BITS OF GOLD       

Montana Talking Book Library

Regional Library of the National Library Service

For the Blind and Physically Handicapped

(NLS/BPH)

 

Volume 105, Number 3                                                                     2005

 

LETTERS FROM YELLOWSTONE—2005 ONE BOOK MONTANA

Are you looking for a good book to read this fall?  The Montana Center for the Book and the Montana Committee for the Humanities chose Diane Smith’s novel, Letters from Yellowstone (MCB 552), as their selection for this year’s 2005 One Book Montana.  The time is 1898 and the location is Yellowstone National Park.  Many of the topics covered in this novel are still of interest today.

 

BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED CONFERENCE IN BOZEMAN

Interested in learning a new technology for the blind (Echolocation), working with the cortically blind, or the latest treatments for macular degeneration?   Join other rehab counselors, teachers, and those who work with the blind and low vision in Bozeman on October 19-21 at the Holiday Inn.  There will be a tour of the Museum of the Rockies and vendors’ exhibits.  To register, call 1-406-556-7103 or e-mail Barb Rolf at brolf@msdb.mt.gov.

 

“DRAGONS, DREAMS AND DARING DEEDS”

Those patrons who participated in this year’s Summer Reading Program had an action-packed summer.  They pondered the question: Are dragons real or legend?  Did you know the Eastern dragons were considered protectors not evil?  In an average lifetime, a person has 100,000 dreams.  Even if you don’t remember your dreams—you do dream.  Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them”.  Knights not only had to be able to fight, but they had a code of conduct to follow.  Each knight strived to be strong, courageous, courteous, and humble.  Patrons who completed and returned their Reading Logs and Bonus questions received prizes for “slaying their dragons”, “following their dreams”, and “accomplishing daring deeds”.  Jiminy Cricket said it best in song, “When you wish upon a star….”

 

There are realities we all share, regardless of our nationality, language, or individual tastes.  As we need food, so do we need emotional nourishment:  love, kindness, appreciation, and support from others.—J. Donald Walters

 

LIBRARIAN’S LOG: from the desk of Christie Briggs, Regional Librarian

 

OUTREACH SERVICES FOR THE BLIND

Information about the Talking Book Library services reached over 800 individuals and organizations from June through September.  This included several support group meetings from Hamilton to Laurel, including Montana Association for the Blind chapter meetings.  A Sensitivity Training Workshop was conducted in Miles City to medical professionals working with the blind.  The Montana Healthcare Association brought Montana Nursing Home Activity Directors to Helena for a workshop, including a half day for blind training services.  A presentation in Three Forks was made to providers of nursing home residents who have developmental disabilities.  Another was made in Great Falls to a community organization whose primary goal is literacy for Montana pre-schoolers.  Staff conducted classes for 25 students on the MSU campus in July at the Montana Association for the Blind’s Summer Orientation Program.  This excellent school is for individuals newly diagnosed with blindness or low vision.

PATRON SURVEY DEADLINE

December 30, 2005, is the deadline for all surveys to be returned to MTBL.  If you lost yours and need another copy, please call us at 1-800-332-3400.

BILLINGS GAZETTE AVAILABLE THROUGH NFB-NEWSLINE

NFB-Newsline™ added the Billings Gazette in September.  Call us to sign up for this valuable service.

NARRATORS WILL BE MISSED

We will all miss the joyful presence and wonderful voices of JoAnn Mayala and Bob Holmes who passed away this year.  They have contributed their wonderful talents to many books and magazines.

 

CAN YOU HELP US WITH FALL CLEANUP?

We have a problem with too many missing cassettes and/or containers from returned books.  We need your help to check around your home for any empty book containers or cassette tapes that belong to books you have already returned.  If you or your family, friends, or caregivers find any, please return them to us.  Write “Free Matter for the Blind” where the postage would normally go.  Right now we have such a backlog of books that have been returned without all of the cassette tapes in the book containers, as well as, miscellaneous cassette tapes that do not have their book containers.  This causes greater delays getting completed books out to others.  Your help is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

 

No matter what the level of your ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop in a lifetime—James T. McCay

 

FROM THE RECORDING BOOTH

Recently the MCB Recording Program was honored to have three Montana authors record their own books.  Norma Beatty Ashby from Great Falls read her book, Movie Stars & Rattlesnakes: A Heyday of Live Montana Television, MCB 789.  John Astle from Anaconda read his book, Only In Butte, Stories Off the Hill, MCB 784.  The Helena author, Leonard Schonberg read his book, Legacy, A Novel, MCB 792.

 

RECENT TITLES FROM THE MONTANA RECORDING PROGRAM

MCB 710   The New Montana Story edited by Rick Newby; Reader—Bob Holmes

                   This anthology presents current and new Montana Writers and their short

                   stories, novel excerpts, memoirs, and personal essays, all relating to life

                   in Montana.  This book contains some strong language, descriptions of

                   sex, and violence.

MCB 763   Inventing the Savage: The Social Construction of Native American

                   Criminality by Luana Ross; Reader—Mary Olson

                   Ross draws upon the life histories of imprisoned Native American women

                   to demonstrate how race/ethnicity, gender, and class contribute to the

                   criminalizing of various behaviors and subsequent incarceration rates. 

                   Contains strong language, descriptions of sex, and violence.

MCB 772   Writing For Her Life: The Novelist Mildred Walker by Ripley Hugo;

                   Reader—Colleen Mockler

                   Ripley Hugo’s book gives you an in-depth look at her mother, author

                   Mildred Walker.  The book discusses Mildred Walker’s novels in detail

                   and the manner in which she devised the plot and characters.

 

NUMBER SIX HAS ARRIVED

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is HERE!!!   Ask for RC 60262 for the cassette version or BR 16000 on WebBraille.  

 

A NEW DESCRIPTIVE CATALOG (DV) IS AVAILABLE 

The new DV catalog in large print and on cassette (MCB 540) was mailed out to those patrons already receiving this service.  If you have been on our book service for six months and wish to receive DV’s (VHS videos that have a narrator describing the action between actors speaking), please call us at 1-800-332-3400.  We’ll be glad to sign you up and send a catalog.  This service is provided from privately donated funds.

 

THE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED ON THESE HOLIDAYS

OCT 10—Columbus Day    NOV 11—Veteran’s Day     NOV 24—Thanksgiving


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 VOL SVC:

Diane Gunderson, dgunderson@mt.gov

COLLECTION MANAGER:

Carolyn Meier, cameier@mt.gov

MACHINE LENDING AGENT:

Lee Madison, lmadison@mt.gov

READERS’ ADVISORS:

 

Patrons with last names A-G contact:

Janet Hunter, jahunter@mt.gov

Patrons with last names H-O contact:

Cheryl Christopher, cchristopher@mt.gov

Patrons with last names P-Z contact:

Lee Madison, lmadison@mt.gov

 

 

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.