with so many network libraries and with living on

the East Coast," Whittall says. This is the first time he has lived east of

the Mississippi River. Whittall says he plans on seeing places that he has

only read about in history books or seen on television. Both of the NLS

Regions he will cover are almost entirely new territory for him. 

     His outside interests are in art, Grand Prix auto racing ("really in

driving fast in/on anything with wheels"), Native American culture and

history, and the natural sciences.

(photo caption: David Whittall)





Michigan libraries reach out



The Michigan regional library at Lansing, along with several of its

subregionals, sponsored a series of three events this spring--all including

displays by vendors--to call the attention of potential patrons, librarians,

and educators to technology and services available to blind and partially

sighted individuals. A separate activity targeted doctors. 



Vendor activities

"It was one of the best things I've done here," said Cindy Lou Poquette,
director of the Indian River Public Library. By May 12, 2000, eight Michigan

libraries for the blind and physically handicapped, two public libraries,

more than thirty vendors, and a host of patrons all walked away tired but

very satisfied with the effort to bring ideas about using hi-tech/lo-tech

adaptive technology and service agencies together with the people who need

them the most. It all began with a big bang in Washtenaw County on April 25.

The Washtenaw County subregional, working closely with the Ann Arbor

District Library, pulled the largest audience. Included with the vendors'

exhibits were two displays for the southeastern Michigan libraries for the

blind and physically handicapped contingency--the Wayne County regional and

the subregionals at Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw Counties. The library for

the blind and physically disabled was bursting at the seams with patrons,

vendors, and service agencies (see News, April-June 2000).

     Following the success in Washtenaw County, on May 9 the Library of

Michigan regional held a professional conference, Libraries without Walls

2000, for librarians and educators. The purpose of the conference was to

introduce and demonstrate to educators and librarians how adaptive

technology meets the information needs of persons with visual or physical

impairments through the Internet, online catalogs, and electronic media.

Professor Emeritus Norman R. Coombs gave the keynote address on distance

learning and students with disabilities. Professor Coombs received the

Francis Joseph Campbell Award from the American Library Association at its

summer convention in Chicago for his work in making libraries more

accessible to people with disabilities. 

     Scott Norris, adaptive technology coordinator for the regional library

and conference coordinator, said, "Based on the success of both the

conference workshops and vendor area, we have no choice but to continue

planning more of these events each year. Conference participants went

straight from the training area to the vendors to see the product displays--up close and personal." 

     The final event of Libraries without Walls 2000 was held at the Indian

River Library in Indian River, Michigan, on May 11. And the place was

hopping! 

     "Transportation is such an issue in northern Michigan for our patrons.

We really had no idea whether asking vendors to come that far north would

bring us success, but we wanted to try to move this whole concept

statewide," said Norris. 

     Thanks to the efforts of the Upper Peninsula, Northland, and Grand

Traverse subregionals, the opportunity for vendors to work with interested

patrons was terrific. People were lined up to see the computer equipment,

the CCTV, and the glasses (called Jordie) that made you feel as if you were

a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The vendors and patrons were

thrilled with the response. 

     The success of all three programs has already resulted in the

development of more plans for 2001. The Library of Michigan regional is

working with the Kent District and Muskegon County subregionals for a large

event in western Michigan, and with the Mideastern Michigan and St. Clair

County Library subregionals for an event in mideastern Michigan. 



Services to doctors

In March of 1999, the Library of Michigan Service for the Blind and

Physically Handicapped received an $18,000 grant from Consumer's Energy

through the Library of Michigan Foundation. The purpose of the grant was to

develop promotional materials targeted toward medical professionals. A

dramatic brochure entitled "A More Colorful World" was developed in black

and white with hints of gold to catch the eye of the doctors (or their

staff) and to describe, as simply and concisely as possible, the wonderful

services available through Michigan Libraries for the Blind and Physically

Handicapped. The graphic design firm of Ciesa and Associates of East

Lansing, Michigan, designed the brochure and the mailing envelope and worked

with staff and patrons in writing the copy. Each packet, mailed in the month

of May, contained an application, a brief description of the service, and a

tabletop poster for display in the doctor's office.

     "Doctors are often the first professionals to see the people who may

be eligible for talking-book and braille library service. They are the ones

who can help us get the word out about this terrific service," said Christie

Brandau, Library of Michigan State Librarian. The grant covered printing,

assembling, and mailing the finished packets.

(Material for this article was provided by Maggie Bacon, regional librarian

at the Library of Michigan.)

(photo caption: Patrons throng the vendor areas at Libraries without Walls

2000.)

(photo caption: Information packets on available services were mailed to

Michigan doctors in May.)





South Carolina regional moves to new quarters



The Department for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the South

Carolina State Library has moved to its new home at 1430 Senate Street in

Columbia. Formerly the location of the South Carolina Department of Archives

and History, the impressive building, which was erected in 1954, was

expanded to twice its size in 1971. It was acquired by the State Library in

1999, and major renovation began that summer.

     Throughout the building, minor fixes are still under way, and new

designs are under development for improved handicapped access, but the

building was ready for occupancy by late April of this year. Although

services were suspended during the move, patrons were reconnected with their

library the first week of June. 

     The Talking Books Library is now in the same structure as the State

Library's Administrative and Library Development departments and directly

across the street from the State Library's other building, which houses its

Information Resources Center, Network Services, and Interlibrary Loan

Departments. Now patrons who visit the Talking Books Library also have the

opportunity to use the State Library's reference resources.

     The new building has five levels. The latest additions to the large-print book collection are on display in the second-floor reading room, along

with selected braille resources and materials for children. Accessible

computer work stations will be placed in the second-floor reading room.

CCTVs are available, and the Information Resources Center building has an

accessible computer workstation and a CCTV. Directly adjacent to the reading

room are the information desk and the offices of the reader advisors. The

office of the director of the Talking Books Library and a conference room

are located on the administrative wing. 

     Mail room operations, tape duplication, and volunteer work areas are

located on the first floor, and the move has provided expanded stack space

for the library's collection.

     The relocation is allowing the Department for the Blind and Physically

Handicapped to become more integrated with other functions of the State

Library--a move that will lead to expanded and improved library services for

South Carolinians with disabilities.

     An open house for talking-book readers is planned for later in the

year.

(Material for this article was provided by Guynell Williams, South Carolina

regional librarian.)

(photo caption: Imposing home of South Carolina Talking Book Library)





Network exchange



New Hampshire (Concord). New Hampshire's Talking Book Library doesn't have a

Friends group, but it does have friends in many places, and in 1998 those

friends came together to do a group of five 30-second radio spots promoting

the service.

     In one, a man complains that after a stroke, the marks on a page are

just so many squiggles; in another, a man comments that even large print has

gotten hard to read; in a third, a woman speaks of being able to continue

reading after an accident left her unable to hold a book; and in a fourth, a

teen tells of learning through listening after his dyslexia is diagnosed.

The fifth was based on the simple declarative, "Every seven minutes someone

in America loses his vision."

     A major local radio station, WJYY, provided studio time and duplicated

tapes at no cost to the library, and the station manager, Stuart Richter,

provided a current list of radio station managers across the state. Each one

received a tape and a copy of the print texts of all the spots along with a

personal letter and a return postcard, and every one responded that his

station would indeed run the spots over the course of the year. It probably

didn't hurt that the cover letter credited the generosity of the local

station and its manager, who just happened to be serving as president of the

state's broadcast association for that year--something the library didn't

know in advance.

     "We heard from readers in every area," says regional librarian Eileen

Keim, "telling us that they had heard something about their library on their

local radio stations. Using  real people,' not trained voices, made the

spots stand out.

     "Unfortunately, library staff didn't ask each new reader how he

learned about Talking Books, so we couldn't establish any direct link

between number of applicants and the public service announcements."

(This article was provided by New Hampshire regional librarian Eileen Keim.)



Missouri (Jefferson City). The spring 2000 issue of Wolfner News reports

that major renovations at the regional library have brought the public

services section from its previous location at the back of the building to

an area just a few steps away from the front door. Reader advisors are

available to patrons in the first office after entering the building, and

the whole area is much more accessible to patrons.

     Wolfner's circulation and tape duplication departments have expanded

into the space vacated by the public services staff, giving both much-needed

room to grow. In addition, a new position was added to the staff on January

3, when Deborah Stroup assumed the duties of coordinator of volunteers.





Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). The Regional Library for the Blind and Physically

Handicapped was honored with the William Van Essen Award from the Western

Pennsylvania Optometric Society (WPOS), according to the lead article in the

spring 2000 Three Rivers News. Dr. Van Nessen was a Pittsburgh area

optometrist who was a leader in both state and national organizations. 

     The award is presented for dedicated and distinguished service on

behalf of visual welfare of the public only when the WPOS membership feels

that an individual or group is worthy of recognition.

     Assistant director Kathleen Kappel accepted the award at the March 28

ceremony and stated that "We are honored to be awarded the William Van Essen

Award and hope that all members of WPOS will pass along word of our

services."



California (Los Angeles). Bob Thomas, dean of motion picture correspondents,

described his fifty-seven years covering the Hollywood beat for the

Associated Press (AP) to a standing-room audience of 160 patrons and guests

celebrating National Library Week at the Braille Institute Library on April

12. In addition to his byline appearing more often than any other writer in

AP history, Thomas is the author of thirty books on Hollywood.

     His biggest story, he told his audience, was breaking the news of the

1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel--a 10-minute

scoop.

     NLS has recorded his biographies of Walt Disney, William Holden, Ethel

Merman, and Liberace. Two more Thomas books were recorded locally at the

Braille Library: The Road to Hollywood, written with Bob Hope, and Roy O.

Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire.

     While chronicling the Hollywood scene from the big studio era through

television and beyond, Thomas has covered fifty-five Academy Awards. In 1988

he became the first writer-author to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk

of Fame.



New York (Suffolk County). "See for Yourself 2000: An Adaptive Technology

Fair for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" drew over 350 talking-book patrons and their family members, special education teachers, vision

service providers, librarians, and members of the general public. The event,

sponsored by Talking Books Plus--the subregional library at Bellport, New

York--was held on June 9.

     The fifteen exhibitors included commercial vendors of voice, braille,

and large-print equipment, as well as representatives of local consumer

groups and nonprofit organizations that provide training, information, or

support.

     The fair, which is held biennially, is part of Talking Books Plus's

growing range of assistive technology services. The subregional library also

has a full-time access and assistive technology librarian, an assistive-device demonstration center, local resource information, and related

services.

(This article was provided by Julie Klauber, subregional librarian at

Talking Books Plus.)

(photo caption: Visitors to Talking Book Plus's "See for Yourself 2000: An

Adaptive Technology Fair for People Who Are Blind or Visually Handicapped"

explore displays of assistive technology devices and discuss features with

vendors.)





International briefs



Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Society for Disabled in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a

nongovernmental organization that provides library services and other

programs for people with impaired vision or physical handicaps. The

society's volunteer workers read textbooks and reference materials to

students in several local schools, and they imprint textbooks in braille for

readers of all ages. The voluntary organization also distributes Perkins

braillers, slates and styluses, and cassette players, as well as talking

watches and calculators, white canes, crutches, glasses, and hearing aids.

     For patrons seeking jobs, the Bangladesh Society for Disabled provides

basic skills training; for those whose aim is self-employment, loans and

credit assistance are sometimes available. The society also arranges

physical rehabilitation and basic health care for children and adults.

Fundraising is done largely through national and international appeals for

donations of money, services, and items for use by volunteers and patrons.

     Bangladesh's population of some 130 million includes more than one

million people who are visually impaired. Many are children who were born

blind or with conditions that have been exacerbated by malnutrition, injury,

or disease. Government agencies attempt to provide opportunities for

advancement and self-sufficiency, but voluntary organizations make up an

important link in the social service network. Widespread poverty often

impedes the delivery of medical care, educational services, and job

training.

     The Bangladesh Society for Disabled is a member of the country's

National Forum of Organizations Working with the Disabled and of the South

Asian Network of Self-Help Organizations of People with Disabilities. It is

registered under the Directorate of Social Services and the NGO Affairs

Bureau of the government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

(Information for this article was provided by Kaniz Fatema, librarian for

the Bangladesh Society for Disabled.)



Canada (Montreal). The Montreal Association for the Blind (MAB) provides

a range of library services for more than 7,000 registered patrons. In 1999

MAB transcribed some 33,674 pages of print into braille, mostly English-language textbooks for primary- and secondary-school students. MAB also

works in partnership with the Fraser-Hickson Institute to provide recorded

books on cassette.

     In 1999 MAB opened its new Technical Aids Boutique--a display room

filled with more than 200 assistive devices, aids, and games for individuals

with impaired vision. About 3,000 people visited the boutique in its first

year of operation. Blind visitors and family members appreciate being able

to try out devices and gain hands-on experience using different products

before purchasing them.

     MAB was established in 1908 with the goal of "assisting and empowering

blind individuals in a caring and inclusive manner to establish or

reestablish themselves as independent and self-sustaining individuals to the

extent that their capacities will permit." 

     MAB operates with both government funding and private contributions

acquired through special appeals and public fundraising efforts. Some 350

volunteers help in areas that serve blind and visually impaired persons.

Eighteen MAB patrons found jobs through the organization's employment

assistance program in 1999.





Indexes to newsletters



Indexes for the newsletters News and its companion Update, which covers

volunteer activities, can be found on the NLS home page at

<www.loc.gov/nls/promotional/>. The index for News covers the years 1978-1999; the index for Update covers 1985 to 1999. The site also contains text

of these newsletters beginning with the 1995 issues.





Pinellas County library moves to Clearwater



On May 7 the grand opening was held in the new location of the Pinellas

Talking Book Library. The library moved from its first and only home in

Largo to Clearwater, where it now has double the shelf space, a browsing

area, display of sports equipment and games, and other amenities lacking in

the old location. 

     More than 200 people were able to join in the grand-opening

celebrations, including many library patrons. The opening ceremony took

place outside the library, followed by tours of the new facility and

refreshments. Speakers included Barratt Wilkins, State Librarian of Florida,

and Linda Redmond, head of the NLS Reference Section. A grand-opening

preview gala was held the previous evening, hosted by the Pinellas Public

Library Cooperative Board of Directors.

     The library shares the new Bernadette Roberts Stork facility with the

administrative offices of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, which

coordinates the activities and funding of twenty-four member libraries and

branches. The building is named for the cooperative's administrator, who was

instrumental in establishing the Talking Book Library in 1993.

(Information for this article was provided by Marilyn Stevenson, subregional

librarian for Pinellas County, Florida.)

(photo caption: Bernadette Roberts Stork, for whom the new building is

named, attends the preview gala with great-granddaughters.)

(photo caption: Linda Redmond, head of the NLS Reference Section, and

Marilyn Stevenson, Pinellas subregional librarian, at the gala.)





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: Rita Byrnes, Peggy Cytron, Robert Fistick, Michael Moodie, and Ed

O'Reilly