[nfbwatlk] FW: [wtbbl] New issue of WTBBL's "Reading Matters" newsletter

Tue Apr 1 17:25:52 UTC 2014

From: WTBBL [mailto:wtbbl at list.statelib.wa.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 10:12 AM
Subject: [wtbbl] New issue of WTBBL's "Reading Matters" newsletter

Reading Matters is provided in text, pdf, Web-braille and audio versions on
our website at  <http://www.wtbbl.org/newsletter.aspx>
http://www.wtbbl.org/newsletter.aspx.

READING MATTERS

First Quarter 2014

David Junius, Editor

Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

2021 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA98121-2783 

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Phone: 206-615-0400 . Statewide toll free: 1-800-542-0866

 <mailto:wtbbl at sos.wa.gov> wtbbl at sos.wa.gov .  <http://www.wtbbl.org>
www.wtbbl.org 

THAT ALL MAY READ...

********

Notes from the Director by Danielle Miller

Spring is a great time to think about new beginnings and new things
happening at your library. For those of you downloading books, you may
notice the new addition of locally produced digital books on BARD (Braille
and Audio Reading Download). WTBBL was part of a pilot program to add books
produced at our library to BARD where they can be found, downloaded, and
enjoyed with all the other NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped) books. Once the pilot program is completed, we'll
begin adding all our WTBBL-produced books to BARD.

For all of our readers, our Audio Book Production Department and Braille
Department have lots of new books in process including fiction, nonfiction,
Northwest topics, and children's and young adult titles. Our staff is
working hard to get these new books into your hands. I must also thank all
our dedicated volunteers who transcribe the books into braille, proofread
the braille, narrate the talking books, and review the talking books. Our
volunteers are the backbone of WTBBL!

Spring is also a time when we prepare for our summer reading program. Summer
reading is a great way for kids to have fun and to encourage reading as well
as help keep up their reading skills. While we aren't having an organized
program for adults, the adult summer reading theme is "Literary Elements"
and is part of the science theme for the overall summer reading. Maybe try a
science or science-themed book this spring or summer - it could spark a
reaction!

Please feel free to call us. We always look forward to talking with you and
want your library service to be the best possible. 

All the best, Danielle

********

>From the Registrar's Desk by Tyler Kaye

With the arrival of spring, many of us begin thinking about tidying up our
surroundings. Now is also a good time to see if you have any forgotten
library items that should be returned.

          If you received a replacement talking book player, have you sent
back the one that wasn't working well? Returning it helps ensure that we
have an adequate supply of machines that can be refurbished and sent to
other library users.

          Have you found you're using the BARD Mobile app for all your
reading now, and your talking book player is just collecting dust? Since
you're still using the service, you're not obligated to return the player,
but the battery's charge will begin to slowly drain away the longer it sits
unused.

          Do you have any book or magazine cartridges that you've held off
from returning because you're worried you'll get more and you already have
too many? Or are you downloading everything and don't need cartridges sent
automatically? Before sending anything back, give the library a call. We'll
make sure that you won't get any unwanted materials.

         Got an old yellow cassette player that you haven't used in ages? We
can take it off your hands. Even if you don't have the original box, pack it
up well, address it to the library and write "Free Matter for the Blind or
Handicapped" on it in place of postage. The players are federal property,
and the library is accountable for their proper disposal. If you think that
you are still signed up to get cassettes (in the green boxes) automatically,
call us first so that we can make sure you're switched over entirely to
digital cartridges.

          As always, we're eager to hear from you! Feel free to call us at
(206) 615-0400 or (800) 542-0866 any time you would like to talk about your
service.

********

Start your summer with a BOOM!

          Join WTBBL for the annual Summer Reading Program, "Fizz Boom Read"
and "Spark a Reaction!"

          Mark your calendars for our eight-week by-mail program that offers
summer reading tracking charts, book suggestions, and fun activities in
alternative formats designed for children and teens with visual impairments,
and physical or reading disabilities. 

          Teens will have the option of participating in a book club that
will meet by-phone three times during the summer.

          All children reading at a preschool through grade 6 level are
invited to participate in the "Fizz Boom Read" program!

          All teens, with grades 7-12 reading level, are invited to
participate in the "Spark a Reaction" program! 

.         Registration starts April 15th (Registration forms will be mailed
and will be available on  www.wtbbl.org ) 

.         Kickoff event at WTBBL in mid-June (More information will be
mailed and visit www.wtbbl.org for more details)

.         Program runs mid-June through mid-August

.         All participants receive a prize at the end of the summer!

Contact Mandy Gonnsen at mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov or (206) 615-1253.

********

The next Brown Bag Book Club will be on Thursday, June 5th at noon. The book
will be All the President's Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The
discussion will be led by WTBBL's Tyler, pictured above.

Forty years ago this June, a pivotal work of American journalism hit
bookshelves. All the President's Men (available from WTBBL as digital book
DB 50574 and braille book BR 13143) is Bernstein and Woodward's chronicle of
their work uncovering the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post. While
their reporting ended up bringing down President Nixon, the risks they took
could have just as easily spelled the end of their newspaper. Join us for a
discussion of the role of the media in U.S. politics and how it has evolved
to where we are today.

********

Tech Updates by Eura Szuwalski

As detailed in the last Reading Matters newsletter, the BARD Mobile app for
iOS devices is now an exciting part of the services provided by WTBBL and
NLS. 

Over 300 patrons have signed up to use the app since its introduction last
September. Many of those users have contacted the library to learn how to
use the app on their new iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices. Some of the
more popular questions concern VoiceOver and using the BARD Mobile app with
VoiceOver. Assistance in the app is available to all patrons by phone or
email, or in person at the library.

The mobile app gives patrons access to all books that start with DB (digital
book) in the WTBBL catalog ( <http://webopac.klas.com/wtbbl>
http://webopac.klas.com/wtbbl). Web-braille books are also available in BARD
Mobile.

Below are a few tips that will make using the BARD Mobile app a little
easier and more enjoyable! 

Tip 1.       Wish List: To download books onto the BARD Mobile app, you need
to add books onto your Wish List. You can do this within the app by
selecting Browse BARD in the Get Books menu, or you can log into the
bard.loc.gov website and add books to your Wish List. You will sign in with
the same username and password as you used to set-up your BARD mobile app.
After searching and finding a book, click on the book title. This will take
you to a detailed title page. One of the links on the page will be "Add
[book title] to Wish List." Select that link and the book will show up on
your Wish List in your BARD Mobile app. 

Tip 2.       Moving previously downloaded books to BARD Mobile app: Many
patrons have books they have previously downloaded on their computers. If
the book is still zipped (compressed), you can move them onto your BARD
Mobile app by using the Dropbox file storage and sharing app. The Dropbox
website can be found at  <https://www.dropbox.com/> https://www.dropbox.com/
and the app is availablein the Apple App Store.

Tip 3.       Steps to move zipped digital books to your BARD Mobile app: 

1.    Install the Dropbox program on your computer and your iOS device.
Dropbox on your computer will create a new drive where you can save files. 

2.   Move your zipped books to your Dropbox drive on your computer. It may
take a few moments for this to show up in the "cloud" which is where Dropbox
Mobile will find your files. 

3.   Open Dropbox app on your iOS device. 

4.   Within the app, click on your book and find the Share button. Visually,
it is a box with an arrow pointing up. VoiceOver will read it as "Share." 

5.   In the Share menu, click the "Open in..." box.

6.   The book will start exporting. VoiceOver may not announce this pop-up,
but if you tap near the middle of the screen, you should land on the pop-up
and VoiceOver will recognize it. 

7.   After it finishes exporting, the device will make a sound. 

8.   Go to "Open in BARD Mobile" and it will start exporting the file.
Again, VoiceOver does not announce this, but the pop-up is located in the
middle of the screen. 

9.   After it exports, it will automatically open BARD Mobile. It may take a
moment, but the book will show up on your Audio Books Bookshelf. If you have
moved a magazine, braille book, or braille magazine in this method, they
will show up in the bookshelf for this type of media. 

Tip 4.       Listening when the app is closed: In order to continue
listening to your audio book or magazine while using other apps on your iOS
device or when your screen is locked, you need to turn on the Background
Playback function:

1.   Open your BARD Mobile app. 

2.   Go to the Settings Menu. 

3.   Go to Audio settings. 

4.   Set the "Background Playback" toggle switch to ON. 

5.   You can change the "Auto-Lock During Playback" toggle switch to ON or
OFF. Turning this to ON will allow your device to auto lock or turn off the
display when playing. 

Currently the BARD Mobile app is only available for iOS devices, however NLS
is working on an application for Android devices. To find out when the
Android application is released, make sure you're signed up for our
listserv. To sign up for the WTBBL listserv send an email to
<mailto:WTBBL at sos.wa.gov> wtbbl at sos.wa.gov or call the library at (206)
615-0400.

This is my last Tech Updates post with WTBBL. I am leaving the library to
move to California. However, help is still available. Contact the library to
learn more about training or other assistance.

********

Braille Department Update by Ed Godfrey

The 2013-2014 braille transcription class is due to finish up in May. This
year, we are using the draft of the sixth edition of the Instruction Manual
produced by the National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
(NLS).

Planning continues for the training of current WTBBL braille transcribers
and proofreaders on Unified English Braille (UEB), recently adopted by the
Braille Authority of North America (BANA). We await the official BANA
codebook, as well as the NLS Instruction Manual for the UEB. This new
braille code for the United States is set for full national implementation
on January 1, 2016.

The Holocaust Chronicle: A History in Words and Pictures, BRW 1396, is
nearing completion. Many thanks to transcriber Carol Studer and to our
proofreading teams for their great work on this complex project.

********

Youth Services Librarian Picks by Mandy Gonnsen

Longer days in spring mean more time for reading! Check out these new
arrivals for youth. More titles are available by contacting Mandy Gonnsen,
Youth Services Librarian at  <mailto:mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov>
mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov.

DBW 8530 Pinkalicious: The Pinkerrific Playdate by Victoria Kann.

Pinkalicious and her new friend, Rose, are having a playdate! Pinkalicious
has planned so many fun activities for the day, like jumping rope, baking
cookies, and having a tea party. When Rose visits, will the friends have
enough time together? An "I Can Read" Level 1 book. For grades K to 3. 2011.

DB 23524, BRW 0337, LP 16380 Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.

Anna and Caleb have lived alone with their father since their mother died.
When Sarah comes to live with them in response to their father's newspaper
advertisement, the whole family falls in love with her. But they fear that
Sarah's homesickness for the Maine coast will keep her from staying with
them in their prairie home. A Newbery Medal winner. For grades 3 to 6. 1985.

DBW 8516 The Maze of Bones [#1, 39 Clues] by Rick Riordan.
         Following the death of their beloved grandmother, Amy and Dan
Cahill are thrust into an epic quest to claim the family fortune. Shocked to
discover that their family is one of the most powerful in human history and
split into four distinctive branches, Amy and Dan must outwit and outrun the
other family contestants to find the 39 clues hidden around the world. But
when a mysterious man in black appears to cause a deadly explosion and fire
to thwart the contestants, Amy and Dan must escape the blaze to save the
clue - and their lives. For grades 4 to 7. 2008. 

DB 77013 P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia.
         Sixth-grader Delphine and her two younger sisters spent the summer
in California, visiting their mother and attending Black Panther summer
camp. But when they return to Brooklyn, the newly independent sisters clash
and Delphine longs for her mother's advice. Sequel to One Crazy Summer (DB
71082). Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. For grades 4 to 7. 2013.

DB 77292, BR 20260 Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko.
         When Moose Flanagan's dad is promoted to associate warden, others
on Alcatraz Island stop at nothing to get him out of the position. After a
mysterious fire burns down the Flanagans' apartment, Moose and his friends
investigate. Sequel to Al Capone Shines My Shoes (DB 69960). For grades 6 to
9. 2013.

DB 76406 Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.
        1986. After socially painful circumstances toss Eleanor and Park
together, they form an unlikely - and extraordinary - romance. Although the
two 16-year-olds know that the odds of remaining together forever are slim,
they find the courage to try. Strong language. For senior high and older
readers. 2013.

********

Books, books, books by John Pai

It has been a busy quarter in the Audio Book Production Department here at
WTBBL. We are in the process of duplicating 34 newly completed titles for
our lending collection, and over 65 titles are actively in the process of
production. Several new voices have joined our team and our volunteer ranks
have swelled to 55. In addition, we'll be adding new tasks for our
volunteers in order to help streamline the talking book production process.
These include assisting with audio editing and audio assembling. 

Look for these newly uploaded titles by Northwest authors:

DBW 8343 All the Pretty Hearses by Mary Daheim.

There's no "fun" in "fundraiser" for Judith McMonigle Flynn when she donates
an overnight stay at Hillside Manor for the parish school's annual auction -
not when the pricey winning bid goes to the persnickety Paine family. The
last thing she needs is another bed-and-breakfast guest who checks out
permanently. 

DBW 8397 Truth like the Sun by Jim Lynch.

Larger-than-life Roger Morgan was the mastermind behind the fair that made
the city famous and is still a backstage power 40 years later when, at the
age of 70, he runs for mayor in hopes of restoring all of Seattle's former
glory. Helen Gulanos sees her assignment to investigate the events of 1962
become front-page news with Morgan's candidacy, and resolves to find out who
he really is and where his power comes from. 

DBW 8411 Left for Dead by J.A. Jance.

When deputy sheriff Jose Reyes, one of Ali Reynolds' (Fatal Error, DB
72928) classmates from the Arizona Police Academy, is gunned down and left
to die, he is first assumed to be an innocent victim of the drug wars
escalating across the border. Soon he and his pregnant wife are under
suspicion, however, and it's impossible for Ali to turn away.

DBW 8441 Rogue Wave by Boyd Morrison.

Kai Tanaka of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is the first to realize
that a mysterious explosion has unleashed a series of massive waves destined
to obliterate Hawaii. In just one hour, Kai will lose all he has ever known
- including his wife and daughter - unless he can save them from nature's
most destructive force.

********

Volunteer Spotlight: Rick Sipe

I became a book narrator for WTBBL in January of 2009. I had known about the
services that WTBBL provides because my mother had macular degeneration in
her last few years, and was a patron of the library herself. She was so
happy to be able to continue to read, and I wanted to do this as a tribute
to her.

During the last five years I've been lucky enough to have recorded over 25
books. These have ranged from children's stories, books for and about young
adults, adult fiction, historical sagas, collections of short stories, and
nonfiction. Currently, I'm finishing a book about the Iraq War and the
battle for Fallujah, written by one of the soldiers who was in the fight.

Recording books can be very difficult. I'm all alone in a recording booth
for about two hours at a time, sometimes twice a week. During that time, I
can make as many as 50 mistakes, all of which I have to fix before I'm done
with that session. The staff at WTBBL have always insisted on a perfect
product. Even though I'm a volunteer I'm still expected to do my very best,
and to remember our patrons. This can require many hours of recording,
editing, and re-recording to ensure that the book is "perfect." It's a job I
take very seriously and enjoy the challenge very much.

I'm a Seattle native, although I was raised in New Orleans, and returned to
Seattle after a six-year stint in the U.S. Army. I retired from Boeing as an
information technology manager in 2005. Along with my work at WTBBL, I also
teach English as a Second Language to immigrants and refugees. 

I have a passion for travel and am lucky enough to take two vacations a year
to some international destination. Last year, I spent a month in Turkey and
Greece and two weeks in Mexico. This year I'm off to Japan. I'm also a
singer, and sing bass with an a cappella group called The Esoterics. Prior
to that, I sang for 15 years with the Seattle Men's Chorus.

I hope you have a chance to check out one of my recordings, including The
Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundaresan (DBW 8370), Border Songs by Jim Lynch
(DBW 8192), and In Defense of Our Neighbors: The Walt and Milly Woodward
Story by Mary Woodward (DBW 8149).

********

Building Connections and Giving Big by Laura Mott

Our Fiscal Year 2013 "Connecting" Annual Report is now available! We are
proud of what we have accomplished and thank all of our donors who made 2013
such a success. More than 1,100 donors helped to raise $200,511 for WTBBL
from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.

This report allows us to both thank our wonderful donors and illustrate what
their amazing gifts have helped us to do. It features staff, patrons, and
volunteers as well as highlights some of our programs. The annual report is
available in hardcopy or online at  <http://www.wtbbl.org> www.wtbbl.org.

We have also been hard at work on the WTBBL website and have revamped our
online giving page. Online giving has never been easier, whether you want to
make a one-time gift, recurring gift, or a gift in honor of someone, you can
do it easily and securely by credit card on our website. Visit
<http://www.wtbbl.org> www.wtbbl.org and click on the "Donate" page.

Lastly, we are gearing up for GiveBIG on May 6, 2014. GiveBIG is a one-day,
online charitable giving event for King County nonprofit organizations,
administered by The Seattle Foundation. This year's goal for GiveBIG is to
focus on WTBBL reading programs and materials for veterans. Please contact
David Junius at  <mailto:david.junius at sos.wa.gov> david.junius at sos.wa.gov or
(800) 542-0866 for more information on GiveBIG.

          For information on the different ways to support WTBBL, please
contact me at (360) 902-4171 or laura.mott at sos.wa.gov.

-------------------- 
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