Volunteer Connections
Indiana State Library & Indiana Historical Bureau
                  

                                                                                                  Spring 2010            

In This Issue  

What's New  

New Volunteer Projects

Meet our Volunteers 

Becoming a Volunteer

Volunteer Opportunities

Virtual Volunteering    

Volunteer Connections is a production of the Indiana State Library  

Contributions to this newsletter made by:  

Autumn Gonzalez
Volunteer Coordinator 

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The Digital Era Begins at Indiana Voices

by Drake Land, Indiana Voices Director

The Indiana Voices Program has begun the production of digital talking books in addition to the cassette production to which its patrons have become accustomed.   Books that have previously been recorded on cassette will be made available on the new digital format.  New magazines produced by local recording will be made available on the digital cartridges though past issues will not be digitized.

We believe that the Digital Talking Book Player will be a welcome change from the cassette machines which have caused many problems of late.  The new players surpass the cassette players in sound quality and ease of operation.  Patrons with the advanced digital players (DA) will be able to skip chapter to chapter in books and article to article in magazines on the digital cartridges.  Patrons with the standard digital players (DS) will have fewer options on navigation but should enjoy playing entire books without having to use side selectors or change cassettes.

Talking Book patrons who are currently receiving locally produced books and magazines in cassette format will be automatically updated to receive the new format when they receive their digital player.  Those patrons who have chosen not to receive local production cassettes, but would now like to begin receiving the local production digital projects, should call their reader advisors to request that change.

We at Indiana Voices are proud to be one of the first local libraries to provide digital talking books to our patrons.  We hope it makes our patrons as happy to read this new format as it makes us to supply them.

New Volunteer Projects

Volunteers Needed:

Indiana Voices Monitor

• Date & Time: Long-term position. Flexible shifts are available for volunteers during the Library's normal hours of operation Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
• Project Description: Through the generous support from the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation the Indiana State Library's Talking Books and Braille Library will focus on recording books and magazine articles with Indiana connections that are otherwise unavailable in an audio format. We have two soundproof recording booths and digital recording equipment. These new materials will enable volunteer narrators to record books and magazine articles with maximum clarity and quality. The Talking Books project will greatly rely on the efforts of volunteers.
• Position Summary: An Indiana Voices Monitor works with the Narrator to ensure quality recording. The Monitor will follow along with the Narrator with a copy of the text to make certain that the recording matches. The Monitor will also do editing to prepare the recording for distribution.
• Major Responsibilities: Operate the recording equipment during a recording session. Follow the narrator using a second copy of the text. Maintain quality control during the recording session. Must work a s a team with the Narrator.
• Qualifications: Ability to use a PC and learn new programs. Posses a good "ear" for mispronunciations. The Monitor must be able to work in a weekly schedule with a Narrator to record projects assigned by the Indiana Voices director.
• Project Completion Date: Ongoing

If you would like additional information about becoming an Indiana Voices Monitor, please contact Drake Land at dland@library.in.gov.