Touch and Listen Newsletter

News You Can Use

BARD Security Notice

To enhance security of patron accounts and prevent misuse, NLS will be making the following change to BARD:

Any patron account that has not been used in one year or more will be moved to an Inactive/Suspended status. Each day, BARD will check to see if a patron account was last used more than one year ago. When BARD identifies unused accounts, these accounts will be moved to the Inactive/Suspended status and libraries will be sent an automated email that lists affected accounts. Any BARD account that holds the status of Inactive/Suspended can be reactivated quickly and easily by a library administrator.

This change is effective March 23, 2018.

If you have questions, please contact the Library at 1-800-226-6075, or by email at OPAC_Librarian@dbs.fldoe.org. Thank you!

Patron Survey Results 2017

In our patron survey that was recently completed, The Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library received an overall 98% positive response regarding services received from our patrons. The survey was made available in the Touch and Listen Fall 2017 Bureau Newsletter.  The survey was also posted on the website for patron responses. Since 2016, the Library website has been enhanced with detailed, current information about the many services offered through NLS and BARD. The newsletter is published quarterly on the website, in English and Spanish: audio, Word document, PDF; and in braille as a BRF file. If you have missed any issues, a full archive is available on the website.

To the question how did you hear about our services, one patron answered, “In elementary school 70 years ago!” We would be interested in hearing more stories like this, and any other related patron stories with remarkable longevity of our services.  If you would like to share your story please send an email to Maureen.dorosinski@dbs.fldoe.org.

Constructive feedback received included, “not getting the books I want.” This could be due to a misunderstanding of the subject categories available, timing, or book limits for the auto selection process available for continuous book service. If you are experiencing similar issues, please call us at 1-800-226-6075 or email OPAC_Librarian@dbs.fldoe.org to discuss and adjust the settings on your account.

Survey Responses

1. How did you learn about the Library?
   1. Medical Provider (33%)
   2. Another Braille and Talking Book library patron (29%)
   3. Community: senior health, fair; outreach; public library (37%)
2. Overall, are you pleased with your Library service?
   1. Yes (98%)
   2. No (2%)
3. Overall, are you pleased with the Library material?
   1. Yes (96%)
   2. No (4%)
4. How do you request books from the Library?
   1. By telephone (45%)
   2. By Using the online catalog (20%)
   3. By allowing auto-selection based on my preferences (35%)
5. Do you have access to a computer?
   1. Yes, I use one (34%)
   2. Yes, A family member or friend assists me (23%)
   3. No (44%)
6. Magazine anthologies are collections of individual magazine titles, separate issues grouped by similar interest. If you subscribe to magazines, would you:
   1. Prefer the anthologies (32%)
   2. Prefer NLS weekly and monthly magazines (68%)

Download Only Items

The Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service of NLS is growing. Many new books in our catalog have the status of ‘Download Only’.  Some patrons have ‘Download Only’ items on reserve. The catalog system cannot “autofill” these requests, as they are not being made into cartridges but are available on BARD.  We would like to help you get all the books you want! If you have unfilled book requests on your account, you may receive a postcard in the mail offering to help you with processing these requests.

Returning Materials

• Please let your family member know how to return our materials if for some reason you are unable to, or direct them to our Reader Advisors, 1-800-226-6075.  
• Please return the annotation card with the book it came with. This card is sometimes included behind the address card on the digital book, describing the item. It can be set apart from the address card because it does not have a corner notch.
• For “End of Book” errors with a cartridge that has more than one title on it, please call your Reader Advisor first before sending the book back. They can talk you through accessing the Bookshelf mode to play your cartridge successfully.
• If there is a different book in the cartridge or, a “cartridge error”, or “no book on cartridge”, or if the book is unplayable for some other reason, please place a rubber band around the cartridge before placing it in the container for return.  It will then be checked when received.
• If the digital player machine needs to be returned, and the original box and packing is not available, please call a Reader Advisor, 1-800 226-6075.  We will send anything that is needed. There is no charge for mailing it back.  A box and a mailing label can be sent.

FL1B: Jacksonville Braille Challenge 2018 Success!

The rhythmic beating of drums marked the conclusion of another successful North Florida Regional Braille Challenge hosted at the Jacksonville Main Library on Thursday January 25. According to Librarian Chris Eaton of the Jacksonville Talking Book Library, 55 students ranging from elementary to high-school age showed their mastery of the Braille language in a competition measuring their spelling, typing speed & accuracy, reading comprehension, proofreading and interpretation of tactile charts and graphs. While the students competed their educators and family members attended workshops, visited with vendors, networked and assisted where needed. Many community partners came together to support this event and make sure that it was a success. In the end smiles were seen, cheering was heard, prizes were won, drums were beaten and a special kind of reading was celebrated by all.

App Review: Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is a free, mobile app designed as an aid for people who are blind or visually impaired. When you download the app onto your Apple or Android device, you are asked if you are blind or sighted. Users who select that they are blind will be able to press a button to connect with the first available sighted volunteer. The volunteer can assist with questions such as, letting the user know the expiration date on a food item container, or the color of their socks. This Review reprinted with permission from Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS)

Fresh from the Recording Studio

Titles you may have missed

Storming Heaven (DBC11254) by Kyle Mills. 13 hrs. 25 mins. Narrator: Tom Hart. FBI agent Mark Beamon searches for the heir of a murdered millionaire and his wife and takes on a bizarre conspiracy that could bring America to its knees. Mark Beamon series, Book 2. Patron Request.

Free Fall (DBC11255) by Kyle Mills. 15 hrs. 32 mins. Narrator: Tom Hart. A top-secret FBI file buried in an anonymous government warehouse since J. Edgar Hoover's death is missing. The unlucky grad student who uncovered it is dead, and now his ex-girlfriend is on the run, accused of the murder. The only man everyone agrees can find the young woman and turn up the explosive document is FBI agent Mark Beamon, "off-duty," suspended and under the threat of prosecution by the bureau itself. Mark Beamon series, Book 3. Patron Request.

MBC: Matched trilogy (FDB03858) by Allyson Condie. Matched; Crossed; Reached

MBC: Women's Murder Club 1-5 (FDB03869) by James Patterson. 1st to Die; 2nd Chance; 3rd Degree; 4th of July; The 5th Horseman

MBC: Eve Dallas 1-10 (FDB03879) by J.D. Robb. Naked in Death; Glory in Death; Immortal in Death; Rapture in Death; Ceremony in Death; Vengeance in Death; Holiday in Death; Conspiracy in Death; Loyalty in Death; Witness in Death

MBC: Walt Longmire 6-12 (FDB03862) by Craig Johnson. Junkyard Dogs, Hell is Empty; As the Crow Flies; A Serpent's Tooth; Any Other Name; Dry Bones; An Obvious Fact

New FDBs

Moving Target (DBC08189) by Christina Díaz Gonzalez. 6 hrs. 30 min. Narrator: Terry Fiset. Twelve-year-old Cassie Arroyo is a student in Rome, but her life changes when a secret organization, the Hastati, shoots her father--and she learns that she is a member of an ancient bloodline that enables her to use the Spear of Destiny, a legendary object that can alter the future. A Florida Book Award and Sunshine State Young Readers' Award winner. Moving Target series, Book 1.

Project Jackalope (DBC12727) by Emily Ecton. 5 hrs. 20 min. Narrator: Sue Christenson. When Jeremy is entrusted with Professor Twitchett's creation, a jackalope, he must find a way to keep it safe from the government agents who want it for their own purposes. A Sunshine State Young Readers' Award winner.

Stung (DBC12742) by Bethany Wiggins. 8 hrs. 15 min. Narrator: Ellen Rabin. When a vaccine to save endangered bees causes their sting to turn children into ferocious killer beasts, the uninfected build a wall to keep the beasts out, but Fiona wakes up on the wrong side of the wall. A Sunshine State Young Readers' Award winner. Stung series, Book 1.

Turn Left at the Cow (DBC12729) by Lisa Bullard. 7 hrs. 35 min. Narrator: Toni Blankenship. Thirteen-year-old Trav feels like a fish out of water after moving from California to his grandmother's rural Minnesota home in this coming-of-age mystery about a boy who discovers his father mysteriously disappeared after robbing a bank and that the money is still missing. A Sunshine State Young Readers' Award winner.

The Bravest Guy (DBC12750) by Harry E. Wedewer. 6 hrs. 15 min. Narrator: Michael Lowndes. As a U.S. Army infantryman in World War II, Don Wedewer was twice wounded in four days. On both occasions, he was left for dead. Now he was a double amputee and blind with seemingly no hope for the future. Yet through extraordinary determination and persistence, this highly decorated combat veteran overcame seemingly impossible odds to become a state and national leader in providing opportunities for those with visions loss. Don Wedewer was a Director of Florida’s Division of Blind Services 1974-1989.

Narcotics Anonymous (DBC12754) by Narcotics Anonymous. 16 hrs. 50 min. Narrators: Kathleen Ragan and Sue Christenson. This book contains the twelve steps or principles to recovery, the twelve traditions of NA, and an inspiring selection of personal stories written by men and women who are recovering from an addiction to drugs. Patron Request.

The Indian River Journal: the journal of the Brevard County Historical Commission Fall/Winter 2016 (FDB03873) by The Brevard County Historical Commission. 1 hr. 30 min. Narrator: Joan Koechler. Volume 15, Number 2: Fall/Winter 2016 of the Indian River Journal.

Multiple Book Cartridges

Multiple Book Cartridges (MBCs) are now available. Each MBC features multiple titles from popular authors and series. You will need to be able to navigate the cartridge using the Bookshelf feature. To access the bookshelf mode, hold down the square green play/stop button. Wait for a pause, a distinctive beep and the word “Bookshelf,” followed by the number of books or magazines on the cartridge. Wait until the title you want to play is fully announced, wait a second and press the green button again to play.

New Collections

MBC: Classic Novels 1-10 (FDB03894) Lord of the Flies by William Golding; Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; The Color Purple by Alice Walker; Animal Farm by George Orwell; Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison; The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad; The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

MBC Classics: Christie (FDB03891) by Agatha Christie. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd; Peril at End House; Death on the Nile; And Then There Were None; Murder on the Orient Express.

MBC Classics: Hemingway (FDB03889) by Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms; To Have and Have Not; For Whom the Bell Tolls; The Old Man and the Sea; The Sun Also Rises.

New in Braille

No Time to Die (FBC03288) by Bernyce H. Clausell. Known as Tallahassee's Mother Teresa, Rev. Bernyce H. Clausell takes the reader on a journey through 95 years of her fascinating life. Born in 1916, Clausell details the many paths she has taken and how her calling has kept her busy.

New Book Spotlight:

The Bravest Guy by Harry Wedewer on cartridge and also available on BARD as book number DBC 12750

Donald Wedewer: Inducted into the 2002 Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field. “Don Wedewer was born on July 5, 1925. He received his B.S. in education in 1950 and his M.A. in history with a special emphasis in public administration in 1952, both from the University of Missouri. He and his wife Marabeth had four sons and one daughter.

During World War II, Don Wedewer served in the U.S. Army, for three and one-half years. He was wounded twice, losing both legs and his vision. After the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 he was the recipient of the Purple Heart. Don Wedewer began his career in rehabilitation in 1968 as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He served as a statewide Placement Specialist in Florida before being promoted to District Supervisor and then District Director in a large metropolitan area extending from Miami to Key West. In 1974 he was named Director of Florida’s Division of Blind Services, where he provided outstanding leadership until his retirement in 1989. Throughout his career, he was always seeking to upgrade his skills by taking seminars and workshops in the areas of job placement, rehabilitation management and counseling. He was always a strong and persistent advocate for separate agency status for adult blind state services.”

Contribution from Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is a project of the entire field of blindness. It is curated by the American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. http://www.aph.org/hall/

NLS and Talking Book Services Does More

Physical Challenges

Braille and Talking Books Library Services are not only for the blind. People “with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page” all may be eligible. Patron Juan joined the Library in April 2015. He has cerebral palsy. Although he spends a lot of time in his wheel chair, he loves sports, especially soccer and basketball, and enjoys going out with friends and family to concerts, dances and parties.  Completely bi-lingual, he considers Spanish to be his first language, and takes advantage of the Library’s extensive Spanish language collection, using the BARD download program.

Hospital providing assistance

Progress is measured in many ways!  Lee Memorial Hospital / Gulf Coast Medical Center will be the first Florida hospital system to invite Talking Books into their facility, expanding the horizon of patient care during extended stays and more.  The Hospital fully recognizes the benefits of this service in meeting patient needs, a major concern.  The Hospital’s Customer Service Department will handle the operational aspect with support from a local Talking Book volunteer.  Future plans could include the entire Lee Memorial Hospital complex.

Contributed by Jeff Saunders, board member of the Friends of Library Access, Inc. Contact the Friends: www.friendsoflibraryaccessinc.org , or e-mail tbfriends@earthlink.net .

New NLS TV commercial

An NLS commercial, called “Magical Moments,” will air in 30- and 60-second formats on cable TV stations nationwide beginning in February. A radio commercial that will air in 30- and 60-second formats also will be created from this shoot. It’s the next—and most ambitious—step in the NLS multimedia informational campaign that began in June with ads on Internet search engines and Facebook.

“The campaign is aimed at potential patrons and their friends, families, caregivers, medical professionals, and related audiences,” NLS director Karen Keninger says. “We’re already seeing results not only in enrollment but in a significant increase in visits to our That All May Read campaign website and to our Facebook page.”

Publication Information

Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt St.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Important Newsletter Update: Touch and Listen is now published bi-annually in large print in the spring and fall. It is published quarterly in audio; Spanish; English; Braille; Word document; and ASCII text version for adaptive technology screen reading programs. Go to https://dbs.fldoe.org/Library/index.html and click “Touch and Listen Newsletter.”

The Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library Services is part of the Division of Blind Services, Florida Department of Education. Visit our website at https://dbs.fldoe.org/ or www.fldoe.org.