LIBRARY LINE
MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND AND
PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
Volume 15, Issue 2 Winter, 2009
Message from Jill Lewis, Director of the Maryland State Library for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped.
Since I last wrote to you LBPH has been hit by budget difficulties, as have most
state agencies. Although we have had to make adjustments, at the moment we are
able to continue our high level of service. However, there may come a time when
we will have to cut some of our cherished programs or services. We ask for your
understanding if this happens and we ask that you consider volunteering at the
library to help us get through this difficult time.
Despite the budget crunch we found ways to present new programs, mostly
through creative partnerships. We presented our first studio art program at the
Walters Art Museum. Patrons created replicas of stained glass windows after they
toured the medieval galleries. Also at the Walters, patrons enjoyed a descriptive
tour of selected paintings in the Renaissance collection.
Our participation in One Maryland One Book (a grant program in which readers
statewide read one book and enjoy activities related to the book) included tactile
tours of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and
the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The book, Song Yet Sung, by James McBride
deals with slavery on Maryland’s eastern shore. These new programs along with
our annual travel program and Everyman Theatre Tactile Tour made for a lively,
successful program schedule. Please join us for the Everyman Theatre performance
of scenes from Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms at LBPH on February 14th. A special
thank you to our Friends Board for sponsoring a highly successful Volunteer
Appreciation/ Louis Braille birthday celebration with games, cake, and a recorded
performance about Louis Braille’s life by actor Jerry Whittle.
As you read the newsletter you will learn of other new activities and services such
as the new digital service that began in the fall of 2009 and the first webcast of our
Technology User Group. To keep current with Friends Board news, you can check
their new web site, www.friendsmdlbph.org.
The LBPH staff joins me in wishing all our patrons and friends a happy and
healthy New Year. We hope your holiday season was a joyous time for you and
your families.
Digital Delivery Update
We are excited to announce that the distribution of the new digital talking book
player has begun! As of late December, the Maryland State Library has received
more than five hundred digital talking book players for distribution. This amount
is less than originally expected but monthly shipments will become larger as the
roll out progresses. Military veterans and centenarians have already received their
players, and the library is now beginning to send players to students and to patrons
who have asked to be on our wait-list.
Although cassette production is being reduced, and is scheduled to end entirely in
2010, there will still be many more titles available in cassette than there will be in
digital form for a number of years. We are thus encouraging patrons to keep their
cassette players until they feel comfortable with the selection of digital books
available to them.
Some of you might have noticed that new digital titles appeared for the first time in
the November/December issue of Talking Book Topics listed as DB0. The
Maryland Library’s collection of digital books is growing at a rapid pace and now
numbers 800-900 titles. Patrons who have high speed internet and are able to
download books from BARD (Braille Audio Reading Download) have access to an
ever expanding list of digital titles currently numbering over 15,000.
In order to keep the digital books circulating while we build the collection, we are
limiting the number of digital books a patron may check out at any one time to
three, and are asking that patrons adhere to a six week due date. These restrictions
will be lifted as soon as our collection becomes large enough to handle the
demand.
If you have already received you player or have already purchased one of the NLS
authorized players you can sign up for BARD at
https://nlsbard.loc.gov/
If you have not already received or requested the new digital player and would like
one, please contact the library.
If you would like to register to download materials, contact Paula Thomas, (410)
230-2439 or email: pthomas@lbph.lib.md.us.
Recent Recording Studio Production
The LBPH recently released the first book to have been recorded in our new digital
studio, The Small Boat of Great Sorrows (MDC00659) by Dan Fesperman, a
reporter for the Baltimore Sun and a published author of several thrillers. The
plots were inspired by the author’s own international assignments in countries such
as Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Germany. Join us at the library for a discussion of
this book at noon on March 13th!
Digital Player Workshops
All digital players will be shipped with a sheet of instructions for use, but for
patrons who would like hands-on guidance, the Library will be holding a weekly
training session on Thursdays from 10am-12pm. The first session will be on
February 25th, 2010.
To RSVP contact our Machines Operator, Shelia Smith, at 410-230-2433, or email
her at fssmith@lbph.lib.md.us
BARD Workshop
For those who already have their players and would like guidance with the NLS
Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service, the library will be holding
a weekly training on Fridays from 10am-12pm. Please note that you must have
high-speed internet access and an email address in order to attend this workshop.
To RSVP contact our Reference Librarian, Tyson Fogel, at 410-230-2455, or email
him at tfogel@lbph.lib.md.us
We Can Come to You
If you have a group of 15 or more and would like a demonstration of either the
player or downloading from BARD at a site near you,
To RSVP contact Tyson Fogel tfogel@lbph.lib.md.us or 410.230.2455 to arrange a
visit.
Meet New LBPH Staff Member: James McCarthy
Hired in July of 2009, Jim McCarthy is the newest LBPH staff person and is
responsible for coordinating the Maryland Accessible Textbook program. He is
married to Terri Uttermohlen who is also a blind professional. Jim and Terri share
their north Baltimore home with their two dogs who give them great joy.
Prior to joining LBPH, Jim had several years of public policy experience with the
National Federation of the Blind. Though no longer employed at the NFB, he
remains active, presently serving as the first vice president of the Baltimore
chapter. Besides the enjoyment he gets from his dogs, Jim enjoys reading,
considers himself a Newsline junkie, fancies good food and wine (though he does
not believe himself an expert) and loves to travel with his wife both inside and
outside of the U.S.
Maryland Accessible Textbook Program
The Maryland State Library is proud to announce the creation of the Maryland
Accessible Textbook (MAT) program, a result of state legislation passed in 2007.
The legislation enables the LBPH to coordinate the provision of postsecondary
textbooks in an accessible format to schools or students of a Maryland institution.
Once a request of a textbook is made, the library will first search for the title in
existing databases such as Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic and Bookshare.
If the book is not found, the library will contact the publisher to discuss the
availability. As a final option, the MAT coordinator will scan and then save the
textbook as an electronic file.
The MAT will also develop a repository of the books it has procured or scanned for
college students. In addition several colleges may share their materials with us,
which will develop the repository more rapidly. This shared development will
create a valuable resource for Maryland college students.
The LBPH is excited to begin working with students through the MAT program!
If you would like more information about the program or would like to request
needed books, contact the MAT coordinator, Jim McCarthy at 410-230-2453 or
jmccart@lbph.lib.md.us
How to Customize Your Library Service
Adding New Genres to Your Reader’s Profile
If you receive automatic service from the library you might be interested in adding
some new genres to your mix. Here are a few genres you might not have thought
of:
American Classics
Historical Fiction
Cooking
Political Fiction
Christian Fiction
Popular Psychology
Detective
Short Stories
Fantasy
Sea Stories
Gothic Fiction
Travel
Staff Picks 2009
Here are books that staff members are reading right now!
Tyson Fogel. White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, RC068163, DB068163, LP013345
Wilhelmina Hargrave. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First
Century by Thomas L. Friedman, RC060317, DB060317, LP011003
Mollyne Honor. Other People’s Children by Joanna Trollope, RC048532,
DB048532, LP006986
James McCarthy. The Lace Reader by Bruonia Barry, RC067406, DB067406
Yuri Zeitz. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, RC046636
Technology Update
The Technology User Group (TUG) is pleased to announce that it’s begun
webcasting its monthly meeting! On November 14th, TUG began using a videoover-internet service called Skype, a free software available through the internet
that allows people to see and hear each other over long distances.
The meeting was attended by several people “skyping” in from around the state,
and included a demonstration of the GW Micro Booksense with side-by-side
comparisons with the Victor Reader Stream and the Plextalk Pocket. Also
discussed was Voice on the Go, a telephone service that allows you to listen to your
email and your tweets.
Anyone interested in attending the next TUG meeting via remote access please
contact Mollyne Honor at 410-230-2456 or email her at mhonor@lbph.lib.md.us
LBPH Computer Classes
The computer lab workstations at LBPH continue to get a good workout. We have
held over 100 classes in Introduction to Computing, Jaws, Basic Keyboarding,
Zoomtext and Kurzweil 1000 since we installed the lab. We are now exploring
ways we can bring this training outside the walls of the library by providing online
classes. The classes are taught by a dedicated and experienced group of volunteers,
and we are looking for new volunteers who are able to teach Kurzweil 3000 and
Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
If you are interested in volunteering or signing up for a class, contact Jerry Price,
(410) 230-2460 or email: jprice@lbph.lib.md.us.
New Additions to the LBPH Collection
In the Spring Newsletter, LBPH announced the addition of described DVD movies
to our collection. We are continuing to build upon this collection and have
recently added 16 new titles, including a series of the original Sherlock Holmes
mysteries! These DVDs include an additional audio narration describing the action
on the screen, scenery, and the characters.
If you would like a full listing of available titles, contact the library at 410-2302443.
LBPH Book Club
The LBPH Book Club has changed days! Originally held on the second
Wednesday of the month, the LBPH Book Club has now moved to the second
Saturday of the month at noon. We hope this will enable more people to
participate in this fun, discussion filled monthly event. Check the Book Club
calendar in this newsletter to see what exciting reads are in store!
Free RFB&D
Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) individual membership is now
free to students thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Special
Programs and the support of private donors. RFB&D provides access to a large
audiobook library of textbooks, textbook supplemental materials, and literature
titles on DAISY CD or digital download. This service is useful to students with a
visual, physical or learning/reading disability who do not have access to materials
essential to their education. The online application for RFB&D membership can
be found at www.rfbd.org/ or by calling 1-800-221-4792.
Spotlight on Services
Free Jewish Materials
The Jewish Braille Institute (JBI) International offers a large collection of Jewish
interest books and magazines in audio, Braille and large print free to individuals
with print disabilities. Their collection includes fiction, biography, history, humor,
current events and more. You can browse their collection online or receive a print
catalog when you register as a patron. For more information about this service call
1-800-433-1531 or visit their website at www.jbilibrary.org/
Learning is for Tomorrow (LIFT)
LIFT is a nonprofit adult literacy agency located in Southeast Baltimore that
provides literacy instruction to adult learners (age 16 and over) from Baltimore
City and surrounding areas.
A range of specialized classes are available, from beginning literacy through GED
preparation for people with learning disabilities, blindness/low-vision, and/or deaf
and hard-of-hearing adults. To serve these learners more effectively, LIFT now has
a variety of assistive technology devices such as the Scanning And Reading
Appliance (SARA) scanner/reader, a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), print
enlarger, personal magnifiers and Kurtzweil reading software.
For more information about this service call LIFT, 410–522–1705.
Interested in Volunteering at the LBPH?
We are looking for Talking Book and Machine Inspectors, Book Narrators, Book
Reviewers and workers for special library projects. For more information contact
Wilhelmina Hargrave whargrav@lbph.lib.md.us or call (410) 230-2430.
Give Us Your Feedback!
If you are unable to fill out the survey included in this newsletter, please contact
the library to give us your feedback! Contact Tyson Fogel, tfogel@lbph.lib.md.us
or call (410) 230-2455.