BITS OF
GOLD 
Regional Library of the National Library Service
For the Blind and Physically Handicapped
(NLS/BPH)
Volume 106, Number 3 September 2006
Librarian’s
Log: from
the desk of Christie Briggs, Regional Librarian
An Extraordinary Person and
Volunteer
At the Montana Talking Book
Library, it is a given that all volunteers are special. However, twenty-three years ago, a woman by
the name of Lea Blunn came to volunteer. Her first passion was
reading--everything! Lea shared with us that as a child, she was confined to
bed with an illness and began a lifelong interest in reading. She found our
recording program to be a place where she could bring her love of reading to
others. Lea’s commitment to her family of nine children and her husband, Herb,
was unmistakable. It was the background experience of her well-known “no
nonsense” way of organizing recordings and other volunteer tasks. She narrated
forty-four books, starting in 1982 with her monitor, Dr. Eileen Finley. The
stand-alone rickety booth was nothing to brag about then. Eileen had to shout
instructions of “start!” and “stop!” to Lea, who was recording inside the
booth. As a team, they were considered the backbone of the fledgling recording
program from 1982 until 1993 when Eileen passed away. These two comprised one of our best recording
teams and were instrumental in training the many who have followed. In 1994, a
day before Lea’s birthday, a new state of the art Recording Studio was
dedicated by former Governor Racicot. It housed a monitor booth dedicated in
Eileen’s name and a narrator booth dedicated to Lea. Lea was present at the
ceremony and received many accolades. She continued recording and monitoring
until her passing in June, 2006. Lea led the crowd in many ways and received
many awards for her accomplishments as a volunteer, in and out of the recording
booth. Her greatest reward was bringing her love of reading to you, our
patrons. Job well done, Lea!
In Honor of Lea Blunn
We have received many memorial donations in Lea Blunn’s
honor. The staff has unanimously recommended that annual purchase of
Summer Activities at MTBL
We are grateful to say that once again, the Montana Association for the Blind’s Summer Orientation Program invited us to teach a daylong class about the Montana Talking Book Library, our books, machines and services. Lee Madison and Sandy Stanton gave outstanding instructions and tips on our services as well as answered many questions from students.
Voting Made Easier!
New voting machines should help patrons with limited
sight or dexterity vote independently and privately this November in
2007 Legislature
As we head into the Legislative session for 2007, we will keep you informed of activities affecting the operation of our library and the services we offer you.
Best
Regards, Christie Briggs
EQUIPMENT CLINIC—WHY REWIND?
Each cassette book is opened
and examined when it is returned. The
books are checked for completeness, for damage, and to see if all tapes have
been rewound. You can play an important
role in maintaining good quality service by rewinding every cassette when you
have finished reading it. Dr. Lee
says, “Place the cassette Braille side
up and push the rewind button.” Placing
the tapes in the box in the proper order will also save time. Rewinding and correct placement can prevent
damage to the tapes while in transit.
Your help in caring for the cassettes is a valuable asset and is greatly
appreciated.
COMMERCIALLY RECORDED BOOKS
The National Library Service is purchasing more
commercially recorded audio books in order to get books to patrons faster. In the past, it has sometimes taken as long
as one year after a book is published until it is recorded and ready for
distribution to Talking Book patrons.
NLS changes the commercial tape speed to 15/16 ips, adds a four-track
format and side announcements before distributing to libraries. Many of these books may also have background
music.
WHITE CANE DAY
The white cane used by blind and visually impaired
people in many countries was invented in 1930 by George Bonham of the
SUMMER READING PROGRAM
The 2006 summer reading program, “Paws, Claws,
Scales and Tales” wrapped up August 15.
With the guidance of Reader Advisor Sandy Stanton, six young readers
fulfilled their personal contracts and other activities. They read a total of 70 books, winning prizes
and certificates. Look for more
information for young readers in the upcoming Little Bits o’ Gold newsletter.
PATRON
PICKS
RC 50276 In
a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (humorous account of author’s travels in
RC 52432 The
Kill Artist by Daniel Silva (mystery)
RC 58272 The
Island at the Center of the World: The
Epic Story of the Forgotten Colony That Shaped
HOLIDAYS
The library will be closed on the following days:
Monday,
Oct. 9 Columbus Day
Tuesday,
Nov. 7 Election Day
Friday,
Nov. 10 Veterans’ Day
Thursday,
Nov. 23 Thanksgiving Day
Monday,
Dec. 25 Christmas Day
Monday,
Jan. 1 New Year’s Day
RESOURCES OF INTEREST
Ø
The 2007 MAB
calendar is available at the library for $3 each. Contact Christie Briggs at
1-800-332-3400.
Ø
The American
Council of the Blind has teamed up with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in
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
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LIBRARY HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm |
PHONE HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm |
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PHONE NUMBERS: 1-800-332-3400 |
(in |
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WEBOPAC: http://klasweb.msl.mt.gov |
WEBBRAILLE:
http://loc.gov/nls/braille |
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STAFF NAMES & EMAIL ADDRESSES |
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REGIONAL LIBRARIAN: |
Christie Briggs, cbriggs@mt.gov |
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COORD. VOL SVC / RECORDING PROG. DIR: |
Diane Gunderson, dgunderson@mt.gov |
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COLLECTION MANAGER: |
Carolyn Meier, cameier@mt.gov |
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MACHINE LENDING AGENT: |
Lee Madison, lmadson@mt.gov |
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READERS’ ADVISORS: |
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Patrons with last names A-G contact: |
Janet Hunter, jahunter@mt.gov |
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Patrons with last names H-O contact: |
Sandra Stanton, sstanton@mt.gov |
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Patrons with last names P-Z contact: |
Lee Madison, lmadison@mt.gov |
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BITS OF GOLD EDITOR: |
Janet Hunter, jahunter@mt.gov |
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For patron requests or contact
information, e-mail us at: mtbl@mt.gov |
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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.