Spring 2020

Vol. 49, No. 4 Spring 2020
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR

JANET FISHER
The wonder of literature and writing has blossomed this spring especially through the increase in your reading during the health crisis affecting our state and country. I hope you have been finding some enjoyment, comfort, and knowledge through reading the books, magazines and newspapers available through our library.
From mid-March through April, library staff on-site were reduced to keep them safe and healthy, and only a few staff members were in our library to forward your calls and to work with our mailing of shipments. We missed seeing our co-workers and communicating with all our volunteers during that time. As I write this article it is possible that we are continuing to have only a few staff on-site and the majority of staff are at home as they are responding to your voice mail messages and working on other tasks that support the Talking Book Library. You have probably become aware of our changes as you leave voice mail messages when calling the library and your books are not coming to you as quickly as before. The patience and understanding of all our library patrons have been helpful during this time. Thank you.
The 50th Anniversary of the Arizona Talking Book Library was a success – but one that was different than the day-long event we planned. With limitations on the size of in-person groups, the anniversary featured presentations from invited speakers – Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, Chair of the Arizona Governor’s Council on Blindness and Visual Impairment Bob Kresmer, Executive Director of the Lions Foundation of Arizona Ms. Eddie Richardson, and the Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled Karen Keninger. Computer and phone access to their speeches was available as it happened, and a recording of the speeches is available for checkout through our library (DAZ04000), or can be heard online on our YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2WJVjPN). We will continue to share pictures and stories during this 50th year.

Previous library directors: Arlene Bansal, Richard Peel, Linda Montgomery, and current director: Janet Fisher
Summer Reading is beginning in June, so get ready now! Read about our summer reading programs for all ages and how you can sign up.
Have you received your first multi-book cartridge yet? The National Library Service is moving all talking book libraries to this cartridge, and we are now offering this cartridge to you. Get new releases in your next shipment. Get several books in a series on the same cartridge. Have an extended time to read the book with a 3-month checkout date. Read about this cartridge in this newsletter.
Have you heard about all the ways you can connect to us? We have articles about connecting by phone, computer or mail to different things or activities related to our library.
This newsletter includes a reading list that aims to continue enjoyable reading to provide support, awareness, and mindfulness to carry you forward.
We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and we appreciate that we are able to continue serving you during this time.
Thank you
Janet Fisher, Administrator
ARIZONA FRIENDS OF TALKING BOOKS
Arizona Friends of Talking Books - a non-profit organization which supports the Arizona Talking Book Library, its volunteer programs and local recording studios through fundraising, advocacy, and outreach. Thanks for all your support!
SPRING FORWARD WITH MORE BOOKS
1970. The first building that housed the Braille and Talking Book Library.
The Arizona Talking Book Library is currently open, and books and machine requests are going out to our readers. To ensure that you can continue reading without interruption, we wanted to make you aware of a couple of exciting services that we provide.
Did you know that you can bypass the post office entirely and download books whenever you want? Consider registering for our Braille and Audio Reading Download service (BARD). You can use your personal phone, tablet or computer (iOS or Android) to download books and magazines through the BARD Mobile app or BARD Express. Our full library is available, and books are never overdue! Apply today: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/NLS/ApplicationInstructions.html
If you would prefer to continue receiving books through the mail, we have a new service that will give you the opportunity to check out more books at a time. It is now possible to listen to multiple books on a cartridge. When your first book is finished, you will be prompted to continue to the next book on the cartridge. Just like BARD, any audio book that is in our catalog is available immediately, whether it’s a classic novel or a current bestseller. You will no longer need to wait in line! These custom cartridges can include several books by a favorite author, a series in order, or a mix of books from different subjects and genres.
One of the biggest benefits of our multi-book cartridges is that we can ship them out quickly, which is especially important now. When a cartridge is returned, we delete the previous books and then add new books to the cartridge. Our traditional cartridges require an inspection process to check that the correct book was returned in each mailing container, which takes time.
Please contact the library to sign up for downloading through BARD or to switch to our multi-book cartridges. We are experiencing higher than normal call volume, so please leave a message and someone on staff will contact you as quickly as possible. You may also e-mail the library at [email protected].
Thank you for considering these options and enjoying another year of reading with the Arizona Talking Book Library.
CONNECT WITH THE TALKING BOOK LIBRARY AND EACH OTHER
Keep the community engaged with social connecting and physical distancing. How? Registered members and organizations can join the library’s Book Chat discussion group. This group meets by phone on the second Thursday of each month. There is a morning session and an evening session; both sessions read the same book. Contact Janet Fisher, Branch Administrator, at [email protected], or 602-255-5578 (Metro Phoenix), or 800-255-5578.
Imagine your story and explore the stories of others with Arizona Talking Book Library this summer. It’s a fun way to spend time and doesn’t require much energy. We are going to learn about and read journals, memoirs, autobiographies and more examples of narrative writing. Connect with others through their stories and, maybe, share your own.
From June 1st to July 31st, we will be examining stories to help us understand others and ourselves. Stories to help us make sense of our life experiences. Stories to help us remember. Stories to help us solve problems and, maybe, discover new things that make us human. And through these stories, we can improve memory, sharpen decision-making skills, reduce stress, improve sleep, and delay cognitive decline.
For our main program, Book Bingo, we will be exploring different authors and models of memoirs, journals and autobiographies. Each square will suggest a topic, title or author that you might not be familiar with. As you complete 4 squares across, down or diagonally, let us know!
For Adults who may want to explore further this summer, journals aren’t just for teenagers trying to hide their private thoughts from their parents’ prying eyes. Journaling is a helpful therapeutic tool. Recording the narrative story of what’s happening (or happened) in your life is more therapeutic than only writing about your feelings and expressive writing increases working memory capacity, which may reflect improved cognitive processing. For an expanded experience this summer, we will have 4 projects and added content, released every 2 weeks, for you to imagine your own story!
Join us for Summer Reading 2020, Imagine your Story, from June 1st to July 31st, by calling 602-255-5578, or (outside the Phoenix area) 1-800-255-5578 for the registration packet after May 18th.
MAGAZINE UPDATES
For our patrons who are receiving our new multi-book cartridges, we will soon be able to include your local Arizona magazines and send them to you as soon as they are available! Even better, you will only receive the magazines you request. To make sure you will receive what you want, please call us to verify your subscriptions. These magazines have been sent to you in yellow containers and include Arizona Highways, Sunset, and other locally-recorded publications.
We have received an update on NLS magazines that are sent in the red containers. Magazines are being posted on BARD in audio and ebraille, but are not currently available on cartridge or in hard-copy braille. We anticipate that back issues will be made available via the Magazine on Cartridge program and in hard-copy braille when normal operations resume. Some audio magazines, including the Economist, are not available at all because of the closure of production facilities.
IMAGINE YOUR STORY SUMMER READING 2020 --
APRIL 27, 2020
Many people think that the gift of storytelling belongs only to writers, shamans, and the very old. The reality is we are all storytellers from the very earliest days of our lives. Children who are blind and visually impaired or print disabled also have stories inside them. Helping them to tell their stories is very important to their social, emotional and cognitive development, especially communication and literacy.
Adults begin “storytelling” with infants and toddlers by sharing nursery rhymes, songs, and bedtime stories. Then we help them to learn to read others’ stories and write their own.
Literacy begins with stories others tell us or we tell ourselves. Co-creating stories with an adult or peers helps our children and students begin to create stories they can share with others.
Running from June 1st to July 31st, Imagine Your Story Summer Reading 2020 program, will include a reading log to keep track of the daily 20 minute reading goals and incentives, but after your child’s registration is received, we will be sending you a tactile journaling kit. The Arizona Talking Book Library hopes you and your child will enjoy co-creating this summer’s reading journey. There will be activities, games and supplies to help you begin the process of the co-creation of stories with your child. While keeping a mindset of fun and joy, you may find that this activity becomes the highlight of your day.
Join us for Summer Reading 2020, Imagine your Story, from June 1st to July 31st, by calling 602-255-5578, or (outside the Phoenix area) 1-800-255-5578 for the registration packet after May 18th.
UPDATE ON
ARIZONA TALKING BOOK LIBRARY'S SERVICES -
APRIL 27, 2020
The Talking Book program is continuing to operate on a limited basis.
We are able to ship books and machines. Patrons may experience greater than normal wait times for materials. Most staff are working remotely and cannot receive phone calls directly. To reach us by telephone, please call and leave a detailed message with your request. We will return calls only if needed. Email remains the quickest way to reach us and we will respond to the email within one to two days.
The Talking Book Library’s priority is the safety of our patrons and staff. We quarantine all books and machines we receive for at least 7 days before starting to prepare them to be mailed out again. Currently, staff are wearing gloves when handling materials. All machines are cleaned before they are mailed, and we strive to make sure our cartridges and cases are clean. Once items leave our possession, however, we are no longer able to control how they are handled. Please use your own discretion and follow recommended CDC guidelines for handling packages. Please contact us if you do not wish to receive materials at this time.
We encourage you to register for BARD, the NLS Braille and audiobook download service. Through BARD, you can get all the books you want without receiving physical items in the mail and listen to them on your digital talking book machines or other approved device. BARD has been improved in the last few years and is easier to use than ever--especially BARD Mobile, which allows you to listen to books on your smartphone or tablet. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to register.
Finally, we ask for your patience during this time. Most staff are working remotely and may not have easy access to some of the resources we use on-site. As always, we will do our best to serve you as quickly as we are able.
Thank you for your understanding. Please take care and be well.
Contact Us by telephone, 602-255-5578 or 800-255-5578; or by email at [email protected].
STAY TUNED...
Connect with library’s outreach program. Christine Tuttle, Outreach Librarian, is developing interactive sessions to present to care campuses throughout Arizona. Meanwhile, the library has a YouTube Channel, (www.youtube.com). Author talks and past interviews can be listened to and viewed by typing Arizona Talking Book Library in the YouTube search box. For more information, please contact Christine by sending an email to [email protected] or calling her at 602-255-5578.
RECEIVE NEWSLETTERS BY EMAILS
Instead of receiving newsletters in the mail, electronic versions of the Talking Book News are available on our website in audio and large print (https://azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks/newsletter).
You can also have this newsletter emailed to you. Contact the Arizona Talking Book Library to verify your email address and request the email newsletter by calling 602-255-5578 or send an email to [email protected].
MINDFULNESS IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
In this time of very challenging life events, we are all looking for ways to relax and have a positive approach to our daily activities. Before we can get to the mental state of hope, gratitude, and love; it helps be in the realm of mindfulness. Most practices advocate this important mental condition. While mindfulness is clinically defined as a psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, for many people it is a condition that has been employed to reduce depression, stress, anxiety, and even to reduce drug addiction. Programs based on mindfulness have been adopted within schools, hospitals, veteran’s centers, and even used to promote weight management and healthy aging. Here are some books that will tell you more about this essential mental practice and may very well convince you that mindfulness could turn out to be your own best friend!
Mind-body deceptions: the psychosomatics of everyday life
By Steven L. Dubovsky
DB045937 Narrated by Kerry Dunkin (19 hours and 3 minutes, female narrator)
Dr. Dubovsky explains how the mind and body help and also interfere with each other. Includes a discussion of depression, the immune system, cancer, and heart disease. Suggests how to use the mind to heal the body.
Mindfulness meditations for anxiety: 100 simple practices to find peace right now
By Michael Smith
DB097954 Narrated by Tim Pabon (5 hours and 1 minute, male narrator)
A psychologist and meditation instructor designed these one-hundred breathing and mindfulness exercises to reduce nervousness and fear, and to target specific types of anxiety, whether they involve time of day, physical circumstances, or stresses like insomnia. Commercial audio book. Unrated. 2019
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
By Daniel J Siegel
DB070582 Narrated by Daniel J Siegel (11 hours and 47 minutes, male narrator)
Psychiatrist combines Western neuroscience and Eastern meditation to explore ways a troubled mind can right itself. Cites case studies of patients who used reflection to overcome life obstacles. Posits that mindfulness and empathy can rewrite the brain. Commercial audiobook. 2010
Joy on demand: the art of discovering happiness within
By Chade-Meng Tan
DB087461 Narrated by Gary Tipton (7 hours and 59 minutes, male narrator)
An engineer and philanthropist explains his philosophy that all success comes from cultivating joy. He believes we can all tap into our natural capacity for joy through a process of living with mindfulness. 2016
Any mention of products and services in Talking Book News is for information only and does not imply endorsement.
Talking Book News is also available in other formats including our website at http://www.azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks If you would like to receive this newsletter on cartridge or in email, please call 602-255-5578 or 1-800-255-5578.
Talking Book News is published quarterly by the Arizona Talking Book Library, Archives and Public Records, a Division of the Secretary of State. Administrator: Janet Fisher, Assistant Administrator: Erin Pawlus.