BITS OF GOLD         

                Montana Talking Book Library (MTBL)

A Department of the Montana State Library

Regional Library of the National Library Service

                   for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

(NLS/LBPH)

 

Volume 111, Number 1                                                                      Summer   2011

LIBRARIAN’S LOG- Big Sky Greetings from Christie Briggs, Director.

 

PATRON SURVEY – Our patron survey is offered in several formats including large print, e-mail and online.  The survey is designed to be anonymous and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. In order to save printing costs, we are sending the survey to only 10% of our patrons.  If you didn’t receive one but would like to participate in the survey, please contact us at 1-800-332-3400, or 406-444-2064, or e-mail us at mtbl@mt.gov.  Our online survey can be accessed at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HGPSTQF . Please take time to fill out this survey.  If you need changes to your current service, please contact us separately; don’t use the survey for this.  

 

FOR BARD USERS:

-Don’t have a BARD account yet?  Due to both national and state budget constraints, there are delays in getting digital book titles to you when ordering direct from MTBL.  An option to consider is the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service. The BARD website has nearly 23,000 books and 48 magazines you can download!   You will need a computer with high-speed internet service,  your own e-mail account and a USB flash memory drive.  If you think you might be interested in trying BARD, please call  1-800-332-3400, or 406-444-2064, or e-mail us at mtbl@mt.gov  and ask about BARD enrollment.

 

-Getting your Personal Player approved through BARD- There is an easy way to add your recently acquired (NLS approved) personal digital player to your BARD account without having to re-apply to BARD.  Login to your current BARD account using your User ID and password; tab to and open the “Update account settings” link; tab to and open the “add a purchased player” link.   After your personal information, there is an alphabetical listing of players.  Choose a “1” for the appropriate player where indicated. Be sure to press the “submit player request” button when you are done. Approvals usually are processed within one business day. Manufacturers will e-mail you the electronic key to be uploaded into your personal player to play BARD books and magazines.  Call us for assistance.

 

-Personal Player Updates- HumanWare has an updated audio tutorial for the Victor Reader Stream. It is available for download from:  http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/vr_stream_documentation

 

MONTANA ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND’S (MAB) 2011 CONVENTION   will be hosted this year by the Capital City Chapter of MAB on September 16, 17 and 18th at the Red Lion Colonial Inn in Helena. This year’s theme is “Light Your Path – Choose Your Destiny”.  A free public low vision symposium with speakers and exhibitors will be offered on Saturday, Sept. 17th.  

To register call Debbie Hanson at 406-422-5278 or e-mail: grneyesdjh@bresnan.net.  

 

NEW NFB-NEWSLINE™  FEATURE - This newspaper service from the National Federation of the Blind now offers an e-mail format you can copy to your personal digital player for on-the-go convenience. Contact 1-866-504-7300 for more information.

 

Note to Students! During the school year many of the books you read are connected with school and your curriculum requirements.  Don’t forget to read for fun!   We have a lot of the latest books -- many in digital format--for all ages including the Alex Rider Series, the Hunger Games Series, the Mortal Instruments Series, and the Artemis Fowl Series.   We have recently received many interesting digital non-fiction books on American Indians, geography, sports, and other topics.  If you do not have your digital player yet, call us today!  All patrons regardless of age are entitled to have a cassette player and a digital player.  

 

Music, music, music…For patrons interested in music cassettes for the old players, the non-profit organization “Recordings for Recovery” lends tapes with many types of music.  Tapes are received and returned like cassette books and have turnaround time of 60 days.  Individual memberships are $10.00 per year; alternative memberships are available for those who cannot afford the annual fee.  A catalog is provided.  Call 1-800-798-1192 to become a member. 

 

Montana Cassette Book Update:  Our collection of locally produced books with Montana history, interests or authors has grown to 1,037.  While we do not have an updated catalog available, we can provide a list of the newest books ready for circulation.  Call the library if you wish to receive this list.  These are currently only available on cassette, but coming soon in 2012, all Montana recordings will be converted to a format for use with your digital players. 

 

Library Collection Update:  MTBL now has nearly 6,000 titles and 22,000 copies in DB (digital book) format.  New books are only in digital now but the cassette books and players are still currently available.  No new cassette (C-1) players are being manufactured but we have several Telephone Pioneers who volunteer to repair and refurbish the older players.  If your

C-1 is experiencing problems, call your reader’s advisor for a replacement.

Old Genre, New books:  We have many new books on Native Americans for all reading levels: The series American Indian Contributions to the World (middle-school reading level), The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Big Horn by Nathaniel Philbrick (Reader Advisor recommendation); Selling Your Father’s Bones: America’s 140-Year War against the Nez Perce Tribe by Brian Schofield; and the award-winning War Dances by Sherman Alexie.

 

BARD Talk for Patrons:  bardtalk.com was created by patrons to offer patron to patron assistance with some BARD issues.  The site has a list of frequently asked questions and several useful tutorials.  Go to www.bardtalk.com .   However,  for official NLS BARD issues or concerns, contact us at mtbl@mt.gov  .   

 

THANK YOU for Taking Care of Digital Cartridges and cases:  We are having fewer problems with mismatched digital cases and cartridges and blue cases returned empty.  We appreciate your checking your books before returning them to the library.  To assist, the staff will continue to contact those patrons who have returned mismatched or empty digital cases.

 

Digital Bulletin from Your Machine Lending Agent: 

Your digital book player’s battery holds a charge for approximately 35 hours, takes between one to two hours to recharge, and can be played while plugged in and charging.

 

Press the round red button to turn the player on. Press it immediately again and the player tells you the battery’s current level of charge. When the player announces that the power charge remaining is “greater than” a certain number of hours, it is estimating 75% of the battery’s full capacity. When the battery has a charge that is less than 75% of its full capacity, the player will announce the hours as “battery charge remaining.” Though your player may sound very sure of itself when it makes this announcement, it is important to know that it is actually making a rough estimate. It may say it has 8 hours remaining and still be playing off the battery 10 hours later. Likewise, it may say it has 8 hours and then soon tell you the battery is low.

 

Indications of battery malfunction:

-      Player says “battery charge remaining less than 1 hour” even after charging for several hours

-      Player has been charged but automatically shuts down when not plugged in

-      Player doesn’t hold charge long enough for you to listen comfortably

 

At the Montana Talking Book Library, we are still getting to know the ins and outs of the digital player. I will keep you informed in the Newsletter of what we learn. In the meantime, please give me a call if you have questions or concerns about your player!    Claudia

 

Library will be closed these holidays:  Sept. 5 (Labor Day), Oct. 10 (Columbus Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day), & Dec. 26 (day after Christmas).

Montana Talking Book Library                                                                         Free Matter

1515 East Sixth Avenue                                                                                      for the Blind

PO Box 201800

Helena, MT  59620-1800

 

Address Service Requested

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This newsletter is available on cassette, e-mail and large print upon request or visit our website: http://msl.mt.gov/tbl

 

LIBRARY HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

PHONE HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

PHONE NUMBERS: 1-800-332-3400

(in Helena) 406-444-2064

WEBOPAC: http://klasweb.msl.mt.gov

WEBBRAILLE: http://loc.gov/nls/braille

 

 

REGIONAL LIBRARIAN:

Christie Briggs, cbriggs@mt.gov

COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS/

RECORDING PROGRAM DIRECTOR:

MACHINE LENDING AGENT:                       

 

Diane Gunderson, dgunderson@mt.gov

Claudia Bickel, cbickel@mt.gov

COLLECTION MANAGER:

Carolyn Meier, cameier@mt.gov

READERS’ ADVISORS:

 

Patrons with last names A-G contact:

Martin Landry, mlandry@mt.gov

Patrons with last names H-O contact:

Patrons with last names P-Z contact:

Sandy Stanton, sstanton@mt.gov

Claudia Bickel, cbickel@mt.gov

BITS OF GOLD EDITOR:

Sandy Stanton

For patron requests or contact information, e-mail us at: mtbl@mt.gov

 

DISCLAIMER: The products and services mentioned in this newsletter are for your information only and do not imply endorsement by MTBL.  Thank you for your comments and suggestions.