| Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped |
| Free Library of Philadelphia |
We would like to thank every patron who responded to our survey. Responses were received by telephone as well as by mail. A special thank you to the first one hundred respondents, each receiving in the mail a small token of our appreciation. Statisticians concur that a survey response rate between 2-5% is typical.
We mailed out a total of 10,732 surveys in large print and in braille. Seven hundred seventy-three patrons responded or 7.2% by our deadline, which created only a three week window.
One hundred percent of respondents find our staff helpful and courteous; 91% of respondents stated that they are overall satisfied with our services; only 60% of respondents are satisfied with our magazine service; 86% of respondents are satisfied with the quantity of materials they receive; 91% of respondents are satisfied with the NLS playback equipment; 37% of respondents have access to a computer that connects to the Internet; 18% of respondents are interested in downloading audio books; an additional 1% of respondents currently do so; 3% of respondents are interested in downloading Web Braille; an additional 1% of respondents currently do so; 79% of respondents are satisfied with the access technology workstations.
It is clear that improvement is needed in our magazine subscription service administered by CMLS for NLS. We will focus on expanding our book inspection program.
The recording studio at the Philadelphia LBPH depends on volunteer narrators to record books on cassette by Pennsylvania authors that have not been recorded by NLS. Volunteer narrators also record on cassette, Pennsylvania Heritage, a quarterly magazine, as well as instruction manuals upon patron request.
The following are some examples of donations we have accepted and put to good use: tubes; tube stereo gear; old radios; amplifiers, 50’s and 60’s vintage; electric keyboards, guitars and amplifiers; test equipment and unknown electronic items.
When sending us items, please mark the package “Recording Studio”. Your donation will be acknowledged. If you are local and the item is delicate, we may be able to pick it up. If you have questions, please call Gino Wong, Studio Engineer at 215-683-3213 or 800-222-1754.
Do you have a friend, neighbor or relative who is having difficulty reading standard print, even with the use of glasses and/or magnifiers? Please encourage them to apply for our services. Everyone should have an opportunity to read.
Would you like someone from this Library to visit your community group, senior center, social club, support group, church, synagogue, temple, school or professional seminar/conference to talk about our services? Please call to confirm a date for us to visit your organization to talk about our services and our new technology. To arrange for a speaker or an exhibitor, ask for an “outreach team member” at 215-683-3213 or 800-222-1754.
PATF provides an alternative way for people to obtain the assistive technology devices and services they need. Assistive technology is any device or service that helps a person with a disability live more independently and productively. PAT Foundation offers affordable loans between one thousand and twenty five thousand dollars. For those who qualify, there are some grants available to purchase a variety of assistive technology. For more information please contact PATF at 888-744-1938 or www.patf.us
In partnership with the New York unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), the Foundation Center is making available free of charge a new audio version of the most popular book in the Fundraising and Nonprofit Management Series. This is the first time the Center has issued a product in audio format. The entire book is included with alternate chapters having been recorded by two New York volunteers from RFB&D.
For your convenience the audio version is divided into tracks corresponding to chapters in the book. You can listen to just the chapters that interest you or download the book as a single mp3 file. For more information please contact, The Foundation Center at 800-424-9836 or www.foundationcenter.org
BSO offers weekly sports activities for blind and visually impaired youth and adults. Annually, BSO hosts a series of three adult Goalball tournaments – November, January and March. Teams, individuals and pool players are welcome. You will have the opportunity to compete with some relatively new teams and some of the best teams in the nation. It is open to blind and visually impaired ages 14 and up.
Goalball is the second most popular team sport for the blind in the world. It started as a rehabilitation activity for World War II veterans who were blinded in action. It is played in over one hundred fifty countries by male and female, youth and adults. It is played on a volleyball-sized court and the goalball is a basketball-sized ball that has bells in it.
For more information, please contact 302-836-5784 or info@blindsports.org
InfoEyes is a free online national reference service provided by a consortium of libraries that serve people with visual, physical and reading disabilities. InfoEyes allows computer users to ask reference questions via email or through real-time voice text chat. You can email questions to librarians at any time. If you would like immediate help, try logging onto the site to chat over a microphone or via text chat with a librarian to receive reference service. The next time you need help with homework, information about a product or an answer to almost any question, remember to try InfoEyes. To find out more about the service and hours of availability, check out www.infoeyes.org.
BookShare books are still available through the Verizon grant for institutional membership, secured by the Free Library of Philadelphia. It is not too late to participate. Include your name, address, phone number, email address and birth date in an email to bookshare@freelibrary.org and we will add you to our subscriber list. Remember, if you are a student, you are eligible for your own direct free membership. Once your registration is complete, go to http://www.bookshare.org, select the books you want and send your list to us at bookshare@freelibrary.org. We will download the books and email them to you. It is free to you and easy.
On behalf of the National Library Service for the blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), the Library of Congress has awarded contracts for three critical elements necessary for implementation of the digital talking-book system. Shinano Kenshi Corporation, Ltd. of Japan and its subsidiary Plextor-LLC of Culver City, California will produce the digital talking-book players.
Web Braille is a web-based service that provides in any electronic format, many braille books and all braille magazines produced by NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped).
Copyright laws require that access to Web Braille be limited to NLS patrons and eligible institutions such as schools for the blind, public and private schools serving blind children and nonprofit organizations, whose primary purpose is the production of braille books. To register for Web Braille, please call the Library at 800-222-1754 or 215-683-3213.
The National Federation of the Blind NEWSLINE is a free telephone newspaper and magazine reading service available seven days a week, twenty four hours a day.
For those of you who are already set up to access NFB- NEWSLINE, here is another great feature available to you. The system now has the ability to receive all the newspapers you have saved in your “Favorites” file as DAISY formatted files. The file is then attached to email messages and sent to you each morning. To listen to the attachments you must have an email account and a hardware or software product capable of reading DAISY files.
If you would like to sign up for the NFB-NEWSLINE, the free newspaper and magazine reading service, please call the Library at 800-222-1754 or 215-683-3213.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) announced the addition of two players which are compatible with the Braille and Audio Reading Download program (BARD).
The three NLS-BARD compatible players are: the Victor Reader stream; the Icon from LevelStar; and the Braille+Mobile Manager from the American Printing House for the Blind. For more information visit the Reading Devices page at the Accessible Devices Home Page, www.accessible-devices.com/reading.html.
Patron involvement in the extended pilot program assists NLS in improving the quality of the digital talking books which will begin circulation in April 2009. The Library encourages and considers user feedback.
An individual must be an active NLS patron and own a digital player to be eligible for this service. To begin receiving digital books and magazines visit www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb to register for an account.
On September 27, 2008, the Jenny Beck Chapter of the Braille Revival League celebrated its 25th Anniversary. JBC started with a handful of members and has grown to over fifty members. Promoting the use and awareness of Braille is the main mission.
JBC produces a lot of Braille for members and non- members. They have brailled such things as restaurant menus, theater programs, appliance instructions or a favorite recipe. One-on-one teaching of Braille is also available. Visits to schools, libraries and other places in the community help promote Braille and the mission of JBC. If you would like to learn Braille or if you need something translated into Braille, please contact the Jenny Beck Chapter of the Braille Revival League at 215-829-9997.
For those who are looking for a way to give back in life or to give of themselves, volunteering is a wonderful way to give. Not only does volunteering provide a service, it also provides a great experience for those who volunteer. To make the most of your time as a volunteer, please keep in mind not only what you would like to do, but where your talents would be most needed. If you know of anyone who is interested in joining our wonderful team, please call Angel Chambers-Gilliam at 800-222-1754 or 215-683- 3213. Thanks again to all our wonderful volunteers!
Mind’s Eye Travel creates tours for people who are visually impaired or blind. Itineraries are not only for great comfort, camaraderie and enjoyment but also for full sensory discovery, and they offer options for independence. For information contact: www.mindseyetravel.com
The Pennsylvania Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the NLS have not been very demanding about overdue books. With the limited rollout of digital equipment and books in the next few years, this must change.
To include reasonable mailing times, the checkout period for all books borrowed is seven weeks. Books are due back seven weeks from the date on the mailing card. There will be no fines.
In the near future, patron return records will become one of many factors in determining the order and scope of digital item distribution.
THANK YOU to the many patrons who already return their books promptly!