Touch and Listen Newsletter

Happy Holidays!

It’s that special time of year, and the Braille and Talking Book Library wants to wish all of its readers a holiday season filled with joy. From all of our volunteers and staff, we wish you the very best wishes for a healthy, happy new year!

Important changes in Talking Books Topics catalogue

To better accommodate the needs of subscribers to the audio version of Talking Book Topics (TBT), NLS is now circulating the magazine cartridge and the order form in the same cardboard package.

The magazine cartridges and order forms will still need to be returned separately, with the cartridge going back to the producer in its red container, and the order form sealed and mailed back to your local library. A mailing card is no longer included because the red container has the producer’s address on a label affixed to the container. The order form is also pre-printed with the Daytona Beach library address.

The circulation information is also embedded in the TBT cartridge itself, so if promptly returned, you will be sure to receive the next issue without interruption.

If for some reason you miss your issue, TBT is available from BARD, under “magazines.” If you have an accessible device, you can download instantly. If you prefer a cartridge, ask your Reader Advisor about getting a Download on Demand.

Other weekly magazines from NLS in the red mailing containers will continue with a “flip and return” mailing card.

What’s new at the Library?

The Reader Services team welcomed three new members in October:

Ayla Oliver recently moved to Daytona Beach from Ohio, where she worked with the county’s Children’s Services. She holds a bachelor’s in education from Kent State, and loves working with children. She sees working at the Library as a reader advisor as an opportunity to apply her education and professional skills.

Paula Frenette is a native of Daytona Beach, and graduated from Spruce Creek High School. She became certified as a paralegal while living in Mississippi, and is a former caseworker for the Salvation Army. Paula’s position with the Library is Institutional Liaison, coordinating with other agencies and institutions who use Talking Books services. She says it means a lot to her to be able to help others.

Cheryl Davis joined the Library in 2011. In 2013, she graduated from Daytona State College with a Bachelor’s in applied sciences. Cheryl recently transferred to the Reader Services department from Circulation, where she worked in the Machine Maintenance area. As an avid audiobook reader, Cheryl is looking forward to assisting patrons as a reader advisor.

Contacting Us

When calling the order line or when leaving a message, please remember to spell out the last name on the account, speak clearly and leave a working phone number. We return all calls, but sometimes, if you do not have voicemail set up on your phone, we are unable to leave a message.

Returning Books

Feel free to return books individually as you finish reading them. There is no need to wait until you finish ALL the books you have checked out. Sometimes, there may be a waiting list and someone eager to hear that book.

New Braille Magazines

Three new Braille magazines are now available to patrons. You may order them by subscribing through your Talking Books Library, or download them via BARD.

• Cooks Illustrated, CIM1 (bimonthly)
• O, the Oprah Magazine, OPR1 (monthly)
• Popular Science, PSM1 (bimonthly)

BARD Mobile App Now Available for Kindle Fire

Many of our patrons know the BARD Mobile app was first available on Apple devices and it became available on Android devices some years later. The BARD Mobile app is now available on Kindle Fire devices.

BARD Mobile is a free download from the Amazon.com Appstore for Android. As you might expect, the user interface is almost identical to the user interface for all the other Android devices. The Kindle Fire has many accessibility features such as screen reader, screen magnifier, explore-by-touch feature and the ability to pair a Braille display to the tablet. With a price of around $50 for the basic, 7” model and $80 to $100 for the 8” HD tablet, the Kindle Fire is an affordable option for those who want to experience BARD Mobile and the many accessible apps.

U.S. Currency Reader Program

You can still acquire a free iBill Talking Banknote Identifier from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Call (844) 815-9388 toll-free for application information.

If you have an Apple device, Eyenote is a free app you can download that does not require a data connection and can identify U.S. currency from 1996. The app features one touch, hand-held operation and can read both sides of a banknote in any orientation.

Seasonal Books

Dewey's Christmas at the Library (FDB03818) by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

10 minutes. Narrator: Maureen Dorosinski. After finding a red ball of yarn, Dewey the cat, who lives in the Spencer, Iowa, public library, finds a way to help decorate the Christmas tree.

Celebra la Navidad y el Día de los Reyes Magos con Pablo Y Carlitos (FDB03626)
(Celebrate Christmas and Three Kings’ Day with Pablo and Carlitos)
by Alma Flor Ada

15 Minutes. Narrator: Brunilda López Soto. Brothers Pablo and Carlitos write letters to the Three Kings with gift lists. Carlitos later changes his list, giving up some of his own gift requests in exchange for a better gift for his older brother. Includes facts about Christmas and Three Kings' Day. Spanish language.

Fresh from the Recording Studio: NEW TITLES!

Crossing the Creek (FDB03775) by Anna Lillios

6 hours, 50 minutes. Narrator: Pam Masters. One of the twentieth century's most intriguing and complicated literary friendships was that between Zora Neale Hurston and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The first book to examine the productive and complex relationship between these two major figures.

Skink No Surrender (FDB03812) by Carl Hiaasen

6 hours, 15 minutes. Narrator: Ellen Rabin. With the help of an eccentric ex-governor, a teenaged boy searches for his missing cousin in the Florida wilds. From the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award Program, for students in grades 3-5.

Made with Love (FDB03801) by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore

10 hours, 43 mins. Narrator: Sue Christenson. Carpenter Noah Yoder agrees to help Lovina Miller make her lifelong dream come true by building a pie shop for her, but the love that grows between them is threatened by mistakes and insecurities from the past.

American Ghost (FDB03779) by Janis Owens

10 hours, 40 minutes. Narrator: Dave Archard. Unresolved family history and the racial tensions of the past threaten a love affair between two young Floridians.

No Sisters Sisters Club (FDB03758) by Linda G. Salisbury

3 hours, 20 minutes. Narrator: Terry Fiset. After a surprise visit from the father and half-sister she has never met, eleven-year-old Bailey needs her grandmother's help to come to terms with her confused feelings.

Murder is the Pits (FDB03770) by Mary Clay

10 hours. Narrator Kathy Ragan. The daffodils are back and so are the dead bodies, Taser guns, mob bosses, and quirky lovers! Amidst unrelenting hurricanes, Ruthie, Leigh, and Penny Sue fight hot flashes, hot metal, cold stiffs, friendly spirits, and gun toting senior citizens. Ruthie consults her spirit guides, Penny Sue uses her anti-terrorist training, and Leigh tries good old common sense to stay one step ahead of the local law, hired guns, and Mother Nature.

Through Stained Glass (FDB03792) by Marlene Louise Walters

20 hours, 40 mins. Narrator: Margaret Tedrick. Ordained minister offers guidance for persons dealing with a loss and who need a hopeful outlook through their life changes. Reflects God’s love to everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, handicap, or religion.

Division of Blind Services 75th Anniversary, 1941-2016 – Celebrating 75 Years of Fostering Independence for Blind and Visually Impaired Floridians

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Division of Blind Services, the Library is proud to announce a re-recording of a book documenting the first 50 years of the history of the division. Talk to your Reader Advisor for more information or to be put on the request list!

History of the Florida Division of Blind Services: first fifty years (1941-1991)

KLAS ID: FDB03797

By Donald D. Foos and Nancy C. Pack

Copyright: 1992

Annotation: As part of the Fiftieth Anniversary project of the state agency for the blind, this is a history of the Florida Division of Blind Services from 1941 to 1991.

Subject headings: Disability Interest; Florida Interest; History - United States; Short Book; Library & information sciences; History, U.S. - 20th Century; Visual Disability Interest

Volunteers needed at the Library!

Since the Daytona Beach Library was started in 1950, volunteers have played a crucial role, and today they assist in all Library areas. Spanish speakers are especially needed to help in the production of audio books and magazines at our Recording Studio. For more information, call 386-230-6000 or 1-800-226-6075, or e-mail: kathy.acevedo@dbs.fldoe.org.

Become a Friend of the Library!

Another way to support the Library, is by joining the Friends of Library Access, Inc. The “Friends” support the Library through fund-raising and outreach efforts. During the past year, the Friends have purchased supplies and equipment for the Library and underwritten many activities. Anyone may join the Friends; to find out more, visit www.friendsoflibraryaccessinc.org, or e-mail tbfriends@earthlink.net.

Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt St.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Touch and Listen is published quarterly in large print and distributed free to patrons and friends of the Library. If you would like to receive your next issue in Braille, Spanish, or by e-mail, please let us know: 1-800-226-6075. Comments on the newsletter or suggestions for future issues are also welcome. Thanks!

Read us on Line: The current newsletter will also be posted on the Division of Blind Services website, in text and audio. Go to https://dbs.fldoe.org/library, then click on “Touch and Listen Newsletter.”

The Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library Services is part of the Division of Blind Services, Florida Department of Education. Visit our websites at https://dbs.fldoe.org or https://www.fldoe.org/.