Vol. 53, No. 3 Winter 2023/2024

HELP SPREAD THE NEWS
ABOUT TALKING BOOKS

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Do you enjoy meeting and speaking with people? Would you like to show appreciation for the service that was provided to you, a friend, or a family member? Then maybe you could help spread the word about the valuable services provided by the Arizona Talking Book Library by becoming an Outreach Volunteer.

Outreach involves presenting an overview of library services to a small group – such as residents, staff, and volunteers of an independent or assisted living community, a low vision group, or to a civic group that provides services to members. Outreach can also mean representing the library at health or community fairs, passing along information, and answering questions. We ask Outreach Volunteers to be available for a minimum of three events in a calendar year. Our Outreach Librarian comes to you for training. Scheduling is flexible and volunteers receive advance notice to organize their commitments.

Not able to travel but still want to help? Outreach Ambassadors contact professionals in the community by phone or email and help educate those organizations that support library members. Scheduling is flexible and training for the position is done over the phone.

Outreach goes beyond the metro areas. We want volunteers who live and work in their local area to be able to confidently represent these free library services to fellow community members and the organizations that support us.

For additional information, please contact Christine Tuttle, Outreach & Community Engagement Librarian, 602-255-5578 or [email protected]. You can also call toll-free in-state at 800-255-5578.

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CHANGES COMING TO
LOCAL MAGAZINE CARTRIDGES

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If you are subscribed to magazines that are sent to you from the Arizona Talking Book Library, those are currently mixed in with your books as they become available. In the near future, you will be mailed separate cartridges for local magazines like Arizona Highways.

As a result of this change, it will be easier for those who subscribe to the audio version of the library newsletter to receive it faster and to act on any time-sensitive information or events.

This will only apply to our local magazines. Many of you are already signed up for magazines provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress (NLS), which are sent direct from vendors on separate cartridges.

Are you not yet signed up for magazines but curious about what’s available? Call the library at 602-255-5578 or email [email protected]!

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BRAILLE AND AUDIO READING
DOWNLOAD (BARD) - NEWS TO NOTE

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Beginning February 6, 2024, NLS patrons will be allowed to download no more than 250 books and magazines from BARD in any rolling thirty-day period. This includes both audio and braille titles. It does not matter which platform or combination of platforms are used to download the books and magazines. You may download no more than 250 books and magazines in any rolling thirty-day period regardless of the format or the BARD interface used.

The authorization limit is calculated by adding up the number of “unique titles” downloaded. This means you can download the same title on additional devices in the same thirty-day period without that download counting against the limit.

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LEAP INTO NFB-NEWSLINE®

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This leap year, the Arizona Talking Book Library and National Federation of the Blind welcome you to learn more about NFB-NEWSLINE®. This free audio and braille information service opens up a world of information to anyone who is blind, low vision, DeafBlind, or is unable to use regular print materials due to a disability. It is available to eligible Arizona residents through a partnership between the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records and the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Are you new to NFB-NEWSLINE®? Join us by phone or computer to discover how you can access over 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, TV listings, job listings, and more! Whether you’re looking for a different perspective through an international newspaper or want to keep it local with the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Republic, or East Valley Tribune, there’s something for everyone!

Already a subscriber? Find out about updates to the service that will make it even easier to get the news and information you need.

You can join by phone or computer on either of the following dates. If you miss the session on leap day, there will be another opportunity the following week. Unable to connect? Library staff can assist during the morning session on March 7th. Call us before 11:00 AM at 602-255-5578 and we will help connect you to the event by phone.

Leap into NFB-NEWSLINE®, Zoom Session 1
Thursday, February 29, 2024 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM MST
Computer: Join online at https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/96238689346
Meeting ID: 962 3868 9346

Phone: Dial 669-444-9171 or 669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 962 3868 9346

Leap into NFB-NEWSLINE®, Zoom Session 2
Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM MST
Computer: Join online at https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/99318591137
Meeting ID: 993 1859 1137

Phone: Dial 669-444-9171 or 669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 993 1859 1137

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MOST DOWNLOADED BOOKS AND MAGAZINES

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Ever wonder what other people are reading at the Arizona Talking Book Library?

One way to find out what people are choosing for themselves is by compiling a list of the most popular downloads from our own audiobook app called BARD Mobile. It stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download and is provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress (NLS).

Many people may be familiar with other downloadable audiobook services such as the fee service Audible, or Libby from public libraries.

There are some benefits of our app, compared with the other options. First of all, it’s free! And, unlike public libraries, there is never a waitlist, and books and magazines do not expire. Once downloaded, you may keep the item forever!

If you have a smart device such as a tablet or smartphone, now may be the time to try it out. It has access to the same catalog of books and magazines as what is available on the cartridges.

Please reach out to your librarian if you would like to subscribe. Also, our Machines department is always happy to assist with any BARD specific questions or help with downloading that first book.

Here are some of the most popular books downloaded in December 2023:

The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham (DB116410)
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Unrated.

23 1/2 Lies by James Patterson (DB116351)
Three thrillers. 23 1/2 LIES: Lindsay Boxer's estranged father is gunned down and her investigation uncovers life-altering truths. FALLEN RANGER: A robbery suspect might be an ex-Texas Ranger gone rogue. WATCH YOUR BACK: A starving artist is paid to expose his client's cheating wife. Unrated.

Holly by Stephen King (DB116600)
When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. But something in Penny's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down. Unrated.

The Secret by Lee Child (DB116897)
1992. All across the United States respectable, upstanding citizens are showing up dead. These deaths could be accidents, and they don't appear to be connected - until a fatal fall from a high-floor window attracts some unexpected attention. Jack Reacher is brought in to investigate. Unrated.

Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown (DB116127)
At a Texas county fair, Elle Portman enjoys a night out with her favorite cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. After the unthinkable happens and a shooter opens fire into the crowd, she and another survivor, Calder Hudson, have a chance encounter. An attraction grows, though they can't help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain - especially while the shooter remains at large. Unrated.

Payback in Death: an Eve Dallas novel by J.D. Robb (DB116365)
Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the death of Martin Greenleaf, a retired Internal Affairs Captain. At first glance, the scene appears to be suicide, but the closer Eve examines the body, the more suspicious she becomes. Unrated.

Finally, here are some of the most downloaded magazines from December 2023:
The Economist
Reader’s Digest
Foreign Affairs
Atlantic Monthly
Discover
Smithsonian

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NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE (NLS)

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Magazine Updates

NLS has learned that the following magazines are no longer available as a print publication for their producers to narrate or braille. Therefore, they will not be able to make them available to our patrons.

Dogster in braille and audio

Catster in braille

Erica C. Vaughns NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program

Established through the National Library for the Blind Endowment, this paid internship offers legally blind individuals the opportunity to work at NLS in areas that support services for people who are blind, including collections building, program delivery, and business oversight and management. Through this program, interns will gain valuable experience and explore potential career options while being guided through mentorships and developmental activities. The next session runs for 10 weeks during the summer of 2024.

Application Process

Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and those who have graduated within the past five years from an accredited two-year or four-year college or university are eligible to apply. In addition, applicants:

• Must be US citizens
• Must be legally blind
• Must be able to work remotely

A complete application package includes a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, a recent official or unofficial transcript, and an application form that is completed online.

Applicants interested in the summer 2024 session must submit completed applications by March 1, 2024.

To learn more about the program and the application process, visit:
www.loc.gov/nls/about/internship-program.

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ARIZONA TALKING BOOK LIBRARY:
LOOKING BACK AT 54 YEARS

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Did you ever wonder how the Arizona Talking Book Library got its start?

The library is part of a federal program called the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), established in 1931 by the Library of Congress. Our Arizona library began as a dream of then-State Librarian Marguerite Cooley in the 1960s.

Cooley led an effort to acquire materials to serve those with visual or physical disabilities. This led to the establishment of the Arizona Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped on March 19, 1970. The Lions Foundation provided space for the new library at 32nd Street and Roosevelt in Phoenix.

The first audio books were sent on vinyl records and special talking book machines were loaned to borrowers. Beginning in the 1970s, cassette tape players became the standard means of audio book listening, and eventually the record players were phased out.

In its early years, the library provided the talking books to patrons, while a separate lending agency took care of the talking book machines. A staff of volunteers from the Telephone Pioneers of America made necessary repairs to the machines. In 1990, machine lending was moved to the Arizona Talking Book Library, where volunteers continued to assist with repairs.

Our current library building at 1030 North 32nd Street was completed in 1983. From its establishment in 1970, the library began a program to record books about Arizona or by Arizona authors. The new building included a large recording studio which also relied on the help of volunteers.

In the 1990s, the Arizona Friends of Talking Books was established. The Friends group has provided funding for many programs, such as new recording equipment and a collection of audio described DVD movies.

A new digital talking book player was introduced by NLS in 2009. Books could be played using a digital cartridge. Beginning in 2013, the books could also be downloaded to personal devices through Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD). The new digital books brought an end to cassette tapes in 2015.

The black and white photograph above was taken circa 1970 and features three women who were there at the very beginning: State Librarian Marguerite Cooley, Library Director Arlene Bansal, and Library Assistant Alma Chase. They are positioned behind an office desk with a painting of a desert landscape in the background. A hardcover book rests in an outbox at the bottom of the picture.

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