Indiana Insights Summer 2009

Indiana Insights
Lissa Shanahan, Indiana Regional Librarian
Carole Rose, Editor317-232-3684 or 1-800-622-4970e-mail: http://www.lbph@library.in.gov/Volume XXXII No. 3Summer 2009

2009 Indiana Vision Expo!

Mark Your Calendar!

The 2009 Indiana Vision Expo will be held at the Indiana State Library on Saturday, September 26, from 9:30 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. For those of you who have not attended one or more of our three previous Expos, the purpose of the event is to introduce persons with vision loss, their friends and families, service providers, educators, and other interested consumers, to a variety of products and services designed to promote independence. Our 2008 Expo featured 28 exhibitors and attracted more than 720 visitors.

ADEC Inc., The American Printing House for the Blind, Bosma Enterprises, Easter Seals Crossroads, Eye Can See Inc., GW Micro, Hadley School for the Blind, HumanWare, Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana (ILCEIN), Indiana chapters of the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind (ACB) and (NFB), Indiana Reading and Information Services (IRIS), Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living (IRCIL), Vision Aids Systems, and the WILL Center, are among the exhibitors. New exhibitors will include Eitac Solutions from Lafayette, and the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library.

In addition to our exhibitors, the 2009 Indiana Vision Expo will feature several presentations and workshops. This year is the 75^th anniversary of the Talking Books program in Indiana, and we are delighted that NLS Talking Book narrator Mitzi Friedlander will be our very special guest. Mitzi has narrated talking books in the studios of the American Printing House for the Blind for more than forty years. It is estimated that she has narrated more than 1500 titles—more than anyone in the NLS program. She has read both fiction and nonfiction and was the recipient of the Alexander Scourby award for her nonfiction reading. Mitzi Friedlander is a favorite among Indiana’s talking book users. For those of you who may think you don’t know who she is, you have heard her voice if you’ve read the Winslow Series by Gilbert Morris, any of the alphabet mysteries by Sue Grafton, or books by Elizabeth George. Mitzi will be giving two presentations—one at ten o’clock and another at one. Each presentation will include time for questions from the audience.

For the third consecutive year, Dr. Richard Windsor and his daughter, Dr. Laura Windsor, will be presenting at 11:30. The topic is to be announced. Dawn Turco from the Hadley School will be giving an overview of the many educational courses, seminars, and other programs available to persons with vision loss and their families.

Staff from Bosma Enterprises will be available throughout the day to demonstrate just how easy it is to download books from the NLS web site. A number of patrons have already been downloading titles from this site for months. There are currently more than 20,000 titles from which to select. With the introduction of the digital talking book player, which is designed to play the downloads, more patrons can have access to a book within minutes by downloading it to a thumb drive from the NLS site. You can help us determine approximately how many of these demonstrations we should plan to offer by letting us know if you would like to attend. You may also contact us if you have any questions about these demonstrations.

For further information about the Expo, including information about parking, contact Carole Rose, Indiana Vision Expo Coordinator, at (317) 232-0609 or (800) 622-4970 or crose@library.in.gov

You may also visit our web site at indianavisionexpo.org for complete updates. The site also includes a list of our exhibitors and links to their web sites. The IVE site should be up and running by the end of July. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us on September 26.

Digital Era is Here!By Ron Rose

It is here! The digital age for the Indiana Regional Talking Book and Braille Library and our subregional partners in Columbus, Evansville and Merrillville begins September 8, 2009. The staff of the Talking Book Library’s Machine Lending Agency, which is the section responsible for equipment in Indiana, have spent months discussing and planning how to make this an efficient transition for our patrons.

First you will, in the next eighteen to twenty four months, receive a new digital audio player. The Machine Lending Agency staff following guidelines established by the National Library Service (NLS) has developed a priority list of patrons who will receive the new digital players first. The list is as follows:

• Veterans
• Centenarians
• Patrons who have requested a digital player
• E-1 player users
• Children and Teens
• New Patrons

With the exception of veterans and the centenarians who will receive the highest priority in the initial shipment we receive, this priority list will be followed each month. A percentage of our monthly allotment will be reserved for each category listed above.

Unless you request the Talking Book Library not to send you a digital player you will receive one in the next twenty four months. Do not return your cassette player to us at this time.

All Indiana patrons must be in good standing to receive a new digital player. Please contact your reader advisor if you have any questions concerning your status as a patron. You may also contact me at 317-232-3701 or 1-800-622-4970.

(Editor’s Note)—-The first shipment of NLS-produced digital books will arrive at NLS regional and subregional libraries in late July. NLS will continue to produce titles in both digital and cassette formats until the end of 2010 when cassette production will cease. Since only about 2,000 titles are selected for production each year, NLS estimates that it will take three years to build an adequate collection of digital titles. For some time, it will be necessary to limit patrons to no more than two digital books at one time. You will need to return them before more are sent. It is important that you return books promptly so that other patrons may borrow them. We will continue to send out overdue notices every 6-8 weeks, but you may call and renew a book if you find that you need a bit of additional time to finish it. We encourage you to keep your cassette player since books will continue to be on both media. If you already know how to download, would like to learn how to download, or know someone who would download books for you, the NLS BARD web site offers more than 20,000 titles from which to choose. The digital talking book player will play the NLS downloads. Please contact your library to learn more about this exciting option, or to register for access to this site.

Children’s Book a Winner for Every Audience
by Drake Land

A new book released by the Indiana Voices program may have slipped under your radar. How I Found the Strong: A Civil War Story by Margaret McMullan is the story of a young man coming of age while being left behind by his father and older brother who have left to fight for the Confederacy. Strong social themes such as the changing role of Southern African Americans during the Civil War and what it means to be a man during a time of war abound.

How I Found the Strong was an ‘Indiana Best Book’ winner in 2004 and has been on many other ‘best’ lists, such as being named a "Great Book" by the state of Maryland Book Consortium.

If you are signed up to receive Indiana Voices books and are wondering why this ‘great book’ has not come to you it is because it is a young adult reader. If you are exclusively listed to receive adult books you will not receive this book unless you call your reader advisor and ask to have it placed on your request list.

Although How I Found the Strong is not listed for adult readers, we at Talking Books think that it reads well for adults as well. This book is perfect for a quick summer read by yourself or if you have been looking for a book that you could enjoy alongside a younger person.

If you want to add How I Found the Strong: A Civil War Story by Margaret McMullan call your reader advisor and ask them to add it to your list, you won’t be disappointed.

Calling all IRIS Listeners! by Amber Wortman

Did you know about the IRIS web stream? You can now access the same 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week IRIS radio broadcast via the Internet. To do so, all you need to have is a computer with Internet access, Windows Media Player and speakers; and you will need to obtain a login and password. With that, you will be able to access IRIS from anywhere throughout the world; you won’t be limited to within the 45-mile radius of Indianapolis as with a radio.

There is also some great news for dial-up listeners. In addition to having access to local and state-wide newspapers, you can now listen to 38 of our radio programs, including Your Hit Parade, Yesterday’s Radio, People Magazine, Time Magazine, At Your Service, and Health Topics. If you missed your favorite program on the radio, you can now pick it up on the dialup whenever you like!

To gain access to the IRIS web stream or any other information regarding IRIS Radio, please call Amber Wortman, IRIS Operations Manager, at 1-877-854-0077, or contact her by e-mail at AWORTMAN@WFYI.ORG.

Convention Information

“Envisioning the Future through ACBI,” is the theme for the ACBI’s 2009 state convention. The meeting will be held October 30-31 at the Martin House hotel and Lilly Conference Center, 1801 W 86^th Street, Indianapolis. Room rates are $79 plus tax. Call (317) 872-4111 by September 30 for reservations. For further information, contact John Huffman at (317) 228-0496 or 3.huffman@comcast.net.

The National Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (NFB) 2009 state convention will be held October 16-18 at the Days Inn, 5901 Scatterfield Road, Anderson, IN. The hotel is located at I 69, Exit 26. To make reservations, call (317) 649-0451. For further convention information, contact Diane Graves at (317) 359-3140, dgraves@icrc.in.gov

The Indiana Association of Workers for the Blind will hold its 2009 convention, September 10-12, at Hall’s Guest House, Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne. For further information about the convention or hotel reservations, contact the Workers at (260) 420-9865. You may also contact Judy Mapes at (260) 693-0149. Room rates are $79 and $89.

Catalogs and Magazines

A new large print catalog is now ready for circulation. The catalog lists approximately 300 titles which have recently been added to our large print collection. Although most of the listings are for adults, there are a number of new books for children and teens listed on the back pages. Contact the library to request LP 17639. Copies are limited and should be returned as soon as possible.

There have been some magazine changes. Subscribers to the braille edition of Washington Post Book World will now be receiving the New York Times Book Review. Subscribers to the cassette edition of U.S. News and World Report will now receive This Week. Patrons who do not already subscribe to either of these magazines may contact their library to request a subscription.

If you receive cassette magazines, they will continue to be available in this format for an indefinite period. Magazines may be downloaded from the BARD web site and played on the DTB player but will not be available on the new digital cartridge. If you do not plan to download, you will need to keep your cassette player.

Cassette Care

The next few months are going to be busy ones for the Talking Book and Braille Library. We will be launching the digital program and circulating cassettes and cassette equipment until we have an adequate supply of DTB players and book cartridges. We will continue to examine incoming cassette books but you can help with this process by remembering to rewind the tapes before returning them. If a book ends on sides 1, 3, 5, etc, you will rewind to the beginning of the cassette. If the book ends on side 2, 4, 6, etc, you will need to fast forward to the end of that side.

If a book is defective or incomplete, please indicate by making an x or a check mark at the bottom left corner of the mailing address card. Just place your mark near the small hole at the bottom left corner of the card. When returning books, please do your best to make sure that each book is complete and in the correct container.

We examine incoming cassette books because we want our patrons to receive material that is in good condition. However, book examination is time-consuming, especially rewinding. The less time spent examining cassettes, the more time we will be able to devote to the digital transition. Thanks so much for your help.

Reminder

Our Spring 2009 edition of Indiana Insights included an invitation for adult patrons to submit poetry, short stories, or personal narrative, as well as artwork and craft projects to the library to be displayed in exhibit cases during the Indiana Vision Expo. This is in keeping with the theme for our 2009 children’s summer reading program: “Be Creative @ Your Library”. We have received a few written submissions and a couple of craft projects, but welcome more. We will accept submissions through September. We also welcome holiday-related material. For further information, contact Carole Rose at (317) 232-0609 or (800) 622-4970 or crose@library.in.gov .

Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library Calendar

Indiana Insights is a publication of the Talking Book and Braille Library, Indiana State Library. Indiana Insights is available in braille or on cassette upon request. It is also posted on the State Library’s web site: http://www.library.in.gov/ and the NFB Newsline information page.

Any mention of products and services in the Indiana Insights is for information only and does not imply endorsement.