[nfbwatlk] FW: [wtbbl] The next Reading Matters newsletter from WTBBL is here!

Mon Sep 22 18:18:06 UTC 2014

From: WTBBL [mailto:wtbbl at list.statelib.wa.gov] 
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2014 11:01 AM
Subject: [wtbbl] The next Reading Matters newsletter from WTBBL is here!

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

Third 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: (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

         After 41 years of broadcasting, the Evergreen Radio Reading Service
(ERRS) has gone quiet. While there are many resources available for people
who have Internet access or a smartphone, or on the regular radio dial,
there has been nothing quite like ERRS. 

The radio reading service was a victim of ongoing budget cuts at WTBBL. In
2011 all funding and staffing for the service was cut, but with the help of
donors and by co-opting some existing funds and staff hours, we managed to
stay on the air another three years. At this time, it is no longer tenable
to keep the downscaled service operating through borrowed resources. 

The ERRS will be greatly missed. I cannot express enough thanks to all the
staff and volunteers who have made the service possible over the years, and
of course, to you the listeners. 

On a happier note, things are humming along in our Audio Book Production
Department. WTBBL has 12 books on BARD with many more on the way to being
uploaded. Some of the books you'll soon be able to borrow include:
Zoobiquity by Barbara Matterson-Horowitz; It's So Easy and Other Lies by
local rock musician Duff McKagan; A Queer History of the United States by
Michael Bronski; Scent of the Missing by Susannah Charleson; and The Lost
Bank by Kirsten Grind. 

We are very proud of our books and if you enjoy them too, you can call and
ask that the heading "NW Fiction" or "NW Nonfiction" be added to your
record. If you are browsing our catalog, you can also identify a local book
by the prefix DBW or DBC.

Please feel free to contact me and let me know how your library service is
going, share any ideas, or ask questions. 

Thank you, Danielle

 <mailto:danielle.miller at sos.wa.gov> danielle.miller at sos.wa.gov

(206) 615-1588

********

Paths to Periodicals by Frank Cuta, Patron Advisory Council Member

Even with the closure of the Evergreen Radio Reading Service, there are
still four types of services that can be used to access newspapers and
magazines.They are radio reading services produced in other states, recorded
periodicals provided by the National Library Service (NLS), the NFB Newsline
service, and Bookshare.  

You can review a listing of radio reading services compiled by WTBBL at
<http://bit.ly/YeMYCj> http://bit.ly/YeMYCj. Many of them supplied WTBBL
with programming in recent years. 

If you are interested in expanding your access to periodical materials, you
can contact WTBBL at (800) 542-0866, or access BARD at
<http://nlsbard.loc.gov/> http://nlsbard.loc.gov/, to sign up for a wide
range of magazines that are available through NLS. 

Although the most powerful method of accessing materials from all four
services is the Internet, an often overlooked alternative for reading
periodicals is listening over the telephone. If you subscribe to an
unlimited long-distance phone service, you can listen to materials via the
NFB Newsline at (888) 882-1629 or ACB Radio Mainstream at (231) 460-1047. 

ACB Mainstream and NFB Newsline offer the most flexible connection choices
since both of them provide three kinds of access: telephone, web browser and
smartphone. Bookshare (at  <http://www.bookshare.org> www.bookshare.org) is
only available via the Internet. If you are legally blind and a student the
Bookshare service is free.

Any discussion of access to audio Internet-based reading resources would be
incomplete without mentioning the current revolution in smartphone and other
handheld web-enabled devices. I predict that soon these devices will be
programmable enough to permit patrons to custom design their own radio
reading programs tailored to their specific tastes. 

ERRS may be gone, but information access lives on!

********

Patron Advisory Council

Help lead WTBBL! Patron Advisory Council (PAC) applications will be mailed
out in October for November consideration. The PAC assists in giving advice
and recommendations on practices, policies, and goals of library services to
individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, physically
disabled, or reading disabled. Council members serve as advocates in
promoting and further developing library services. If you have questions,
please contact Danielle Miller at (800) 542-0866, or
<mailto:danielle.miller at sos.wa.gov> danielle.miller at sos.wa.gov.

********

Braille Department Update by Ed Godfrey

The 2014-15 Braille Transcription Class began on September 17th with 8
students. The class is WTBBL's first to study Unified English Braille (UEB),
the international braille code for English. UEB becomes effective in the
United States on January 4, 2016. Changes in the early lessons involve new
UEB terminology (e.g., "numeric prefix" instead of "number sign"), new
symbols for some punctuation, and new rules on spacing.

The class will end in May 2015, about the time WTBBL will offer UEB
workshops for WTBBL's current transcribers and proofreaders. The National
Library Service will eventually offer a UEB certification course. There is
no word yet on whether current NLS-certified transcribers will need to be
re-certified for UEB.

********

>From the Registrar's Desk by Tyler Kaye

Long-term care (LTC) professionals are invited to a special Introduction to
WTBBL to be held October 21st from 10 a.m. to noon.

Activity directors, social workers, and recreational therapists will have an
opportunity to tour the library while also networking with colleagues. We
will provide an overview of our services and explain how LTC workers can
help connect their residents with the library. Talking book players will be
available for hands-on demonstration and we will show how to download books
from the BARD website.

Our tour will go behind-the-scenes, allowing attendees to see how talking
books and braille books are produced, in addition to our shipping operation
that distributes nearly 350,000 items a year. There will also be a chance to
meet our readers' advisors and learn how they can help users get the most
from their library service. A supply of WTBBL outreach materials, including
posters, brochures, and application forms, will be distributed as well.

Free parking will be available on-site and light refreshments will be
served. LTC professionals interested in attending this event should RSVP by
contacting David Junius at (206) 615-0417 or david.junius at sos.wa.gov before
October 17th.

********

New Tech at WTBBL!!!

          WTBBL has recently acquired an Optelec ClearView+ Speech HD thanks
to the support of our wonderful donors. The Optelec is a modern video
magnifier, allowing users to enlarge printed materials to their desired
size, as well as adjust the level of contrast. Combined with the video
feature is an accurate text-to-speech synthesizer that makes it easy to
select what you want to read. Along with our accessible computer lab, which
includes a Mac, a PC, an embosser, a scanner, and much more, we invite you
to visit the library to try out the new Optelec magnifier.

********

KLAS in Boston

Shannon Curry, readers advisor, and Amy Ravenholt, assistant manager,
travelled to Boston this summer to attend the KLAS (Keystone Library
Automation System) Users Conference on the campus of the Perkins School for
the Blind near Boston. 

There they met with staff from libraries around the country who use KLAS
software to select books and track the reading histories and preferences of
all our patrons. It was Shannon's first conference, and she was relieved to
discover that the company was stimulating and the sessions really applied to
her job. 

As part of the many programs and discussions, Shannon acted as the resident
accessibility expert in using the keyboard instead of a mouse, and Amy gave
an "Ignite Talk" on how our shipping department switched to using tablet
computers for streamlining circulation. Amy received the Julie Klauber Award
for her and WTBBL's expert use of KLAS to improve patron service. 

********

Youth Services Librarian Update by Mandy Gonnsen

First, a huge thank you to all 48 students who participated in the WTBBL
2014 Summer Reading Program. Congratulations to all who completed the
16-book or 16-hour reading challenge! 

The WTBBL Youth Services program is geared up for fall with many new
activities. We're launching an art competition this September, and invite
all budding artists ages 5-18 to submit original artwork to hang in a
special library art gallery and be judged for prizes.

If writing is more your style, take a chance this fall to be matched with a
WTBBL Pen Pal! Open to braille and large-print writers, we will match you
with another WTBBL youth patron to whom you can write letters throughout the
fall. 

And finally, all tweens and teens ages 11-18 are invited to our Fall Book
Club. For each meeting, read one book from that week's suggested booklist.
You get to choose what you read. Then, call-in to tell others about it! All
lists will be sent to interested students and will be available on the
website.

To participate in any of these programs, please contact
<mailto:mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov> mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov or (206)
615-0400. More information will be available at
<http://www.wtbbl.org/youth.aspx> www.wtbbl.org/youth.aspx.

Check out these new arrivals for youth! More titles are available by
contacting the youth services librarian at
<mailto:mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov> mandy.gonnsen at sos.wa.gov.

BRJ 1350 Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop by Anna Dewdney.
         Join Llama Llama as he hops, jumps, taps, claps, stretches, and
bows, with a special surprise at the end. This energetic story will get
little ones moving along with Llama Llama. For preschool to grade 2. 2012.  

DB 78544 Frozen: The Junior Novelization by Sarah Nathan.
         Princess Elsa runs away after she accidentally unleashes her powers
and traps the kingdom of Arendelle in an eternal winter. Elsa's younger
sister Anna teams up with adventurer Kristoff and his reindeer Sven to find
Elsa and save the kingdom. Adapted from the award-winning film. For grades
2-4 and older readers. 2013.

DB 78816 A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd.
          The Pickle family relocates to Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, a town
which legend says was once magic. But Felicity is convinced the enchantment
is still there, and with the help of her new friend Jonah the Beedle she
hopes to revive it. Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2014.

DB 78556 The Medusa Plot: The 39 Clues; Cahills vs. Vespers, Book 1 by
Gordon Korman.
          One by one, distress calls start coming in from around the globe.
Cahills are being kidnapped by a shadowy group known only as the Vespers.
Now orphans Amy and Dan Cahill have only days to fulfill a bizarre ransom
request. Commercial audiobook. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 2011.

DB 78703 Illusion: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
          Nick wants to be normal, not the son of a hated demon. But when he
falls into an alternate reality where his mom is happily married and Nick
and his once-powerful friends are geeks, he rethinks his wish. Sequel to
Inferno (DB 76317). For senior high and older readers. 2014.

********

Brown Bag Book Club

The next Brown Bag Book Club will be on Thursday, December 4th, at noon, led
by Mandy. The book will be Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It's
available from WTBBL as braille book BR 19766 and digital book DB 75966. 

During World War II, a British spy plane crashes with best friends Maddie
and Verity on board. The Gestapo arrests and tortures Verity for information
about her mission. She slowly confesses - but it isn't what her tormenters
expect. 

********

Book Recording Update by John Pai

Onward and upward! Since I last wrote about Audio Book Production, we have
added a new aspect to our duties. We are now able to actually upload our
digital books directly to the NLS BARD website as well as our own site. All
told, we have uploaded 12 books directly to the NLS website and we have
completed 22 titles in the past 3 months with 55 titles actively in the
process of production. 

Our volunteer ranks have now swelled past 65 and counting. We've also added
to our review squad bringing the number of working editors up to 11.
Finally, we have also just submitted our list of new titles of books to be
produced for our audio collection including titles by Mary Daheim and Kat
Richardson, among others; several books about our world champion Seattle
Seahawks; and the newest release by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex
Tizon. 

Look for these newly uploaded titles:

DBW 8472 and DBC 223 Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos.

Elderly Margaret Hughes lives alone in her Seattle mansion, surrounded by
priceless antiques and ghosts of the past. Wanda Schultz, a heartbroken
stage manager from New York, takes a room in Margaret's house. Together, the
two women forge a friendship and face the dark secrets of their respective
pasts. Narrated by Rachel Glass.

DBW 8374 and DBC 206 The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands
Invented Grunge by Stephen Tow.

Grunge isn't dead. Twenty years after the height of the movement, The
Strangest Tribe redefines grunge as we know it. Stephen Tow takes a second
look at the music and community that vaulted the likes of Nirvana, Pearl
Jam, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden to international fame. Tow extensively
chronicles the rise of rock-and-roll's last great statement and
contextualizes what the music really meant to the key players. Narrated by
Holly Chaffin.

DBW 8441 You Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself by Harry Beckwith & Christine
K. Clifford. 

The authors show you how to package and present your most important product
of all: yourself. Beckwith and Clifford present lessons on topics like the
importance of making good first impressions, the secrets of successful
selling, and communicating with brevity and clarity. Narrated by Zoe Scott.

********

Volunteer Spotlight on Margaret Bullitt

For the past couple of years, I've been reading aloud to my 89-year-old
mother. It's been a lovely way to spend time together. Among others, we've
read Great Expectations and Moby Dick - and yes, we finished it! - then
Uncle Tom's Cabin. Now we're embarking on War and Peace.

Years ago I walked past WTBBL and thought that I'd like to record audio
books for the blind someday. Two years ago, with my sons both grown and
living on their own, and me now retired as a residential real estate agent,
I called and asked if I could volunteer. I was told I'd need to audition.
Once an aspiring actress, I was excited to be called back for the job - and
delighted to be told I'd gotten it. 

I asked to begin by reading Lost and Found by Andrew Clements, a book for
pre-teens. That was a good way to get my feet wet handling the technical
aspects of recording and editing on the computer. Next was a non-fiction
book called Dignity, Dogma, and Same Sex Relationships: What Science and
Scripture Teach Us by Gilbert Rossing. I appreciate that in recording books
I am also learning and having my world expanded.

The next book I read was The Lost Bank: The Story of Washington Mutual-The
Biggest Bank Failure in American History by Kirsten Grind. Again, an
eye-opening book. Currently, I'm recording Seeking Salaam: Ethiopians,
Eritreans, and Somalis in the Pacific Northwest by Sandra M. Chait. I hope
you will check out these interesting reads!

Summer was busy for me with travel and visiting family, an oil-painting
workshop, and an intensive month-long improv acting program. I look forward
to getting back to recording more books in the fall! 

********

A Legacy That Lives On by Laura Mott

Eloise Haug, who volunteered with WTBBL as a braille transcriber for almost
20 years, died March 3rd at the age of 92. Among the remembrances, one
friend wrote, "She considered braille transcribing to be one of the most
satisfying experiences of her life and WTBBL was very dear to her heart."
Unbeknownst to anyone at the library, Eloise left a bequest to WTBBL, which
was received in June. WTBBL is extremely grateful, not only for the time and
service Eloise dedicated to braille transcription for two decades, but also
for her bequest that will continue to serve WTBBL patrons for years to come.

"Eloise was a quiet, unassuming person who was interested in helping
others," said former WTBBL director Jan Ames. "She was a truly dedicated
advocate for WTBBL, and patrons of WTBBL have greatly benefited and will
continue to benefit from Eloise's loyalty and dedication to the library."

Perhaps the most common type of planned gift, a bequest is a promise in your
will or trust to give to a charitable organization at the end of your life.
While it is not necessary to tell WTBBL that you have left a gift in your
estate, we do appreciate knowing so that we may thank you for your generous
act. If you wish for your gift to remain anonymous, we will honor your
request.

With the help of donors like Eloise, WTBBL is able to keep current with our
collection, acquire technology to make it easier for patrons to use our
services, and continue to reach out to those who could be using WTBBL but
aren't yet aware of our services.

As we gear up for our Annual Campaign this fall we will be creating a Legacy
Society to honor those who have left bequests along with creating a special
plaque in our lobby to commemorate their gifts. 

We are so grateful for all our donors and appreciate the gifts that come our
way in every form, large and small. We hope you'll consider taking part in
our Annual Campaign again this year. If you would like more information on
bequests or the different ways to support WTBBL, please contact me, Laura
Mott, Director of Development, at (360) 902-4171 or
<mailto:laura.mott at sos.wa.gov> laura.mott at sos.wa.gov.

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