I N T E R C H A N G E
Newsletter of the Nebraska Library Commission
Talking Book and Braille Service
May 2004
 
Members Appointed to Advisory Committee

Vacancies on the library's Advisory Committee of the Talking Book and Braille Service have recently been filled with appointment of three new members. New to the committee are Avis Wiest, of Ogallala, who serves as contact person for V.I.P.S. (Visually Impaired Peer Support) in Grant and Ogallala. Also new are Ryan Osentowski, of Lincoln, who is National Federation of the Blind State Newsline Coordinator; and Carolyn Bennett, of Beatrice, who serves as Outreach Services Librarian for the Beatrice Public Library. 

Reappointed to a second two-year term are Roy Hobley, of Lincoln, and Kathy Tooker, of Omaha. Roy, who is chair of the Advisory Committee, holds offices in the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska and in V.I.P.S; and Kathy is administrator of the Eastern Library System. 

Also on the committee are Candace Laursen and Cheryl Roblyer, both of North Platte, Kay Paulsen, of Lincoln, and Susan Roe, of Brady. 

On March 25, the committee held its spring meeting in Lincoln. Major agenda items included plans to host two sessions at the Visually Impaired Peer Support (V.I.P.S.) State Convention; outreach plans, especially to independent living centers, and ways to increase use of the library�s online newsletter and searchable catalogs�for both print and audio files: nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/tbbs1.html.
Four Magazines No Longer Offered

Nebraska Sports, Nebraska Public Television's Networks, AccessWorld, and Wild Outdoor World are no longer available on cassette. NETV continues to offer its monthly program guide over the Internet at mynptv.org/comm/pr/E_guide/digitalbridge.html. AccessWorld is available at www.afb.org/aw/main.asp.
 

Magazines Celebrate Nebraska�s Good Life

Here are some magazines, all recorded in our own studios, which focus on the good life we enjoy here in our state: 

Nebraska History, a quarterly publication of the Nebraska State Historical Society, features articles on the history and people of Nebraska. 

Published ten times a year by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Nebraskaland showcases Nebraska's beautiful state parks and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Also published by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Trail Tales is a quarterly magazine for younger readers who love Nebraska's outdoors and nature. 

Another magazine, Nebraska Life, published bimonthly, features events, travel, and community profiles from different regions of Nebraska. 

A bimonthly magazine that includes Nebraska, Midwest Living covers places to visit, recipes, gardens, hobbies, restaurants, editorials, and more - all about Midwest states from Michigan to Ohio, North Dakota to Kansas. 

To request any of these magazines, please print and use the order form below, call or email your Readers Advisor.

Free Summer Reading Program for Young Readers

Talking Book and Braille Service invites young talking book and braille readers, age 13 and younger, to sign up for our free summer reading program, Discover New Trails . . . @ your library. We offer great books for you to read during the wonderful days of summer.

Everyone who enrolls receives a reading packet. Those who complete five or more books between June 1 and August 15 will be sent end-of-summer prizes.

To sign up, please contact your Readers Advisor. Call 471-4038 or toll-free: 800-742-7691.
New Nebraska Cassette Books

Non-Fiction

RC 885 KRVN: The First 50 Years of Service to Agriculture
by Max Brown and Eric Brown, with contributions from Ruth Brown
2 cassettes

The story of KRVN Radio, the Rural Voice of Nebraska. Located in Lexington, this station grew into a 50,000-watt giant, respected as the best station in the United States for weather, markets, and news that farmers and ranchers need. Narrated by Bonnie Faimon.

RC 944 To Bucktail and Back - A Million Miles of Memories: A Collection of Stories from Tom Allan, Omaha World-Herald Nebraska Byways Columnist
by Tom Allan
2 cassettes

Reminiscing on six decades as a newspaperman, the author presents a humorous and heartfelt look at his journalism career. His innumerable trips throughout the state included interviews with Nebraska's famous and infamous personalities. The author drove up to 50,000 miles per year, touring the Sandhills and beyond, to write his column 'Nebraska Byways.' Narrated by Bonnie Quinn.

RC 964 Birding Nebraska
by Jon Farrar and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
3 cassettes

Published by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, this special January and February 2004 edition of Nebraskaland magazine tells the story of Nebraska's bird life and the men and women who have studied it. Narrated by Barbara Rixstine, Norman Simon, Helena Whitaker, Marjorie Gloe, B.J. Dennis, Beth McNeil, Roy Bailey, Bonnie Faimon, Dick Shasteen, Wendy Hirsch, Dan Howell, Dennis Lorance, Frances Buell, and John Franti.
 
Descriptive Videos

Can a visually impaired person enjoy a good movie? Yes! Thanks to descriptive videos' regular home video cassettes that have been formatted to include an additional sound track. On this sound track, a narrator describes the visual elements of the program - the action, characters, location, costumes and sets - without interfering with the program's dialogue or sound effects. All you need is a standard VHS video player and a television.

Here are some of the most recent editions to our descriptive video collection. They will be loaned, upon request, to any borrower who has signed up for descriptive videos:

DVS 70693 Lonesome Dove�Not Rated
Western epic about an 1876 cattle drive to Montana.

DVS 70692 Bonanza�Not Rated
Two classic episodes from the much-loved TV series.

DVS 70691 Two Weeks Notice�Rated PG 13
An attorney wants to save the world. Instead, she is interviewing girlfriends for her handsome and hapless billionaire boss.

DVS 70690 Seabiscuit�Rated PG 13
A jockey, a trainer, a businessman, and an undersized race horse take the entire nation on the ride of a lifetime.

DVS 70689 Pirates of the Caribbean�Rated PG 13
A roguish, yet charming pirate tries to recapture his stolen ship and rescue the governor's beautiful daughter from her kidnappers.

DVS 70688 Minority Report�Rated PG 13
Astonishing technology identifies killers before they commit their crimes. When the chief of the pre-crime division is accused, he has 36 hours to discover who set him up.

DVS 70686 Gangs of New York�Rated R
After years of incarceration, a young Irish immigrant seeks revenge against the rival gang leader who killed his father.

DVS 70685 Finding Nemo�Rated G
An adventurous, young clownfish is unexpectedly taken to a dentist�s office aquarium.

DVS 70684 Dare Devil�Rated PG 13
A blind attorney is able to stalk dark streets at night with an uncanny radar sense that allows him to see with superhuman abilities.

The Talking Book and Braille Service�s descriptive video collection now offers 325 titles. To sign up for descriptive videos, please call your Readers Advisor so we can send you a registration form and a catalog. You can also search the catalog online at: nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/dvs.html.

About the Narrator Web Site

In response to requests from borrowers, the National Library Service has created a Web site where the public can learn about talking book narrators. Many of these narrators work for recording companies which contract with the National Library Service for book production.

Each narrator may decide whether or not to provide information. So far, narrators working at the American Printing House for the Blind and at the studios within the National Library Service have provided information, including an audio sample that is not copyrighted. As narrators at other studios make information available, the National Library Service will include links to those studios� Web sites.

To use this Web site, click on www.loc.gov/nls/narrators. Find the narrator you seek. The order is alphabetical by last name. Follow the link. Each name links first to the company's Web site, or directly to a page about that narrator.

Books in Spanish/Libros en Espa�ol

Spanish is the second most common language spoken in Nebraska. The National Library Service offers over 1300 Spanish titles on cassette, and 800 in Braille. Some of these books are bilingual, Spanish and English.

New titles in Spanish are announced in the bimonthly catalogs, Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review. In addition to talking books, the National Library Service also produces the Spanish language magazines Selecciones del Reader�s Digest and Buenhogar, on cassette.

A catalog, Books in Spanish: 1994-2000, is available upon request or may be found online: www.loc.gov/nls/catalogs/.

Helpful Hint . . .

Question: I sent in a book order form from Talking Book Topics, but I never received any of the books I�ve ordered. What has gone wrong?
Answer: Because newer books are often in high demand, you may be on a waiting list to receive them.

There is also another possible reason why you aren�t receiving the books you�ve ordered.

With every new edition of Talking Book Topics, in large print or in Braille, we receive several book order forms with no name or address on them. We have no way of knowing who has requested these materials.

Spring is Here!

In the mood for spring cleaning? Why not send back any talking books you may have kept longer than the six-week loan period? You can always request these books again when you have more time to enjoy them. You can also help us by:

� Rewinding every tape.

� Returning magazines as soon as you have read them. Remember, you only need to return cassette magazines that come in plastic mailing containers.

� Placing a string or rubber band around a damaged cassette, but not affixed to the outside of the mailing container.

� Calling your Readers Advisor (a) to update your reading preferences, (b) to add to your request list, (c) to let us know if you are receiving too many or too few books, (d) to add or drop magazines, or (e) to find out about our old-time radio programs, home movies with audio description, or children�s books in Braille.

�Golden Oldies� Nebraska Books

Here is a selection of cassette books found at the beginning of our Nebraska collection. To order any of these titles, please check the box next to the RC number and return the page to the Talking Book and Braille Service; or contact your Readers Advisor. 

Order Form and Ordering Instructions

You may place your order by mailing or e-mailing it to the Talking Book and Braille Service, or by calling your Readers Advisor.

For mailing, please mark the magazines and books you wish to order and enclose this page in an envelope. Instead of using a stamp, you may put "Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped" on the corner of your envelope. Send your request to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Be sure to include your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

For e-mailing, send your order information to the Talking Book and Braille Service. Please include your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

You may reach a Readers Advisor toll free by calling 1-800-742-7691. Be prepared to give your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

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