TBL News Summer 2022

Vol. 52, No. 1 Summer 2022
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR

ERIN PAWLUS
There is a lot of exciting news to share with you in this issue!
It is a particularly good time for our braille readers. I know a lot of you have been waiting for the new device offered by the National Library Service (NLS), the Braille eReader, to be available. We recently found out that they will be ready to send out to our patrons across Arizona very soon! For books in our collection that are in an electronic braille format, you will be able to take what was once multiple volumes and read it on a machine that you can bring with you anywhere. You can download these yourself through our BARD service or receive them on a cartridge through the mail.
Paper is not forgotten, however. NLS has also launched a Braille-on-Demand pilot to provide you with up to one hardcopy braille title a month. Better yet, it’s yours to keep!
Also in this issue is information about upcoming programs offered by NLS. Be sure to save the dates and connect by computer or phone. If you’re looking to transport yourself to another time, a reader advisor shares her recommendations for historical fiction and mysteries. Much more is contained within these pages - read on!
Erin Pawlus, Administrator
EXPRESS CHECKOUT AT THE LIBRARY

Have you ever run out of books to listen to and don’t want to wait for a new cartridge to come in the mail? The Arizona Talking Book Library now offers “on demand” service at our front desk. With our Scribe Duplication machine, we can put together a new order of books and place them on a cartridge you are finished with, while you wait. This service is available during regular business hours, 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
We are located at 1030 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008. Please call ahead to let us know you will be coming in!
ACCESSIBLE VOTING
There are many options to cast your vote in November. All polling locations are required to have an accessible voting device for use. However, did you know that ballots are available in large print or braille? If you would like to request a ballot in an alternate format, please contact your County Recorder’s Office.
https://www.azcleanelections.gov/county-contact
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A READER ADVISOR
Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres and here are a few recent titles you may enjoy this summer:
DB105197 The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
In June 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he served time for involuntary manslaughter. He plans to head to California with his little brother, but two friends who escaped from the farm have their own plan. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.
DB106767 Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider--brilliant, but different. She knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture, she can unlock the building blocks of life. When the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her, Rosalind never could have predicted what would happen next. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB102848 The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
In three very different eras, women are tied to the legacy of a château in the heart of France. They include the wife of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1774, a New York socialite in 1914, and a schoolteacher in 1940. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB102013 Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
Texas, 1865. Thanks to his younger-than-his-true-age appearance, fiddler Simon has managed to evade the clutches of the Confederate Army's conscription men but is forced in only weeks before their surrender. His path crosses with indentured servant Doris and he devotes himself to winning her. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB099791 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Desiree Vignes and her daughter return home to Louisiana in 1968, fourteen years after Desiree and her identical twin sister Stella ran away. The sisters ended up on different paths, and as Desiree struggles with the racial tensions of her hometown, Stella lives her life passing as white. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.
DB107811 - Little Souls by Sandra Dallas
Colorado, 1918. With the Spanish flu rampant, Denver's schools are converted into hospitals and horse-drawn wagons collect corpses left in the street. Sisters Helen and Lutie have moved to Denver from Iowa after their parents' deaths. When the tenant in their basement dies, the sisters take care of the woman's young daughter. Commercial audiobook.
DB102287 - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Texas, 1921. Elsa Wolcott has few prospects before her as she's considered too old to marry. Then she meets Rafe Martinelli. Thirteen years later, everything on the Martinelli farm is dying--including their marriage. Elsa must decide to fight for the land of her heart or head to California. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.
DB102559 - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Debutante Osla, self-made Mab, and local spinster Beth become friends, until rumors circulate of a traitor at Bletchley. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB107066 - Wild Irish Rose by Rhys Bowen
Molly Murphy Sullivan is no longer a private detective, but she knows that she must help a young woman accused of murder. The murder happened on Ellis Island when Molly was there with friends, and the young woman is the spitting image of Molly. The circumstances remind Molly of her own arrival in the United States. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
DB107033 - A Game of Fear by Charles Todd
Inspector Ian Rutledge travels to the village of Walmer on Essex's coast to interview Lady Benton, who claims to have witnessed a violent murder--but there's no body. She also claims the murderer was Captain Nelson--who died during the war. Rutledge must uncover deep secrets, especially as tragedies begin happening. Some violence and some strong language. Commercial audiobook.
NEWS FROM THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE (NLS)
The Many Faces of BARD
Are you interested in learning more about downloading books from the library? The Patron Engagement Section of NLS will offer a monthly program called The Many Faces of BARD. This program will occur on the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (please adjust for Arizona time). It will last for one hour and will cover one aspect of BARD (the Braille and Audio Reading Download) service. Each program will start with a brief presentation. The remainder of the time will be spent answering questions about the presentation or other questions related to BARD usage. NLS will announce the topic for the next presentation at the end of each program.
Upon connecting, participants will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the program begins. When you enter the room, you will be on mute, and should remain on mute unless called on by the host to speak. At that time, you may unmute by using Alt-A from a computer or star 6 if dialing in by phone.
All Many Faces of BARD programs will be recorded. If participants do not want to be on the recording, they should refrain from speaking.
To join by computer:
https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1611161911?pwd=bVh5ejFsWFBlL21KY0VqaHlRMUlSQT09
Meeting ID: 161 116 1911
Passcode: 489758
To join by phone:
1-669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 161 116 1911
Braille-on-Demand Pilot Project
Through this NLS pilot project, our readers can now request and receive one hard- copy braille title per month, which they can retain for their personal use. If the book is available through the BARD downloading service, it is also available to mail through this pilot. Only complete titles will be distributed.
The form to request a braille-on-demand book can be found at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLSbrailleondemand
If you need assistance with the form, you may either contact our librarians at the Arizona Talking Book Library, or e-mail NLS Reference staff at [email protected].
Narration: The Art of Telling the Story
On Monday, September 12, at 4:00 pm Arizona time, the NLS Patron Engagement Section will host the quarterly Patron Corner. The topic for this session is Narration: The Art of Telling the Story. The guest speakers will include Celeste Lawson, narrator and head of the NLS Media Lab. She will include other NLS narrators on her panel. The session will run for 90 minutes.
Bring your questions and your thoughts about audio narration!
When you join this Zoom event, you will be in the waiting room until the program starts. When you enter the room, your phone or computer will be muted. Please stay on mute unless you are called on. If you want to ask a question, you may raise your hand by pressing Alt Y on your computer or Star 9 on your phone. Once you are called on, press Alt A on your computer or Star 6 on your phone to unmute yourself.
This meeting will be recorded. If you do not wish to be recorded, we ask that you avoid speaking during the call.
To join by computer:
https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1600983343?pwd=VW9tRWtwY3BsdHRac0s2MmJkN0RCZz09
Meeting ID: 160 098 3343
Passcode: 164674
To join by phone:
1-669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 160 098 3343
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Do you want to know about more about what is available through our library and the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled? Be sure to follow us on social media! We also share fun facts about the library and stories related to the blind and print disabled community at large.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aztalkingbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AZTalkingBooks
ATTENTION BRAILLE READERS!

The new NLS Braille eReader will be available soon to our patrons here in Arizona! With this device, patrons can access electronic braille through its 20-cell braille display and eight-key, Perkins-style keyboard.
In addition to its ability to connect to BARD and Newsline, the device is compatible with several screen readers and works with any Windows, Mac, or iOS device. It can read books, magazines and files in many formats including HTML, PDF, and DAISY text files. Please contact the library at 602-255-5578 to join our wait list.
WAYS TO MOVE BETWEEN BOOKS ON A CARTRIDGE
It’s important to know how to move between the different books on our multi-book cartridges.
When you come to the end of the first book on the multi-title cartridge and you hear the “End of Book” announcement, simply press the Play/Stop button to start playing the next book on the cartridge. That’s all there is to it!
An advanced method, the Bookshelf function, allows you to select the order you would like to read the books. For instance, if you want to read the third book on the cartridge first, you can enter the Bookshelf mode and select the third book to listen to.
This is how the Bookshelf function works:
- First, enter Bookshelf mode by pressing and holding down the Play/Stop button until the machine says “Bookshelf” and announces the number of books found on the cartridge. You can then release the Play/Stop button.
- Next, use the Fast Forward button (the arrow-shaped button to the right of the Play/ Stop button) to navigate through the list of available book titles. After each press of the Fast Forward button, the machine will announce a book number and title (for example, “Book 2 War and Peace”). You can use the Rewind button (the arrow- shaped button to the left of the Play/Stop button) to navigate backwards to a previous book title.
- Finally, when you hear the book title you want to listen to announced, press the Play/Stop button to begin listening to that book. When your book starts playing, you have exited the Bookshelf mode.
You can return to Step 1 at any time if you wish to switch book titles again. The machine will remember your reading position in each title.
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: Erin Pawlus.
Assistant Administrator: Elizabeth Thompson