LIBRARY USERS OF AMERICA, INC. Spring, 2002 Newsletter President: Pat Shreck Ivy Club Apartments 8701 NE 54th St. - Unit L16 Vancouver, WA 98662 Tel?Fax: 360-883-5611 E-Mail: pat.ralph1@juno.com Editor: Judy Wilkinson 528 W. 111th St. #7 New York, NY 10025 Tel: 212 662-9593 E-Mail: jwilkins@panix.com LUA Website: http://libraryusers.tripod.com TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT LUA ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS KANSAS WELCOMES NEW NLS LIBRARIAN ALEXANDER SCOURBY NARRATOR AWARDS ANNOUNCED ALL EARS: LIBRARY SERVICE SEEKS NEW DIGITAL PLAYER SAMIZDAT NOW OFFERS 864 BOOKS ON ITS BRITISH LITERATURE CD GLOBE SOUTH 1 / COMMUNITY BRIEFS; NO PROGRESS FOR RADIO SERVICE THE BOSTON GLOBE, SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2002 NLS EQUIPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT - APRIL 3, 2002 THE VIRTUAL DISABILITY HISTORY MUSEUM YOU ARE INVITED BRAILLE MUSIC SCORES/BOOKS NOW ON INTERNET NLS AND MYSTIC SEAPORT INITIATE 2-YEAR JOINT PILOT PROGRAM ONE-MILLIONTH C-1 MACHINE PRODUCED BY TELEX JEWISH BRAILLE INSTITUTE EXPANDS ITS OUTREACH MICROSEARCH MAKES LIBRARY COLLECTIONS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE LUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM THE EDITOR by Judy Wilkinson "There is no frigate like a book To take us lands away, Nor any coursers like a page Of prancing poetry. This traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of toll; How frugal is the chariot That bears a human soul!" - Emily Dickinson - With great pleasure, I assume the position as editor of our newsletter. As many of you know, I taught English at a community college near San Francisco for nearly 30 years. So often in my teaching days, I'd think of some literary reference to illustrate a point I wanted to make. It seems only natural to do the same when planning each issue of your newsletter. So I shall begin each of my columns with a bit of poetry or some literary reference to get the issue going and perhaps to suggest some unifying theme. I couldn't think of a better way to begin than with Dickinson's elegant poem about why we read. How beautifully she expresses a book's power, allowing us to use our imaginations: indeed "There is "no frigate like a book, To take us lands away." President Pat Shreck ends her letter from the president expressing a similar theme: "We begin our friendship with a valuable commonality, a love of books." Yes, we come together, we "library users" to celebrate and share our love of reading, of escaping to distant lands, real or metaphorical. True, all too often, we need to put forth added effort to get aboard our "frigates"; yet once the volume is opened or the machine turned on: "This traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of toll;" What miracles libraries are: free materials for all patrons whether rich or poor. We may not be able to availe ourselves of all services in all libraries, but on this special July 4, we can indeed proclaim our pride in being "Library Users of America". "How frugal is the chariot That bears a human soul!" This issue may be somewhat late, but it's packed with informative material designed to appeal to us as library users and library activists. A number of articles talk about technological advances and other changes in the NLS service; other articles talk about the library of the future and other online advances; others present information about accessible museums. To say that without Pat Price, this issue (and numerous previous ones) would be Spartan would be an understatement. Her byline is on much of what follows; and even where others appear, she often has provided the lead. I am indebted to you Pat: Thank goodness one of us backs up her computer. In closing, I remind you to send lots of materials for upcoming issues. My contact information appears at the top of this newsletter. LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT by Pat Shreck July, 2002 Hi, LUA Members, As your new LUA president, I had intended to include this greeting in the Fall, 2001 newsletter; but we have experienced more growing pains than this new administration could ever have anticipated. Circumstances of all kinds, electronic and personal caused much frustration during this first year, but all of us on the LUA Board are looking forward now with enthusiasm and commitment to the 2002-3 term. "Who is this Pat Shreck?" you may be wondering. Having lost my sight as a toddler, I attended the school for the blind in Kansas, received my B.A. in music with an emphasis on voice, and went on to do graduate studies in the field of Organization Development. Most of my career has been spent as a corporate training designer and instructor with an emphasis in career development, working primarily with mid and senior level management. Presently I am a private consultant and advocate for persons needing help with their social security claims. My association with blindness groups goes back for more than 20 years with involvement in local, state, and national elements of the organized blind movement. As a student, employee, and ordinary citizen, I've been concerned with libraries all my life and therefore welcome the opportunity to work with others of similar interests. LUA's vision for the future is exciting, and we are committed to accomplishing several important goals in the year ahead. It is my personal objective to see us increase our general membership as well as to build several new state LUA chapters in the very immediate future. Also, we will concentrate on ways to improve access to on-line information for all blind persons, and look for less high-tech and effective ways to bring on-line information to those blind persons who currently cannot afford computers or have little or no opportunity to learn to use them. We will intensify our efforts to explore avenues for cooperation between libraries and radio reading services and strengthen the relationship between blind children and adults and their ordinary local public library programs. Finally, we will work to ensure sufficient annual income for the affiliate to circulate informational brochures to ACB members and others concerning all levels of library service and related issues. Please interpret my E-mail address and telephone number in this newsletter as my invitation to you to let me know your thoughts about the world of books and the entities that distribute them. I want each name on our mailing list to bring to my mind a person, not just a name. We begin our friendship with a valuable commonality, a love of books. LUA ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS (Editor's Note: News Flash from Houston: this just came in as we go to press.) At the LUA business meeting Monday, July 1, 2002, the following individuals were elected to serve on the Board of Directors: Rachel Ames - Arkansas Barry Levine - Illinois John Taylor - Iowa Due to the resignation of current secretary Terri Lynne Pomeroy, Paul Edwards of Miami, Florida was elected LUA Secretary to complete the one-remaining year of her term. The LUA Bylaws were amended to raise the national dues to $12 per year to compensate for the increased per capita dues ACB will be charging in 2003. Although more information about the meeting are not yet available, we can report all events were well attended and the program extremely well received this year.. Stay tuned! KANSAS WELCOMES NEW NLS LIBRARIAN by Pat Price In February 2002, Toni Harrell joined the Kansas Talking Book Regional Library in Emporia, Kansas, as its regional librarian and director of the Kansas Talking Book Services. In addition to other responsibilities, she will oversee the work of the six Kansas subregional libraries that provide a variety of services, including book circulation to blind and physically handicapped patrons. She brings to this new assignment sixteen years of professional experience as an educator and ten years as a library media specialist. ALEXANDER SCOURBY NARRATOR AWARDS ANNOUNCED The Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Awards were established by AFB in 1986 in memory of its most popular Talking Books narrator. The event also celebrates the contribution of Talking Books to the cause of literacy for blind people, and award presenters (who are visually impaired) will speak about the importance of reading in their lives. The highlight of the evening features award recipients giving readings from the work for which they have been nominated. For this year's Scourby Awards, AFB implemented changes to its structure and process. Studios participating in the NLS program, including American Foundation for the Blind, American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Potomac Talking Book Services, Inc., and Talking Book Publishers, Inc. were invited to nominate one narrator for a title recorded at its facility during the prior calendar year in each of the categories of fiction; non-fiction; a special recognition award, poetry; and a lifetime achievement award. Former recipients are now eligible to receive an annual award. As in previous years, annual winners were determined by a panel of Talking Books readers from throughout the country who listen to titles from a variety of literary categories. This year's fiction award recipient is Kimberly Schraf for her recording of Myla Goldberg's Bee Season. A narrator at Potomac Talking Book Services, Inc., Bethesda, MD, of 14 years, Schraf has recorded over 130 books, including Annie Proulx's "The Shipping News", Kathleen Norris' "The Cloister Walk", and Laurie Garrett's "The Coming league", for which she received Audiofile's Best Nonfiction Recording of 1995 distinction. Schraf has been performing on the professional stage for 16 years, and has appeared in numerous theatrical productions in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. In the nonfiction category, the winner is Bob Askey for his recording of "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman. Askey has been a narrator at Talking Book Publishers, Inc. in Denver, CO since 1975. He has recorded nearly 800 books on a wide variety of topics, including fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, mysteries, and biographies. In 1986, Askey won the first ever Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Award - at the time, only one narrator nationwide received this award. Prior to his work at Talking Book Publishers, Inc., Askey was a radio broadcaster, TV weatherman, and appeared in various television commercials. The recipient in poetry is George Holmes for "The Broadview Anthology of Victorian Poetry and Poetic Theory: Concise Edition" edited by Thomas J. Collins and Vivienne J. Rundle. Since 1986, Holmes has been a narrator at the AFB Talking Books Studios, where he has recorded over 230 books, including Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables", Charles Dickens' "Bleak House", Anthony Trollope's "The Way We Live Now" as well as the complete works of John Keats and Goethe's "Faust". He worked on numerous theatrical productions in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, before becoming an actor where he has appeared in many mysteries, dramas, and farces on and off Broadway. A special lifetime achievement award will be presented to Dale Carter Cooper, a narrator at APH in Louisville, KY since 1952, where she has recorded consecutively for 39 years. Cooper has recorded over 400 titles, including, Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca", Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", Edith Wharton's "House of Mirth", "Vanity Fair", and her favorite, Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina". In addition to her recording for APH, Cooper has appeared on the stages of many regional theatres, and serves on the Board of Directors of local theatres. Melissa Block, New York Correspondent, National Public Radio (NPR), will serve as master of ceremonies of this sixteenth Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Awards, on Monday, June 3. ALL EARS: LIBRARY SERVICE SEEKS NEW DIGITAL PLAYER by Linda Hales Washington Post Staff Writer Washington Post, Saturday, June 15, 2002; Page C01 (Submitted by Sharon Strzalkowski, Vice-President, Library Users of America) For 71 years, the Library of Congress has served as the nation's guardian angel of literacy, ensuring the blind and reading-disabled free access to millions of talking books and magazines. Now the digital revolution is about to make that task easier -- or harder still -- depending on how well the library succeeds in its new role as design patron. The library is planning a $75 million, three-year conversion from cassette tapes to microchips -- the audio program's first technological update in three decades. The goal is to trade 23 million cassettes for memory cards, just as vinyl was supplanted by tape back in the 1970s. To do so, the library, which supplies special playback equipment, will need by 2008 a new digital device to serve 730,000 reading - disabled people. As many as 3 million people may be eligible for the program, which is operated by a branch of the library known as the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Director Frank Kurt Cylke calls this "the greatest challenge NLS has ever faced." Consumer electronics are among the most evolved of modern designs, incorporating the latest technology, dazzling aesthetics and user-friendliness. But those involved in the talking-book program believe the library's next-generation machine will need features not available in standard off-the-shelf products. While PCs and cell phones are becoming throwaway equipment, the library is focusing on the kind of durability that has enabled its current machine design to survive so long. "We can't afford to go through massive, wrenching changes like this very often," explains Michael Moodie, NLS research and development officer. To figure out what such a machine might look like, and how it might work, the library enlisted the Industrial Designers Society of America, headquartered near Dulles airport. IDSA turned the quest into a contest involving industrial design students across the country. June 7 was judgment day. More than 140 prototypes were spread out on tables in a conference room at the NLS offices at 13th and Taylor Streets NW, in Petworth. There Ewere pocket-size players and tabletop entries. Some models resembled silvery boomboxes and retro phones. One device was shaped like a football. Another looked like Darth Vader's helmet. A silvery "Lady Bug" had all the sleekness anyone could expect in the 21st century but broke the contest rules by requiring a separate docking station. Students had been asked to incorporate real-world needs of users: tactile markings for sightless readers; large controls for arthritic hands to manipulate; portability, but also extraordinary stability. All were supposed to be impervious to spilled drinks and able to withstand occasional shipping in little more than a Manila envelope. Agile young minds responded with a mind-bending array of buttons, levers, hinges and even a zipper that could activate functions. Most of the youthful designers had taken inspiration from the tools of their environment: PC gaming gadgets, MP3 players and contemporary "blob" architecture. But as the jury of six professional designers and senior library staff members worked their way around the room, a clear preference emerged for something familiar. First prize went to a prototype in the shape of a book. The winner was "Dook," a rectangular device that opened like a standard volume. Designer Lachezar Tsvetanov, a junior at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, put the controls in one half, speakers and memory card in the other half, and volume regulator in the hinge. Tsvetanov, who grew up in Bulgaria, chose the form for two reasons. He thought a book would be immediately familiar to seniors, who make up half the program's users and are seen as wary of new technology. The designer was also determined that people who needed talking books be able to blend into the world around them. "Users want to be like anybody else," he said. "If you see a young blind person walking down the street and holding an odd-shaped product, it would really stand out." Tsvetanov will be awarded $5,000 for ingenuity at the industrial design society's annual conference July 20-23 in Monterey, Calif. And his device will be displayed at the library's Madison Building on Capitol Hill, along with four second- and third-place winners. The contest was not intended to produce a design for manufacture. The NLS hoped merely to glean ideas for the next step in the process before asking Congress to put millions into the 2005 budget for a total upgrade. Director Cylke estimates the cost of converting to the new system will be "an additional $25 million a year for a three-year period." The current NLS budget is about $48 million. Design innovation has empowered the audiobook program from the start. According to the NLS, the long-playing record was invented for the talking book program in the 1930s. In the1970s, the library developed a special player for its four-track tapes, which can play for six hours. (Copyright law requires that NLS materials be usable only by program participants.) The 1970s-era tape player, which is large and ungainly by today's standard, is still in use today. Throughout the judging process, Moodie worried aloud about the potential for breakage, the difficulty of manufacturing, and the cost. Fellow judge Brian Matt, an industrial designer from Boston who teaches at MIT and the Rhode Island School of Design, held out for something smart and aesthetically pleasing. Thomas Bickford, an NLS senior reviewer for audiobooks, couldn't see and didn't care what color the buttons were, only whether he could feel his way around the controls. Jim Mueller, an industrial designer in Chantilly and an IDSA expert in universally accessible design, was taken with the idea of a digital book. "I can't think of anything that could be a more eloquent format," he said later. The NLS began on an experimental basis transferring cassette titles to digital format last year. By the library's own count, at least 1 million digital machines will be needed. There is also a move to make use of PCs. A software-based talking book player is being tested on a PC. Some eligible readers have DSL lines or cable and are asking for Internet delivery, which the NLS hopes to begin in a limited fashion in 2003. But Moodie believes there will be a need for a playback machine for a long time to come. "You can't say to somebody, 'You have to buy a PC if you want to read,'" he says. © 2002 The Washington Post Company SAMIZDAT NOW OFFERS 864 BOOKS ON ITS BRITISH LITERATURE CD by Pat Price (Editor's Note: National Braille Press offers a compilation CD from Samizdat including many American classics plus some famous British works such as the Complete Works of Shakespeare and the King James version of the Bible. The table of contents for the NBP's CD ($39) can be found at: http://www.nbp.org/superconts.html ) As part of its ongoing updating process, Samizdat recently announced that 119 new books have been added to its British Literature CD (ISBN 0915232979), thus bringing the total to 864. This amounts to about 3 cents per book. Details of the additions can be read at http://www.samizdat.com/update.html or the complete Table of Contents (TOC) at http://www.samizdat.com/britlitcd.html. This collection contains works of English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Australian, and Canadian authors. Samizdat also offers four other "Classic Collections" CDs that are similarly priced at just $29. These include: 1. Children's Books CD (See Current TOC @ http://www.samizdat.com/childcd.html) 2. American Literature CD (See Current TOC @ http://www.samizdat.com/amlitcd.html) 3. World Literature CD - With works in English translation and in the original (when available) (See Current TOC @ http://www.samizdat.com/worldlitcd.html) 4. Non-Fiction CD - Includes History, Natural Science, Social Science, Philosophy, and Reference. (See Current TOC @ http://www.samizdat.com/noncd.html) Those who purchase any of these CDs at the retail price of $29 can buy an updated version of the same CD for just $10, a maximum of four times a year. The "upgraded" version will contain the full text of each book, not just the newly added ones. To order any of these CDs, go to http://store.yahoo.com/Samizdat. There is no charge for shipping orders in the U.S. GLOBE SOUTH 1 / COMMUNITY BRIEFS; NO PROGRESS FOR RADIO SERVICE The Boston Globe, Sunday, June 16, 2002 MARSHFIELD (From Pat Shreck) (Editor's Note: At the combined Library Users/Braille Revival League session at the ACB convention in Houston, a panel discussion was held to discuss "The Future of Radio Reading Services: Should they "sound" different in the 21st Century?" Panellists included Mike Duke, Reading Services Coordinator, Radio Reading Service of Mississippi, Jonathan Mosen (ACB Radio), Lin Martinez, from the Texas Radio Reading Service, and Jay Doudna, former International Association of Audio Information Services board member, who will be speaking from the consumer's perspective. Obviously there is still a place for stand-alone radio reading service systems in the spectrum of information services available to visually-impaired and other print disabled users. In moving to the new, we must not abandon the services still so necessary to so many. We will have an update from this panel discussion in the next issue of your newsletter.) The Talking Information Center, which provides a 24-hour radio reading service for the visually impaired, is still looking for new ways to deliver news and information to its 20,000 customers across the state. The radio service is threatened by a federal ruling intended to provide the blind community with more access to television. The Talking Information Center uses a public broadcasting signal operated by WGBH in Boston to distribute programming. But the Federal Communications Commission has ruled that WGBH must begin using that signal to provide more video description, a service that enhances television programs by describing onscreen action aloud. The mandate could preempt about 60 hours of radio reading each week, according to Ron Bersani, executive director of the Talking Information Center. Bersani said the center would like WGBH to help cover the costs of new equipment that would allow the radio service to continue broadcasting around the clock. That equipment could cost up to $35,000 to install and $30,000 a year to operate. In April, WGBH suggested that the Talking Information Center might continue sharing the signal with the television station. But Bersani believes that would confuse viewers and listeners. "The best solution is for us to no longer be using" that signal, Bersani said. Lucy Sholley, a spokeswoman for WGBH, said the station is continuing to discuss solutions with the Talking Information Center. NLS EQUIPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT - APRIL 3, 2002 by Sharon Strzalkowski (Editor's Note: See the related article about the new NLS player design contest.) The meeting from April 3 to April 5, 2002 covered a variety of topics, and provided ample time for the various subgroups to meet and review recommendations. The recommendations of the consumer group and librarians will follow this report. Current analog production and collection status: About 92 percent of the NLS inventory is books on cassette now, and it is estimated that cassette machines will be in use for another ten years before digital conversion is complete. Unlike a few years ago, libraries have plenty of cassette machines to go around, and shortages and excesses are easily paired together. The record player is now obsolete and should not be repaired. Several improvements to machine repair and parts acquisition have been made, and some 1500 people in 300 groups have volunteered their time doing 13,500 repairs this past year. Batteries with a one-year rather than a three-year warranty are being used at a lower cost, and a solar battery charger is in production now. Only the C1 machines are being produced now, about 220 units a day; all of the C2 machines are gone now because of a fire hazard. Amplifiers for hearing impaired patrons are being upgraded and earphones are rarely in need or repair. The green cassette container will continue to be used, while a new container for braille books is being redesigned. Requests for parts should be emailed rather than faxed or phoned in, and libraries are requested to assist volunteers with ordering if email does not work for them. September 11 concerns: NLS is using Titan Corporation to irradiate the mail, using a conveyor belt with an electron beam device. All NLS mailing, which goes through Capitol Hill, is opened and vacuumed. Because of the slowness of decontamination, email and fax is the preferred mode of operation now, or sending materials FedEx or UPS to NLS. Radiation causes heating and melting, and those in attendance were shown some braille volumes and cassettes that were considerably damaged. Balancing the need for security and limited damage will continue to be a concern for NLS. Digital conversion: By April 2008, about 20,000 titles from the retrospective collection should be available in digital format to be tested by patrons. One thousand titles have already been named to begin this project. The NISO standard, which consists of numerous file specifications needed for digital production rolled into one standard, will be used as a guideline, and by 2004 a conference will be held for digital producers. A contest to encourage various ideas for a digital talking book model is being held for engineering students now, and the judging will occur on June 7, 2002. First prize will be $5,000, and second and third will be $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. It is hoped that there will be at least three different designs from which to choose: a basic, an advanced machine, and a PC-based model. Patron testing and feedback will be crucial, and the consumers at the meeting had an opportunity to try out a couple of machine designs to determine ease of learning the buttons, understanding of the compressed speech, and the complexities of this whole undertaking. A fact sheet about digital conversion is now in draft form and, when edited, will be sent to libraries and made widely available for patron use. Nondigital Audio Technologies: A committee of NLS staff, consumers and librarians has been formed to examine the role of a variety of technologies that will impact the future of NLS service. For instance, does the burgeoning commercial audio book market negate the worth of the NLS service? Might there be an agreement with publishers to allow NLS to distribute these narrated books through the NLS program? Is there a reason to continue a separate NLS program and are reader advisors still important? Could speech recognition be used in helping people to search the catalog by phone, and could digital signatures allow for electronic registration and patron transfers from collection to computer? This dialog is very open-ended and is meant to address the inevitabilities and opportunities presented by the technologies operating in the larger commercial arena. This observer did not get the sense from this discussion that NLS would soon fold up and be replaced by commercial books, but, instead, that an assessment of its emerging role is being made. Comments: The complexity of the digital conversion became very apparent to me as the meeting progressed, and the hard work of the engineers and all staff was apparent. It will be important for consumer groups to stay very involved in the process as digital talking book prototypes appear. We are indeed fortunate to have the services of Judy Dixon in Consumer Relations, as she continues to maintain that perspective while understanding the needs and constraints of her agency. The program was well organized and worth attending. Recommendations from Consumers Please note that anything in parenthesis is by way of explanation, not an actual part of the recommendation. Keeping cost constraints in mind, we recommend that NLS require that magazine mailing envelopes be printed in a high black-and-white contrast. We recommend that the digital talking book playback machine be resistant to moisture. We recommend that the digital talking book playback machine be made compatible with emerging environmental control technologies useable by people with physical disabilities. We recommend that NLS continue to pursue the possibility of conducting a survey of users to determine their capabilities and preferences for use of equipment and the overall service. We recommend that NLS begin efforts to investigate the possibilities of online distribution of audio books and magazines when broadband becomes more affordable and more widely available. We recommend that by default, navigation keys on the NLS player be oriented in the book mode, i.e., more detail by going to the right, less detail going left; up toward the front of the book, and down toward the back. (This recommendation came after consumers had a chance to try out different button configurations concerning going from page to chapter to section, etc.) We urge NLS not to forget that many documents will contain tables, and therefore players will need a table navigation feature. We recommend that NLS develop a software player as a permanent part of the program and that all cartridges for digital talking books be compatible with a PC and playable with this software. (The needed qualities for a cartridge, such as no movable parts, small size, ability to be labeled on, etc, were under discussion while the meeting was in progress.) We recommend that NLS make arrangements with a transportation company to expedite transportation between NLS, hotels, and airports. Librarian Recommendations We recommend that NLS provide information regarding companies that produce battery chargers and make the information available to the network. We recommend that NLS provide information regarding companies that produce rewinders and make the information available to the network. We recommend that NLS provide the NAEAC with the results of the Solid State Memory briefings being held on April 18, 24, and 26, 2002. We recommend that NLS provide the NAEAC with the results and pictures of the Digital Player Design Competition being judged in June 2002. We recommend that NLS provide the NAEAC with quarterly updates regarding changes and advances in the DTB initiative. E-mail is acceptable to the committee. In light of programs such as BookShare and audio books in libraries, we recommend that NLS work with all due speed to introduce a new talking book technology. If the current technology under consideration does not become feasible in a timely manner, NLS should consider an interim technology. We recommend that the serial number plate on the digital audio book machine is at least 16-point type and the serial and model number is audible. We recommend that the digital audio book machine be made stackable for easy storage and transportation. We commend the NLS staff, in particular Carolyn Proctor and Nancy Smith, for their hard work in preparing the NAEAC meeting. THE VIRTUAL DISABILITY HISTORY MUSEUM by Pat Price The Disability History Museum has no bricks and mortar. It is a virtual" museum that provides online access to a searchable digital collection of documents and images related to disability history in the United States. The Museum's mission is to promote understanding of the historical experience of people with disabilities by recovering, chronicling, and interpreting their stories. It's goal is to foster a deeper understanding of disability and to dispel lingering myths, assumptions, and stereotypes by examining these cultural legacies. Museum artifacts are drawn from public and private collections around the country. They exist as primary source materials in the Library, and then are interpreted in Museum exhibitions and Education resources. Visit the Museum at http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/. (Note: Some sections of this new web site are still under construction.) YOU ARE INVITED! by Pat Price In an effort to reach out to more librarians and library patrons, our organization has launched an e-mail discussion list. It is intended to encourage all of us to share information and ideas about programs and services of all types of libraries as they affect those who are blind or visually impaired. LUA extends a special invitation to each of you to join the fun. It is easy. Just send an e-mail message to: librarytalk-subscribe@topica.com or enter your e-mail address on the form on our LUA web site at http://libraryusers.tripod.com/internet.htm There is no charge and members can subscribe and/or unsubscribe as they wish. For more information, contact: Pat Price at 317 254-1185 or by e-mail at pprice@indy.rr.com. BRAILLE MUSIC SCORES/BOOKS NOW ON INTERNET by Pat Price Music scores and books about music have been added to the NLS Web-Braille system that provides braille books on the Internet. This extension of Web-Braille represents the first collection of braille music materials to be available on the Internet for use by NLS patrons. The specialized digital holdings contain items not available from any other source, including many braille music scores. Some examples are "J.S. Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Klavier", Books 1 and 2, for harpsichord/piano (NLS book number BRM 00039 and BRM 00040); Charles Marie Widor's "Symphony No. 5, Op. 42", for organ (BRM 03725); and Johannes Brahms's "Motet from Psalm LI, Op. 29, No. 2", for SATB chorus (BRM 05218). Braille books and magazines about music include issues of the "Musical Mainstream", a quarterly publication of the NLS Music Section that provides a selection of articles from various prominent music periodicals. Judith Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer, who created the Web-Braille concept, says, "The addition of music materials has broadened accessibility beyond current NLS books and magazines. Nearly 200 music items are now available, and more material will be added as it is produced." Inaugurated on August 24, 1999, Web-Braille has become a milestone in the history of library service for blind individuals by providing eligible readers with a direct channel to thousands of electronic braille files. The free Internet braille program has more than 1,800 users registered. Nearly 4,117 digital braille book files, twenty-five national magazines, and five national sports schedules were available at the beginning of February 2002, thirty through the NLS website http://www.loc.gov/nls/web.blnd. Web-Braille users - including individuals, schools, and libraries -access the digital books and magazines through Internet connections and braille output devices, such as braille embossers or refreshable braille displays. NLS has linked its "International Union Catalog" for braille and audio materials to Web-Braille. As a result, Web-Braille books and magazines and music may now be accessed directly from the catalog by using author, title, subject, language, keyword, and other search parameters. Interested readers should contact their cooperating library to receive a password and log in for information. NLS AND MYSTIC SEAPORT INITIATE 2-YEAR JOINT PILOT PROGRAM by Pat Price The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has joined Mystic Seaport, Connecticut's famed seventy-three-year-old distinguished living maritime Museum of America and the Sea, in a major initiative from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2003, advancing accessibility for blind and handicapped individuals. Mystic Seaport is a world-renowned not-for-profit educational institution occupying 37 acres on the Mystic River located east of New London, Connecticut. The museum comprises not only 60 public buildings but also the largest watercraft collection in the United States, notably the Charles W. Morgan, the last American wooden whaler; the Joseph Conrad, an 1882 square-rigged training ship; the L.A. Dunton, a 1921 fishing schooner; and the Sabino, an operating 1908 steamboat. These prized historic vessels, fundamental to the Seaport's mission of promoting the U.S. maritime heritage, are maintained in a fully equipped restoration shipyard. For visitors, of whom over a million annually come to the site, professional staff interpret a wealth of exhibits, special programs, and demonstrations of traditional nautical skills. Established with gifts from a family active in the development of the museum, the G.W. Blunt White Library leads American maritime research libraries and houses a prime manuscripts collection. The ambitious roster of anticipated collaborations includes efforts to: · conceive, develop, and publish a nautical book in large print, braille, and tactile graphic formats; · issue an existing Mystic Seaport cookbook in audio format for both Mystic Seaport's Internet web site and for NLS's expanding digital audio program; · produce audio versions of Mystic Seaport books for blind individuals and for sale by the Seaport to the general public; · provide the general handout in audio and braille versions to Seaport visitors in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish; · include blind children in the Seaport's Joseph Conrad overnight program; · involve blind children in a paddle-making project; · further the working relationship between the Connecticut State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Mystic Seaport in areas of mutual interest under the coordination of NLS; · develop a hands-on artifact package for blind visitors to the Seaport, and; · assist the Seaport docent-training program with awareness and accommodation issues for persons with disabilities. Paul O'Pecko, director of the G.W. Blunt White Library, notes, "Mystic Seaport is committed to developing awareness and extending its programs to all Americans. These joint initiatives with the Library of Congress will expand this, the Museum of America and the Sea, to a higher level of accessibility. We are pleased and honored to work with NLS on these important projects." Three of NLS's regional libraries are the project's first participants: the Connecticut State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Rocky Hill, Connecticut; the Braille and Talking Book Library in Watertown, Massachusetts; and Talking Books Plus in Providence, Rhode Island. Patrons of these libraries may visit the Seaport at no cost by requesting from their library one-day passes, each admitting two adults and their children or grandchildren eighteen years old and younger for the date printed on the pass. Passes are not valid during July and August. Patrons of other NLS network libraries may request one-day Mystic passes from NLS. The Mystic Seaport project is part of a continuing NLS effort to make braille, audio, tactile graphic, and digital materials available in a variety of settings to blind individuals and others unable readily to use standard printed texts. For example, with the National Park Service NLS has helped provide tour and information guides in braille and audio formats in several national parks, among them Shenandoah National Park. Another example, is the Birdsong Tutor on audiocassette, a book for blind individuals NLS helped develop with Cornell University's Department of Ornithology that is in popular demand. The historic ships and buildings, gravel roads, and stone sidewalks that create Mystic Seaport's 19th century atmosphere sometimes present barriers for visitors with disabilities. The experienced staff is working hard to provide easy access wherever possible and tailor their presentations and demonstrations to the special needs of all visitors. The Seaport publishes a brochure, "Guide to Access," that provides detailed information on the accessibility factors for each of the museum's forty-nine buildings, standing exhibits, ships and other attractions. The brochure includes information on the type of entrance and the level of accessibility - graded as accessible to all visitors, of limited access, or of difficult access. Note: Special thanks go to the Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America, Inc. for their financial support of this NLS project. ONE-MILLIONTH C-1 MACHINE PRODUCED BY TELEX by Pat Price The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically handicapped (NLS) celebrated the production of its one-millionth C-1 cassette book machine on December 12, 2001. To mark the auspicious occasion, the Telex facility in Blue Earth, Minnesota, hosted a day of observance to recognize all who contributed to the achievement. Russ Groen, production manager in charge of the C- I line, presented Brad Kormann, NLS Materials Development Division chief, with the machine that bore serial number 1,000,000 virtually as it rolled off the line. The unit will go on permanent display at the NLS headquarters in Washington, D.C., to commemorate a long and effective private- and public-sector collaboration. Telex, an international corporation that specializes in communications equipment, has held production contracts with NLS for almost thirty years. The first C-1 machine, developed in the late 1970s, went into full-scale production in 1982. The C-1 is a self-contained, two-speed, battery-operated playback machine specially adapted to four-track NLS audiocassettes. While technical modifications have improved the performance and reliability of the C-1 over the years, its basic design has remained unchanged. JEWISH BRAILLE INSTITUTE EXPANDS ITS OUTREACH by Pat Price Consistent with its mission to enable blind, visually impaired, and reading-disabled Jewish children and older adults to participate fully and equally in the religious, cultural, educational, and professional life of their community, the Jewish Braille Institute (JBI) library is a key resource for anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, who is interested in Jewish topics. More than 20,000 people in 50 countries benefit from the broad variety of services JBI provides. Its Talking Book Library circulates more than 110,000 audiocassettes in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, German, and French, along with a generous selection of Jewish-interest magazines on cassette, including "Jewish Braille Review", "JBI Voice", and "Likutim", a journal in Hebrew on blindness and visual impairment that originates in Israel. Scriptures, prayer books, Haggadahs, texts of holiday services, other religious materials, and Jewish calendars are available on audiocassette, in braille, and in large print. The JBI's outreach is expanding significantly as its braille library of nearly 8,000 titles in more than 70,000 volumes is now in the process of being transferred to the care of NLS, where it will be fully accessible to JBI and NLS patrons. Books from the collection that are available in computer braille and books to be produced by JBI in the future using digital technology will become available through the NLS Web-Braille system. MICROSEARCH MAKES LIBRARY COLLECTIONS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE by Pat Price Microsearch Corporation, a leading provider of Web-based document publishing services, recently announced a comprehensive solution set for online publication of library special collections. Microsearch's offerings combine services and proprietary software tools to provide library website visitors with easy, full-text access to library special collections. Microsearch's services include scanning, conversion, indexing, full-text searching, hosting, and other functionality. As libraries are increasingly turning to the Internet to make their special collections more accessible to patrons, Microsearch provides them a complete online solution. It offers museum quality scanning, electronic conversion, a professional researcher-designed search engine, and mirror-copy CD-ROM or DVD publishing for portability and preservation of special content. This is how it is accomplished. Microsearch publishing specialists visit the library, become familiar with the unique features of the special collection, and design a customized online solution. A typical special collections project involves some combination of the following offerings: -- Scanning and Conversion, which includes digitizing of text or images, on site or off. -- Full page indexing and searching, which is achieved by implementing Microsearch's proprietary WebSearch Studio authoring, retrieval, and hosting software. These software tools enable creation of online libraries that feature fast and precise searching of an unlimited number of documents. -- PDF to HTML Conversion, which improves searchability and access to existing PDF files by enabling simultaneous searching of an unlimited number of documents, and instant Page-by-Page downloading of long documents. -- Hosting and Administration, which ensures maximum access to software, enables regular database updates; software upgrades and data back-up. Microsearch utilizes highly secure Web servers. -- CD-ROM and DVD publishing, which provides portability and preservation to an online library. Microsearch solutions apply to all special collections and research databases involving documents of virtually any type, including text or image, paper or electronic files, books, microfiche, photographs, negatives or plates. All services are available immediately. For more information about the above and/or the company, contact: Susan Kelly, Microsearch Corp., Stonehill Corporate Center, 999 Broadway Avenue, Saugus, MA 01906. Tel: 800.895.0212. Fax: 781.231.9996. E-Mail: info@microsearchcorp.com. Web: http://www.microsearchcorp.com. LUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS, 2001 - 2002 President: Pat Shreck Ivy Club Apartments 8701 NE 54th Street - Unit L16 Vancouver, WA 98662 Tel/Fax: 360-883-5611 E-Mail: pat.ralph1@juno.com Vice-President: Sharon Strzalkowski 127 June Street Apt. 3 Worcester, MA 01602 Tel: 508-363-3866 E-Mail: strzal@bicnet.net Secretary: Terry Lynn Pomeroy 555 N 400 West Apt. 47 Centerville, UT 84014 Tel: 801-299-8522 E-Mail: tlp2020@juno.com Treasurer: Patricia L. Price 5707 Brockton Drive - #302 Indianapolis, IN 46220-5481 Tel: 317-254-1185 Fax: 317-251-6588 E-Mail: pprice@indy.rr.com Immediate Past President: Winifred Downing 1587 38th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122 Tel: 415-564-5798 E-Mail: wmdowning@mindspring.com DIRECTORS, 2001 - 2002 Joan Cox 6245 Stage Coach Trail San Angelo, TX 76901-4912 Tel: 915-949-5236 Vernon Daigle 1919 North Amelia Avenue Gonzales, LA 70737 Tel: 225-647-7649 E-Mail: vdaigle2@juno.com Michael Garrett 4427 Knottynold Houston, TX 77053 Tel: 713-433-4911 E-Mail: concepts@flash.net Jill O'Connell 279 Church Lane Carlotta, CA 95528-9715 Tel: 707-768-3254 E-Mail: jillocon@northcoast.com John Taylor 2012 40th Place Des Moines, IA 50310 Tel: 515-279-2817 E-Mail: teriretir@aol.com