NLS BARD Downloadable Audio Book and Magazine Service

The NLS BARD Downloadable Audio Book and Magazine Service is another service offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in addition to the standard mail delivery service. BARD gives registered Talking Book customers access to downloadable digital books and magazines. In order to qualify for this service one needs to own one of 3 approved audio book players: Humanware Victor Reader Stream, LevelStar Icon or APH Braille Plus Mobile Manager. After acquiring one of these audio book players a customer will need to contact his/her local Talking Book library and complete the Request Access form. For application instructions see the following link: https://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb/ApplicationInstructions.html.

Adaptive Technology built into Windows

A lot of people don't know that there are already accessibility features built into most Microsoft Windows operating systems. To access these features in Microsoft Windows XP first click on the Start menu, followed by "All Programs", followed by "Accessories", followed by "Accessibility" which will lead you to an Accessibility Wizard, Magnifier, Narrator, On Screen Keyboard and a Utility Manager. The Accessibility Wizard helps a user configure his or her computer via a set of options for those who are blind or have difficulty seeing things on the screen and those who have difficulty using the mouse or keyboard. The Magnifier option creates a viewing area at the top of the screen that magnifies the focus of the mouse pointer or keyboard as well as inverts the color scheme. The Narrator option operates like a screen reader for those who have trouble viewing the screen. The onscreen keyboard is set up exactly like a standard keyboard except the keys are selected by the mouse pointer. The Utilities Manager assists in using the accessibility features.

Talking Books Digital Transition

In early 2009 the Talking Book / Special Needs Library will begin a transition from books on cassette to digital books on flash cartridges. This new service will be first available to veterans of the United States Armed Forces, then to those customers 100 years of age and older, followed by the rest of our Talking Book eligible customers. The new Talking Book reader will be about 1/3 the size of the current tape player, weigh almost half as much and function much like a CD or MP3 player. The actual Talking Books will be recorded on a flash device that is about the size of a tape cassette. Most Talking Books will fit on one cartridge with only very few requiring an extra cartridge. During the digital transition Talking Books on cassette will still be available alongside what will be a small but growing digital Talking Book collection. We anticipate Talking Books on cassette being available for another 10 to 12 years. For more information on the Talking Book digital transition visit the following website: http://www.loc.gov/nls/newsletters/flash/.

Talking Book Library online newsletter

The Talking Book / Special Needs Library's quarterly newsletter is available online at the following address:
http://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/pubs/insightspr09.pdf. Our newsletter contains the latest news and events at the Talking Book Library; local services and events of importance to our customers; new titles added to our collection; a yearly survey; information regarding the Jacksonville Public Library's additional services and resources offered to our customers; reading suggestions and much more. Our customers can also find a text-only version of our newsletter that is more easily accessible by screen reading computer programs at this link: http://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/pubs/insightspr09.txt.
You can find archived editions of our quarterly newsletter at the following address: http://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/pubs/archived-newsletters-pdf.html (printer-friendly version) & http://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/lib/pubs/archived-newsletters-text.html (text-only version).

ALA/ASCLA Toolkit

The ASCLA (Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies) division of the American Library Association provides an online "toolkit" of information intended to assist librarians and other library staff in meeting the needs of library users with a disability. Here is the link: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaprotools/accessibilitytipsheets/default.cfm
Each of the 15 tipsheets has basic information regarding the proper ways to interact with a library user who has a specific access issue such as a visual, hearing or physical disability. Each of the tipsheets also has a listing of resources that might help library staff assist library users with a disability.

Talking Book application certification

Yes, Librarians can certify Talking Book applications. We often receive questions regarding whether librarians at the Jacksonville Public Library can certify applications for those customers interested in applying for Talking Book service. Even though the application does not specifically list "librarian" as a certifying authority, a librarian is considered a "qualified person". If the customer's disability is obvious (ex. white cane, guide dog, etc.) or the customer explains that because of their age or declining health that they are unable to read large print it is the librarian's discretion as to whether or not he or she feels comfortable in certifying the customer's application. If a librarian feels that none of these criteria is valid he or she should just recommend the customer to another certifying authority such as a doctor, nurse, or other qualified person listed on the application.

Closed Caption Movie Series

The Talking Book / Special Needs Library hosts a monthly Closed Caption Movie series for the deaf, hearing impaired, senior citizens with failing hearing and anyone else who might enjoy a movie in this format at the Auditorium in the Main Library. Movies are usually scheduled each month on the second Saturday at 1pm and the first Wednesday at 10 am. For a complete schedule and more information visit the following website: http://www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/progs/main/main_ccseries.html