Director's Column
Greetings to all of you, and
I hope your spring season is going well. There is lots of news in
this issue, so without any more ado--
If you are not receiving the books you ordered, this may be
why #1.
Recently, we have received several order blanks from Talking
Book Topics and Braille Book Review that did not have any name on
them. Because these order blanks come to us as free postal matter,
there is not even a postmark to provide a clue about where the sender
lives. When you send in your order forms, please be sure that either
your name or your patron ID number is on it. Otherwise, we cannot
put your order onto a request list because we don't know who ordered
these books. If you think you sent us an order recently that may
not have your name on it, please call 1-800-252-9605 and ask a consultant
to check your request list for particular titles.
If you are not receiving the books you ordered, this may be
why #2.
Your post office may be more strictly enforcing regulations that
apply to the mailing of "free matter for the blind and physically
handicapped." You can do two things to ensure that your "free matter"
mail comes through to us and is not sent back to you as undeliverable.
Do not seal envelopes because the postal workers must be able to
open any mail for inspection and then reclose the envelope. Also,
do not include any lengthy handwritten notes. If postal workers
see lots of handwriting, they may conclude that your letter or order
blank is not eligible for the "free matter" designation. If you
need to discuss something with us, please call 1-800-252-9605 to
talk with a consultant or send us a regular letter using a stamp.
A question about copyright Why does the TBP not use
more commercially produced audiobooks? Because of copyright law,
we cannot copy commercially produced audiobooks which makes them
too expensive for us to purchase. Audiobooks have three levels of
copyright protection: 1) printed text copyright, 2) performance
rights of the narration team who created the audio performance,
and 3) production rights of the entity that created and produced
the recording. An amendment to the copyright law allows us to record
and reproduce most materials published in the United States. This
amendment only applies to printed materials and only if we produce
the recording in a specialized format that provides protection to
the copyrighted text. Therefore, if we purchase a copy of a commercially
produced audiobook, we only have that copy for as long as it is
usable. If it wears out, breaks, or is lost, then the only way we
can replace it is to buy another copy. On occasion, we may purchase
copies of a commercially produced audiobook if the title is in the
"blockbuster" category. We do this in order to have some copies
available because of overwhelming demand. We also evaluate donated
audiobooks and add to the collections those that fit our collections
profiles. We circulate these additions for as long as they last.
Finding described videos to borrow Many of you have
asked where you can borrow or rent described videos of popular movies,
because you are not interested in buying them to keep. When we hear
about free or nearly free services, we will pass the word along.
One such service is provided by the Texas chapter of the Library
Users of America, a division of American Council of the Blind. The
service asks for a one-time $25.00 donation to cover administrative
costs. Videos are mailed "free matter" to subscribers' homes. For
more information and a list of movies, contact Dr. Robert Langford
in Dallas at 214-340-6328 or boblang@airmail.net.
To subscribe, send your one-time donation to Texas Center for the
Physically Impaired at 11330 Quail Run, Dallas, Texas 75238.
New magazines Thanks to everyone who responded to
the call for recommendations of magazines that we could add to our
collections. Some magazines that were suggested are available for
us to add, and we will be evaluating those recommendations. The
following magazines currently are unavailable in recorded or Braille
formats, so we cannot add them: Electronics Musician, EQ, Forbes
Magazine, Jet, Keyboard, Mix, Mother Jones, Motor Trends, Nickelodeon
Magazine, O: the Oprah Magazine, Psychology Today, and Rolling Stone.
If you recommended magazines in subject areas, we will be researching
these further to see what is available.
Do you have a computer and use the Internet? We are
reworking our web page to make it more accessible and more useful
to our patrons. We have lots of ideas of what needs to be on the
page, how it should be arranged, etc. We would like to hear from
those of you who have computers and use the Internet. What would
you like to see on our web page? If you use our web page, what suggestions
do you have for making it easier to use? Please send your suggestions
by email to Dr. Robert Helfer at robert@tsl.state.tx.us
Until next time,
Ava Smith, Director, Talking Book Program
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75th Anniversary and Inauguration
of the 10-Square Club
On March 22, the National Library Service (NLS) and the Talking
Book Program (TBP) celebrated 75 years of service in a Texas State
Capitol ceremony. Texas was one of the first states to join the
NLS network in 1931.
At this ceremony, the NLS enrolled 17 TBP patrons who are 100 or
more years old into the 10-Square Club. Ava Smith, Division Director,
welcomed people to the event. Pat Pound, Executive Director of the
Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, read a proclamation
from Governor Rick Perry, and Sandra J. Pickett, Chairman of the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission, read the Commission's
resolution. Two volunteers at the Austin studio, Dianna Dorman and
Pilar Raymond, read from books they have recorded.
Carolyn Sung, Chief of the NLS Network Division, praised the TBP
staff for "innovative management and operations." She gave a pin,
letter of congratulations and a certificate to Dr. Herbert Westphal,
a TBP patron who is a 100-year-old retired physician from Cleburne.
Letters, certificates, and pins will be sent to the other members
of the 10-Square Club.
Peggy Rudd, Director and State Librarian, recalled her volunteering
as a narrator for recorded books in the early 1980s and encouraged
the audience to help recruit people to use the TBP's services.
A reception in the Lorenzo de Zavala Building concluded the event.
Click here for photos of the event.
Texas Talking Books will be closed on the
following holidays:
- Monday, May 29, Memorial Day
- Tuesday, July 4, Independence Day
Of course, you can always leave a message if you call after hours
or on a holiday or email us at
tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us.
Here's a Locally Produced Book You May
Want to Read
Crazy Loco
CT 6727 and BR 15813
by David Rice, narrated by Ev Lunning, 1 Cassette
Short stories that have the pitch-perfect sense for the speech and
thought patterns of teens and the vivid depiction of the daily lives
of Mexican-Americans in Texas's Rio Grande Valley. One story focuses
on two small-town boys trying to cope when their older and more
sophisticated California cousins come to visit. Another story tells
of a teen that resents having to move in with his grandfather after
his parents' divorce and having to adapt to the old man's ways.
This book contains some profanity. To order this book, call 1-800-252-9605
and ask for CT 6727 for a cassette or BR 15813 for Braille.
This 1940s Romance Still Delights Many Readers
Time of the Singing Birds
RC 53682
by Grace Livingston Hill, 2 cassettes
Lieutenant Barney Vance is sent home to his late mother's farm to
recuperate from his war injuries. While he waits for his next assignment,
childhood friends - Hortense, a forward divorceé, and Sunny, a young
schoolteacher - vie for his affections. 1944. To order this book,
call 1-800-252-9605 and ask for RC 53682.
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Disability Information and Referral Center (DIRC)
Call the Disability Information and Referral Center toll-free
at 1-800-252-9605 for information on disabilities and health conditions.
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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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