Talking Book and Braille Service Policies

Loan Policy
BARD Policy for Institutions
Collection Maintenance Policy
Material Selection Policy

The purpose of these policy statements is to define the practices of the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS).

The primary objective of our service is to provide a well balanced and broad range of informational and recreational materials in recorded or braille formats to the citizens of Nebraska who are unable to read print due to visual or other physical impairment. Those materials include the collection produced by National Library Service (NLS), and audio materials recorded in our local studios according to NLS recording standards.

Loan Policy

Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service Loan Policy

I. Policy

Braille, recorded books and magazines, and Library of Congress playback equipment will be loaned by this library to eligible registered borrowers without charge, and this library will keep records of all such loans. The borrower should notify the library of changes of address, a desire to cancel the service, or temporary or permanent transfer of service outside of Nebraska.

a. Loan of Library of Congress Playback Equipment

Playback equipment necessary to read audio materials may be borrowed on extended loan for as long as the borrower is using it for materials provided by the Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS). Preference will be given to borrowers who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States. A borrower is eligible to retain a Library of Congress digital player as long as they are a borrower in good standing.

To be in good standing requires that a borrower:

has no more than one Library of Congress player in their possession at a time, outside of exchanges,
has not demonstrated a pattern of lost or damaged library materials in any format, and
has borrowed and returned at least one book or magazine in a twelve-month period.

Furthermore, a borrower is eligible to borrow and retain a Library of Congress player as long as they have an active BARD account and have downloaded from BARD at least one audio book or magazine in a twelve-month period.

Equipment loaned to patrons under the Library of Congress talking-book program remains the property of the United States government and must be returned upon request, or when no longer wanted or needed.

In the event that playback equipment from the library ceases to function properly or needs repair, it should be returned to TBBS. A replacement will be provided. Under no circumstances should a borrower attempt to repair the playback equipment or accessories.

b. Loan of Digital Cartridges

A borrower in good standing may check out a maximum of five cartridges for books and five cartridges for magazines. No limit, except for physical storage capacity, is placed on the number of books or magazines that can be checked out per cartridge. Once a borrower reaches the maximum number of cartridges for books or magazines, no additional cartridges of that type will be sent until a) cartridges are returned or b) the patron contacts their Reader Advisor to notify the library of pending returns. A borrower in good standing may request an increase in the maximum number of cartridges by contacting their Reader Advisor.

The loan period for each digital cartridge is twelve months. No fines or fees will be levied for outstanding materials. Borrowers will be notified when their account has outstanding materials that prevent the circulation of new materials.

Borrowers are urged to return a cartridge as soon as they are finished with it, in order to receive fast and efficient service. Borrowers are also urged to contact TBBS as soon as possible if they have returned all cartridges and have received nothing in exchange.

c. Loan of Nebrasaka Audio Magazines

No initial limits are placed on the number of Nebraska audio magazine titles loaned to any one borrower of TBBS; however, the library reserves the right to place limits on the number of magazines on digital cartridges loaned to any one borrower of TBBS. Borrowers who fail to return Nebraska audio magazines to the library will be notified that magazines are overdue. Borrowers will be given a first and final notice for overdue magazines. Borrowers who do not return overdue magazines, after having been sent a final notice, will not be sent subsequent issues of that magazine until past issues have been returned.

Registered patrons of other National Library Service regional libraries can request to subscribe to any Nebraska-produced magazine not available on BARD. Such requests should be submitted through the borrower’s primary library.

d. Loan of Physical Braille

A borrower in good standing may check out a maximum of ten braille books from the TBBS collection at any one time. The loan period for a braille book is ten weeks. Borrowers should contact the library to renew braille checkouts. A braille checkout can be renewed up to five times. Borrowers will be given notice for any overdue braille books. No overdue fines or fees will be levied for overdue materials. A borrower who fails to return overdue braille books may be prohibited from checking out new braille books until the overdue books are returned, even if they have not yet reached the maximum number of checkouts allowed.

e. Responsibilities for Return of Materials

The borrower will ensure that books, magazines, and equipment being returned to the library as Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped are delivered into the hands of the United States Postal Service (USPS) by placing these items in a mailbox or delivering them to the post office. Placing items on the doorstep of the borrower’s home for the mail carrier to pick up does not constitute delivery into the hands of the USPS, unless the borrower has explicitly arranged a pickup through the official USPS package pickup scheduler. If materials are not delivered into the hands of the USPS, the borrower is responsible for the lost or damaged books.

Borrowers should notify TBBS as soon as possible if materials are not able to be returned for reasons including, but not limited to: misplacement, theft, damage, or destruction.

If materials are returned to the library in poor condition that prevents their re-circulation, such as cases of the presence of pests (living or dead), the Library Director retains the right to pause service until the issue can be corrected.

In the event that the borrower is deceased, the borrower’s estate is urged to notify the library as soon as possible, and facilitate the return of all materials.

f. Loan of Materials to Other Persons

Borrowers may not lend library materials or playback equipment to any other persons, including to other TBBS patrons and persons who would be eligible for TBBS.

g. Abuse of Library Materials and/or Staff

Abuse or neglect of library materials or playback equipment may result in suspension of TBBS services. This includes, but is not limited to: using materials and equipment beyond their intended purposes, including attempts at repair; intentionally destroying materials and equipment; and/or allowing materials and equipment to be repeatedly destroyed through repeated instances of negligence.

TBBS privileges may be suspended to any borrower who engages in verbal or written harassment or abuse of library staff.

II. Suspension Procedures

In the event that any of these policies are violated, the borrower's service may be suspended for a period of time after being given a written warning and an opportunity to reply. If after reinstatement of service, abuse continues, service may be suspended again.

In the event of suspension, the following steps will be taken:

The library will first contact the borrower by telephone or in writing to discuss the problems noted with the borrower, then will send a warning letter that summarizes the discussion and the problem and provides an opportunity for the borrower to reply.
If service abuse recurs, a written communication will be sent to the borrower, listing examples of subsequent abuse, giving the borrower an opportunity to reply by a certain date, and then suspending service for a stated period (up to six months). A specific date for resumption of service will be included in this letter.
When the service is resumed, a letter will be sent to the borrower notifying him or her of the resumption of service and reminding the borrower that further recurrences of documented abuse will result in another suspension of service.

III. Responsibility for Enforcement

Final responsibility for the enforcement of this policy rests with the Director of the Talking Book and Braille Service who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Nebraska Library Commission.

Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Policies for Institutions

Library of Congress/National Library Service (NLS) and its network of cooperating libraries have a long history of serving eligible individuals through schools and care facilities. Hereby referred to as institutions or institutional accounts, they include but are not limited to: primary and secondary schools, schools for the blind, assisted and independent senior living communities, vocational rehabilitation services, veterans homes, and public libraries.

The policies relating to institutions registered for physical talking book and braille services will also apply to institutional accounts registered for the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) system. A designated staff member at the registered institution will oversee downloading from BARD, will track the use of NLS equipment used in connection with BARD, and will be responsible for troubleshooting issues with the BARD account.

NLS has identified three categories of access to BARD, which TBBS recognizes and outlines the policies for which here:

Category A: School Accounts

BARD access may be granted to Nebraska schools for the blind. Access may also be granted to Nebraska public or private schools and college/university disability centers. Each school must first submit an Application for Institutions.

At the time of registration, and annually thereafter, a school must

Have a legally-authorized representative complete and sign the Institutional Acknowledgement for NLS Services and Devices, and
Submit a list of the names and disability categories of eligible students who will use the service.

Eligible students are only allowed to access BARD services on school-provided devices. Any student that wishes to access BARD services on a personal device must submit an individual application and signature of Parent/Guardian Acknowledgment for NLS Services and Devices. All eligible students are encouraged to submit an individual application, in order to take advantage of all the benefits TBBS provides.

Category B: Demo Accounts for Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

BARD demonstration access may be granted to professional staff of a Nebraska rehabilitation agency or center for the blind in order to demonstrate to eligible Nebraskans how to download books from BARD. A vocational rehabilitation agency or center for the blind may choose to register for a Demo Account for the entire organization and/or individual professional staff may choose to register for a Demo Account.

Professional staff registering for an individual Demo Account do not have to be otherwise eligible for NLS services. However, the email with which they use to register must be their professional email as distributed from their workplace.

A Demo Account application must be completed and signed, in which the organization or individual agrees to the following:

My organization will demonstrate Talking Book and Braille Service equipment and materials to eligible individuals who will submit their own applications for service.
I understand that my organization will not have access to the full collection of NLS/TBBS materials.
I agree that I will not loan equipment or share BARD credentials with anyone, except for with relevant professional staff at my organization.

Category C: Demo Accounts for Public Libraries

BARD demonstration access may be granted to Nebraska public libraries. Demo Account access is only granted at the organization level; that is to say, only one Demo Account will be issued per library. The email address used to register must be a professional email belonging to a) the public library as an organization or b) the public library staff member responsible for the account.

A Demo Account application must be completed and signed, in which the public library agrees to the following:

My organization will demonstrate Talking Book and Braille Service equipment and materials to eligible individuals who will submit their own applications for service.
I understand that my organization will not have access to the full collection of NLS/TBBS materials.
I agree that I will not loan equipment or share BARD credentials with anyone, except for with relevant professional staff at my organization.

Collection Maintenance Policy

Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service Collection Maintenance Policy

I. Considerations in Maintaining the Collection

The Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) is part of the Library of Congress/National Library Service (NLS) Duplication on Demand (DoD) program. TBBS in conjunction with NLS will maintain a digital audio and braille material collection. This collection will be retained under the jurisdiction and authorization of NLS and titles and audio files may be withdrawn at their discretion.

Prior to each circulation from the library, all materials shall be examined for completeness and for operating condition. Borrowers who return defective books will be sent replacement copies upon request.

Material Selection Policy

I. Priorities for Selection

The Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) produces materials of regional interest and otherwise adheres to the criteria for selection and selection guidelines stated in the NLS Selection Policy for Reading Materials and Freedom to Read statements adopted by the American Library Association.

Materials about Nebraska and those written by Nebraska authors (on all reading levels whether fiction or nonfiction) are given highest priority for inclusion in the collection. Materials about the Great Plains and Midwest are considered important to the collection. Requests from borrowers for materials to be added will receive careful consideration.

TBBS must also consider the following factors: copyright considerations; budgetary considerations; number of borrower requests; borrower interest; need for subject coverage in the collection; and suitability of material for recording (i.e., material must be within the technical capabilities of volunteer narrators and must retain its meaning without illustrations, charts, graphs, etc.).

When considering materials for production, TBBS will avoid producing material which is available from NLS, from other libraries in the NLS network, or from other sources, unless quality or format does not adequately meet the needs of Nebraska borrowers.

II. Responsibility for Selection

The responsibility for selection of materials rests with the Director of the Talking Book and Braille Service who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Nebraska Library Commission.

III. Requests for Reconsideration of Library Materials

The Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) welcomes patrons to express their opinions concerning materials acquired for and present in the TBBS collection. Requests to remove or reclassify materials will be considered within the context of the policies set forth in the Materials Selection Policy.

Procedural rules:

Only active TBBS patrons may submit a reconsideration request. An active reader is defined in section 9.7 of the Network Library Manual.
For this document’s purpose, a patron may also be a minor patron’s legal guardian.
Only materials in the Nebraska collection may be reconsidered. Materials in the national collection may not be reconsidered as they are part of the Library of Congress’ collection and have their own withdrawal procedures. See section 6.9 of the Network Library Manual.
An item will be reviewed only once within a five-year period unless the content has undergone major revisions.
A limit of three requests per patron per twelve-month period.
One active request per patron at a time.

A patron is encouraged to first address concerns about library materials with a staff person. Anyone who wishes to request a specific item be reconsidered or reclassified must complete and sign the Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources form. The completed form will be forwarded to the TBBS Director for review. While under reconsideration, library materials will remain in circulation.

Requests for Reconsideration will result in expenses to the library in the form of staff time, the potential purchase of additional copies of the title for committee members to review, and any other resources necessary for the committee to evaluate the title being reconsidered.

The following steps will occur:

A staff-led Request for Reconsideration Committee will review the request and make a recommendation to the TBBS Director, who will provide a written decision to the requestor within 60 days of original receipt.
A patron who receives an unsatisfactory decision may appeal to the Commissioners of the Nebraska Library Commission by notifying the TBBS Director in writing within 30 days.
The Commissioners will then render a decision within 60 days of receipt of appeal.