Director's Column

Happy New Year to all of you, and I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season.

Disk books to be discontinued:
As we move closer to having a new machine and a new format, some of the oldest parts of our collection soon will be discontinued. Books on record (both flexible and rigid disks) will no longer be available for checkout after February 28, 2007. NLS stopped producing books in this format in 2001, so there have been no new books available on record since then. We have continued making books in this format available for those patrons who wish to use them, but as time has passed, the number of patrons who use records exclusively and the number of records in useable condition have dwindled to just a few. If you use only books on disk and have not been contacted by a reader consultant about changing to another format, please call 1-800-252-9605 and select a different format to receive books in. Books are available on cassette, in Braille, and in large print.
Unabridged Project continues to grow:
If you would like to experiment with digital books on your computer, then you might want to consider the Unabridged Project. Over 430 TBP patrons are already participating. The Unabridged Project is a program provided by a group of NLS regional libraries through the commercial vendor Overdrive.com. The program provides digital audio books for download to home computers, and all Talking Book Program patrons automatically are qualified to join the project. Your computer must have a Windows operating system and high-speed access. You will be issued a library card number and a PIN access code. These will be sent to you at your email address. Once you have your card and PIN, you may begin downloading books immediately. The program has over 1,800 books to choose from. Please call a reader consultant at 1-800-252-9605 for more information or to sign up.

Machine inventory continues: We continue to inventory our machines. Over 11,000 of you have responded, but we still need to hear from nearly 7000 of you. Failure to respond to the machine inventory request may result in having your account suspended. Suspension of your account means that you will not be allowed to have any more books until the reason(s) for suspension have been resolved. Failure to cooperate in the machine inventory also may affect your future ability to receive a new digital machine. If you have not reported your serial number either by mailing in the green card or by calling in and speaking with a reader consultant, please call 1-800-252-9605 and ask about your machine. A big thank you to all of you who have completed your part of the inventory!

The new digital talking book machine: Some of you read about the new digital player in the last newsletter and came away with the impression that the machines were available and that you could sign up for one. Sorry, but the machines will not be available for some time. We are hoping that some will be available in late 2007, but we just do not know when they will go into production. When we do start receiving the new machines, we will not receive enough to allow everyone to have a new machine right away. It will take NLS a few years to produce the millions of machines that will be needed for the entire national program. How will we determine who gets a machine and when? Veterans will be the first patrons offered new machines, because by law, we give priority to veterans. After veterans, we will offer new machines to our centenarians because this is a small and well-defined group. We have not yet determined which patrons will be offered machines after these two groups, but we will look at a number of factors as we develop a distribution formula.

If you are not getting the books you need, see the green insert in this newsletter: A common complaint from patrons throughout the network is that they are not getting the books they want. While we strive to deliver the books you want in a timely manner, there are sometimes unavoidable delays in service. The green insert in this issue of the newsletter gives some handy tips on what you can do to improve your service. Please review the insert and keep it handy for future reference. Click here to go to insert at the bottom of this page.

Until next time,
Ava Smith, Director, Talking Book Program

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Machine Inventory Cards

·Machine Inventory Cards are due. If you still have one, please send it in now or call us with the serial number. If your machine has a serial number beginning with "C2," please call us at 1-800-252-9605. Thank you. ·

"If you like this author, you may also like…"

One of the most enjoyable things about reading is discovering a new writer. Last summer the Fresno County Public Library, in California, published a list in its Talking Book Library Newsletter. These writers may not offer the same style or setting, but they have similar elements and reader appeal.

• ·If you like Julie Garwood's romantic suspense, you might like: Linda Howard, J. D. Robb, Karen Robards, and Elizabeth Lowell.
• If you like John Grisham's legal suspense, you might like: Steve Martini, Lisa Scottoline, Brad Meltzer, David Baldacci, and Stuart Woods.
• If you like Stephen King's horror and suspense, you might like: Dean Koontz, Douglas Preston, Peter Straub, and Dan Simmons.
• If you like Louis Lamour's westerns, you might like: Douglas C. Jones, Elmer Kelton, Alistair MacLean, and Tony Hillerman.
• If you like Jean Plaidy's historical fiction, you might like: Rosalind Miles, Margaret Campbell Barnes, Robin Maxwell, Diane Haeger, Philippa Gregory, and Georgette Heyer.
• If you like Danielle Steel's contemporary women's fiction, you might like: Barbara Delinsky, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Eileen Goudge, Fern Michaels, and Nicholas Sparks.

Call 1-800-252-9605 to request a book by one of these writers.

Call the Disability Information and Referral Center toll-free at 1-800-252-9605 for information about disabilities and health conditions. The center also has books and other materials you may check out and read.

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You May Enjoy this Bestselling Book on Nutrition and Diet

French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano, narrated by Kenny Cundiff
RC 59698
This is a guide to the "French paradox" of staying trim while eating for pleasure. A four-part program includes inventorying your current diet, adjusting to balanced portions and nutritional diversity, reintegrating favorite foods in proper measure, and maintenance. Discusses grocery shopping, food preparation, simple exercise, and secrets of Frenchwomen. Includes recipes. To order this book, call 1-800-252-9605 and ask for RC 59698.

Texas Talking Books will be closed on the following holidays:

Assistive Technology Products For Information Access

is a guide with information on products designed to enable people with visual or physical disabilities to access information. This National Library Service (NLS) guide has 26 pages with prices, vendors' names and addresses as well as web sites. NLS stresses that the items listed are not part of the NLS program and their listing does not imply endorsement. The circular is available online at http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/assistive.html.

This Book Has Touched Many of Our Readers

·One Vacant Chair by Joe Coomer, narrated by Dianna Dorman
CT 6748
Shortly after Sarah finds out that her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her, her grandmother dies. At the funeral, she is surprised to discover that Grandma Hutton's ashes are to be scattered in Scotland by Aunt Edna, who needs a traveling companion. Sarah decides that it is a good time to reorganize her life, so she offers to go. Sarah knows only that her Aunt Edna paints portraits of chairs and has been the "lunch lady" at the local grade school for 30 years. During their time together, however, she finds out much more, including some things she would rather not know. This book contains some sex. To order this book, call 1-800-252-9605 and ask for CT 6768.

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Why You Haven't Received Books

If you haven't received any books in a while, here are some possible explanations. Take a look and see if one or more of the reasons below might apply to you.

q You haven't requested enough books. TBP patrons have two separate book loan quotas. One is for automatically selected books (we'll discuss that one below), and one is for requested books. If you haven't requested any books you won't get any to fulfill your requested books quota. You could have a quota of 10, but if there aren't any available books on your request list, you won't receive any. The solution: Call us and add more books to your request list. Reader consultants can help you by suggesting titles or authors that you may like.

q Your autoselect quota is too low, or you aren't signed up for autoselect. Autoselect is the process by which TBP's computer system chooses books for you based on your interests and sends them to you automatically. If your autoselect quota is too low, you may not get enough books to meet your reading needs. The solution: Call us and ask if you are signed up for autoselect, then sign up or ask that your quota be increased.

q Your request list is inadequate. If you have requested only very popular titles that are constantly circulating, they may only rarely be available. Books that we have few copies of can also be problematic. We have processes in place to identify and make duplicate copies of requested books, but this takes time. If no master copy is available, we may not be able to create more copies at all. Braille and large print books go out of print quickly and are often difficult or impossible to replace if they are lost or damaged. The solution: Make sure your request list contains books with a wide variety of publication dates and levels of popularity. Your reader consultant can help you tailor your request list to your particular needs.

q Your quotas are too low. Perhaps you just read fast! Different readers read at different rates. The solution: Call us and ask that your quotas be adjusted so that you can check out more books. Remember, however, that you must return any overdue books before your quota can be raised.

q You haven't returned any books. At any given time, you may only have as many books checked out as are dictated by your quotas. If you have your quota of books checked out, you won't receive any more until some check in. Just like at any other library, books don't check in until they arrive in our Circulation facility. Books you have mailed to us cannot be checked in until they reach us, so postal delays may affect the flow of books. The solution: return each book as you read it rather than sending several back at once.

q You would benefit by expanding your reading interests. If you receive books selected for you by our system (autoselect), your list of reading interests may be outdated or inadequate. You may have read all available books in a subject area or by a certain author. The solution: Call us and ask a reader consultant to help you choose additional subject areas or authors to add to your interest areas. Our reader consultants can suggest authors or topics that you may not know about, but that might become new favorites.

q Your "Sex/Violence/Profanity" criteria are working against you. If you told us, for example, that all you want is bestsellers and thrillers, but you don't want books containing violence, strong language, and descriptions of sex, our computer is probably having a hard time finding books that fit your needs. The solution: Call us and ask for assistance expanding your reading interests or easing your restrictions.

q You've changed your address without telling us. We may have sent you lots of books-all to the wrong address! The solution: Be sure to keep us up to date with your address, email, and telephone.

q Your service has been suspended for some reason. We may have gotten something back in the mail that suggests you have moved or are no longer interested in the service. Did you refuse something that we or the National Library Service mailed you? Have you checked out a book in the last year? The solution: Call us. A reader consultant will check your patron record and resolve any issues that may be affecting your service.

Please keep in touch! Our purpose is to provide you with library service, and we need your cooperation to give you the best service available. Reader consultants are available to take your calls from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). Call us toll-free in Texas at 1-800-252-9605 or locally at 512-463-5458. When we are not available to take your calls, you may always leave a voice mail message or email us at tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us or via our website, www.TexasTalkingBooks.org.

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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