Calling All Students
Do you know a student who is already enrolled with the
Talking Book Program (TBP) or one who may qualify for TBP's services?
As the school year begins, we want to make certain that every eligible
student in Texas is signed up. Students may receive services at
school as well as at home. Teachers can call TBP toll-free to set
up a school account. We offer a Classroom Guide to the Talking Book
Program that can assist educators in utilizing the program with
their eligible students. Ask your teachers to call us today.
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Did you know?
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TBP On the Road
July 9-11 TBP staffed the NLS booth at the national conference for
the Association of Higher Education and Disabilities (AHEAD) in
Dallas.
August 5-7 TBP staff visited 9 cities in North East Texas, traveling
800 miles to spread the word about the Talking Book Program to librarians,
elected officials, educators and the media in Tyler, Longview, Kilgore,
Mt. Pleasant, Sulphur Springs, Greenville, Carrollton and Dallas.
November 6 staff will be in Lubbock to present a workshop at the
Texas state AHEAD conference.
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Don't Be Late
Our loan period is 45 days
for books and 7 days for shared magazines. Please mark your calendars
when your items arrive and get your books and magazines in on time.
The next patron in line is eager to get those items--and that patron
could be you!
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Attention Veterans
If you are a blind or visually impaired veteran, you may be eligible
for services from the VA Health Care System. The VA offers orientation
and mobility training, blind rehabilitation training, computer access
training, low vision services and disability benefits. For more
information call the VIST team nearest you. Contact Ray Lisaucki,
at the VA Health Care System at 800-423-2111.
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From the TBP Director
Dear Patrons,
As many of you are aware, the 78th Texas Legislature was a difficult
one for state government, and all state agencies were asked to reduce
their budgets. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC),
of which the Talking Book Program (TBP) is a part, gave up 7 % of
its budget for this fiscal year (FY2003) and another 12.5% for the
next two fiscal years (FY2004-2005). Of these two budgetary cuts,
TBP gave up over $120,000 for FY2003 and just under $103,000 for
FY2004-2005. What do these cuts mean for TBP and for its patrons?
First, let me explain how the Talking Book Program budget works.
TBP receives funding from three primary sources. The first source
is from the National Library Service (NLS). NLS provides TBP with
resources “in kind”. This means that TBP does not receive monies
from NLS but receives books and equipment for the program. NLS provides
all playback equipment, accessories, recorded and Braille books,
catalogs, and other items. The second source of funding comes from
the state government. The State of Texas provides monies to pay
for staff, supplies and staff equipment, operating expenses, and
large print books. The third source of funding for TBP consists
of gifts and donations made to the program. Gifts and donations
are made to the program both by individuals and by groups. These
funds are used to supplement the program and to pay additional expenses
for which the state has not provided funds. Needless to say, in
tight budget times, gifts and donations become a very important
resource for TBP.
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The budget cuts that the Talking Book Program sustained will be
tough, but staff are working very hard to maintain service levels.
So far, no staff have been laid off, but open positions have been
frozen and may not be filled until 2006. Reader Services, the department
that handles your phone calls, letters, and emails, has two positions
frozen. The Circulation department, which sends out your books and
equipment and receives them back again, also has lost staffing hours
in frozen positions and consolidation of other positions. Staff
who do outreach and educational programs will have to cut back on
travel around the state. Gift money will have to be used to purchase
large print books because that part of the budget was cut, too.
Please be patient with us. Having fewer staff and less funding
means that some things will take a little longer to accomplish.
We regret that any budget cuts had to be made, but our staff are
committed to having operations run smoothly so that your service
is not disrupted. Hopefully, the adjustments and changes that have
to be made will not be too noticeable.
Sincerely,
Ava Smith, Director, Talking Book Program
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Have Questions About Disabilities?
Our Disability Information and Referral Center (DIRC) houses information
and materials on all types of disabilities and health conditions,
as well as related organizations, publications, products, and technology.
You do not have to be a member of the Talking Book Program to use
the services of the DIRC. Call 800-252-9605 or 512-463-5458. We
can help!
Low Vision Support Groups
Low Vision Support Groups meet all over the state. These
groups offer support and practical information about issues relating
to the challenges associated with low vision. To find a group near
you contact our Disability Information and Referral Center at 800-252-9605.
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Hooray for Volunteers
Our Volunteer Recording Studio in Austin has 50-65 active volunteers
each month who donate over 4000 hours of their time each year. Because
of their dedication we are able to record 10 new titles each month.
If you are ever in Austin, we invite you to come visit, tour the
studio and meet some of your volunteers.
Legislators Receive Materials
In July, every Texas legislator received packets of the new TBP
outreach materials, Classroom Guides and flyers on the DIRC. Packets
were mailed to all district offices around the state and hand delivered
to offices in the Capitol. Thanks go to volunteers Jennifer Whiddon
and David Rudd, who spent a full day making deliveries and sharing
information about our program and how we can serve their constituents
with disabilties. Does your elected official know you are a TBP
patron?
Radio Plays Available
Relive the golden age of radio or discover it for the first time
through our radio plays. We have 52 radio plays recorded by the
National Radio Theater. Explore classics like The Wizard of Oz or
sesonal favorites such as The Gift of the Magi. This can be a great
group activity for eligible students. Call today to get the complete
list of plays.
Spotlight on Texas
Spotlight on Texas is a quarterly publication announcing the latest
audio books produced by volunteers at our Volunteer Recording Studio
in Austin. If you would like to receive an audio cassette copy of
"Spotlight on Texas" each quarter, please contact us at 800-252-9605
or send us an email.
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Large Print Sheet Music
Looking for large print sheet music? The National Library Service
offers braille and large-print musical scores, texts, and instructional
recordings about music and musicians on cassette and audio disc.
Most of the holdings are listed online at
http://nlscatalog.loc.gov/,
or call us and we will be glad to discuss what is available. If
there is a song in your heart, we can help you with our accessible
music collection.
Donations
Remember that you can make tax deductible donations to the Talking
Book Program. Your donations and bequests enable us to support the
program. Memorial gifts can be a wonderful way to remember someone
who benefited from the program. Please make checks to: "Texas State
Library-Talking Book Program" and send them to the attention of
our director, Ava Smith.
National Recognition
The Texas Talking Book Program recently received national recognition
when its recording of Justis Colt by Don Bendell fully met the rigorous
quality standards of the National Library Service for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped (NLS).
The local recording was added to the national collection of talking
books and will be duplicated and made available to talking book
patrons throughout the nation. Justis Colt is the third title recorded
in Texas to be accepted into the national collection. Only ten books
in the nation have met the stringent national standards.
Congratulations to our volunteer recording team of Ev Lunning, Jr.
and Brent Holcomb, both from Austin, Texas, who completed the recording
of all three of the nationally-recognized titles recorded in Texas.
In addition to Justis Colt, the other titles that have been added
to the national collection are Footnotes: A Memoir by Tommy Tune
and Trespasses: Portrait of a Serial Rapist by Howard Swindle.
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Tips
and Reminders for Better Service
Equipment. Talking Book cassette players are just like any
mechanical device—they break down from time to time. You'll get
the best service from your equipment if you:
-
always use the battery to play your tapes and allow the battery
run down completely before recharging it;
-
keep food and beverages away from the player;
-
clean the heads from time to time using a head-cleaning tape
(available at stores that carry stereo equipment);
-
don't try to fix a broken player—just return it.
Before returning a piece of equipment, please call or write to
let us know you are returning it and to request a replacement. It's
a good idea to keep the box your player comes in so you can use
it to return equipment if it breaks down.
Loan Period. The normal loan period for braille, large print,
or cassette books is 45 days. Please call or write if you need to
keep the book longer. Returning books promptly and keeping a list
of book requests on file with us will keep a steady flow of reading
material in your mailbox.
Broken Books. To let us know you have had a problem with
a book, please mark a large "X" on the return label on the left
side of our address.
Services. Our staff is dedicated to making
the Talking Book Service work for you. Please let us know how we
can help by contacting us at:
Talking Book Program
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
PO Box 12927
Austin TX 78711-2927
1-800-252-9605 (in Texas)
512-463-5458 (in Austin)
512-936-0685 (fax)
tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us
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