[blParent] finding textbook resources

[Deborah Kent Stein]

Dear Dawn,

This all sounds very frustrating. Have you tried Bookshare? You can download
books in many file formats and read them on a Braille device or get them
printed out in hard copy Braille. Because they work with many students they
have an extensive collection of textbooks on all subjects. 

Debbie


-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of dawn
stumpner via BlParent
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2021 2:42 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Cc: dawn stumpner <dawn205120 at gmail.com>
Subject: [blParent] finding textbook resources

Hi
     I have once again run into difficulties finding material in braille for
what I would think would be a popular subject: a Spanish textbook.  I have
been teaching my teenage son Spanish, and although I speak Spanish well, I
am at a point where I feel like a textbook with organized grammar points and
vocabulary topics would be very useful.  I contacted my NLS library, which
is currently in Utah, but they had only one textbook, which I tried but
which was more of a long list of grammatical features than a set of lessons.
They did say that another textbook, also decades old, might be available
through inter-library loan, so I thought that would be a good start and
waited to receive it that way.  When I hadn't heard anything for a couple of
weeks, I asked if I could contact the agency from which it was coming.  They
said library patrons could not do that, and that the NLS library could, but
that they'd prefer to wait a few more weeks before contacting them and that
it likely was not available and there were no other titles.
     I asked them whether it might be possible to borrow books through an
inter-library loan or any other way from another state's NLS library as I
think some states such as California, Texas, Arizona, etc.  which have many
Spanish speakers would be a good resource to find a textbook.  I also asked
if there is a repository somewhere that might have braille books that have
been produced for blind high school and college students and that can lend
them out or make them available somehow as it would seem odd for such a
valuable resource of books to just be destroyed or put into indefinite
storage.  They didn't respond to either of those two questions in the email,
but just responded that if I had the title of a specific book, I could
request it.
     I know there are some resources in recorded format, but I need braille
textbooks to see spelling, accents, etc.
     This is not the first time I have run into difficulty finding braille
books on seemingly popular topics such as workout routines, health issues,
popular fantasy authors, etc.  It's also common that I ask two or three
related questions and have all but one question ignored.  I am always very
polite in my requests, but they don't even sign their names in their emails,
so it's hard to know from one time to the next if I'm even talking to the
same person.
     Does anyone know if there is a repository (or repositories) of books
high school and college students have had brailled and then not taken
afterward? What happens to them? Do you know if you can borrow books from
other states in or out of the NLS system? Also, do you know if it is
possible to request to belong to a different NLS library? My recorded books
come from Milwaukee, and I used to get my braille books from Chicago, which
worked out very well as I am in Wisconsin.  Then several years ago, I was
switched to Utah for my braille books, which is much farther away and has
not been as pleasant of an experience.  Has anyone else had these kinds of
difficulties?
     I would appreciate any suggestions.
     Thanks a lot!
               Dawn Stumpner

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