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Upstate Update: Spring 2022

The NYS Talking Book and Braille Library newsletter is delivered to your email three times a year. Upstate Update is attached as a Word document and available in HTML format on our website. If you are having trouble accessing the newsletter, please contact our library. To learn more about Upstate Update and read past newsletters, please visit our TBBL Newsletter page.

The Upstate Update is your source for New York State Talking Book and Braille Library news. We will provide information about new and exciting initiatives at our library, best practices to enhance your library experience, and popular reads. If you wish to unsubscribe from Upstate Update, please contact our library.

Table of Contents

Upstate Update: Spring 2022

Talking Book Topics is Now Audio Only

Kim S is leaving TBBL

Music Information

Music Periodicals Available from NLS

New Magazines   

How to Receive Books from TBBL

Adjusting the Number of Books on Each Order

Adjusting your Author and Subject Preferences

Talking Book Player Information

Plays

BARD Mobile App for iOS Update

BARD Mobile App for Android Update

NYS Talking Book and Braille Library Hours and Contact

Talking Book Topics is Now Audio Only

Worldwide paper shortages and supply chain issues have kept NLS from printing the large print edition of Talking Book Topics (TBT). Due to significant and worsening supply-chain issues and worldwide paper shortages, Talking Book Topics will no longer be available in large print format. NLS continues to communicate with the US Government Publishing Office (GPO) that has reiterated these problems are expected to continue through 2022 and are now compounded by related shortages of ink and other printing supplies.

You can access the current issue and all back issues of TBT online in HTML and PDF at www.loc.gov/nls/tbt. TBT in HTML contains direct links to BARD for downloading or adding books to wish lists, and TBT in PDF contains printable order forms for mailing. TBT March-April 2022 and future issues in audio will be available on cartridge and on BARD and BARD Mobile. TBT Abridged will be available through Braille Book Review in hardcopy braille and BRF on www.loc.gov/nls/bbr

Please notify us if you would like us to subscribe you to the Talking Book Topics audio version, send you back issues of the large print edition, or email Talking Book Topics to you.  We can also print Talking Book Topics for you and mail it to you.

Kim S is leaving TBBL

Kim, our fabulous reader advisor, has taken a promotion to another unit in the library and will no longer be working in TBBL to take your calls. Kim has been an invaluable asset to our library during the past eight years and we will miss her dearly. Congratulations to Kim for a job well done.

Music Information

The NLS music collection includes braille and large-print musical scores, recorded instructional materials, and recorded materials about music and musicians. It does not include recordings of musical performances one would find on Spotify or on a CD. The current collection numbers about 4,000 titles. These books will not appear on our TBBL online catalog, but you can download them from the BARD collection of Musical Scores and Books or the NLS Voyager online catalog.

Audio examples: 25 of Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz shows from National Public Radio; Bill Brown teaches the Chet Atkins guitar playing style for 30 songs; the learn to play Piano by Ear series. Learn Music Theory.

Braille examples: Duke Ellington anthology scored for piano and voice BRM36259; Popular guitar arrangements. Full orchestral scores.

Due to copyright restrictions on music, TBBL is not allowed to send you these titles as part of your regular audio book orders. But they are available to you as downloads from BARD. If you are not a BARD patron, you can still get the books on a cartridge, but only from NLS.  Music materials are circulated directly to you from the NLS headquarters in Washington, D.C. To receive music materials from NLS, contact the NLS Music Section via email at nlsm@loc.gov, phone at 800-424-8567 ext. 2, fax at 202-707-0712, or postal mail at:

Music Section

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

Library of Congress

Washington, DC 20542

NLS Music Notes is a blog for those who want, need, provide, or are generally interested in special format music materials in braille, audio, and large print offered by the NLS Music Section. It aims to highlight the lesser-known materials, activities, and people that are integral to the Music Section and its music patrons. Five core bloggers write weekly blog posts that focus on items from the collection, along with a variety of related music topics and activities. Past blog topics include newly added titles, profiles on braille music transcribers and their work, free braille music giveaways, as well as interviews of patrons and narrators.

Music Periodicals Available from NLS

Several excellent music periodicals are available to TBBL patrons upon request. For a free subscription, call or email TBBL or the NLS Music Section. See this post in NLS Music Notes Blog about music magazines.

Braille Music Magazine is produced monthly by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Contains articles from British magazines about classical music and music criticism and reviews new braille music publications. Format: braille.

Contemporary Soundtrack: A Review of Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Country

Is published bimonthly by NLS. A sampler of articles and reviews from national magazines. Format: audio cartridge and BARD.

Musical Mainstream is published quarterly by NLS. Contains selected articles from national magazines about classical music, criticism and music education. Lists recent NLS acquisitions. Formats: braille, audio cartridge, large print, and BARD.

Popular Music Lead Sheets is published quarterly by NLS. Contains melodies, lyrics, and chords to popular songs ranging from golden oldies to recent hits. Format: braille, BARD.

Quarterly Music Magazine is published quarterly by NLS. Features a different specialized magazine each quarter, usually alternating between a classical music magazine and a popular music magazine. Topic range from opera to jazz, country, music teaching, keyboard and guitar music. Format: audio cartridge, BARD.

Sound and Vision is published monthly by TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Reviews new sound equipment and recordings. Format: audio cartridge, BARD.

New Magazines Now Available

Dogster offers ideas for interacting with dogs, lifestyle stories, new products, and advice on caring for dogs, including dog health and care, dog food, dog training, dog breeds and puppies. Dogster is available as a press braille print subscription, six issues per year and is also on BARD as ebraille.

Interweave Knits Magazine replaces Knitscene, which is no longer published. Interweave Knits is similar in scope, covering articles and patterns on knitting, including projects and in-depth technique articles. It is a quarterly, available in both press braille and ebraille.

Dell Sunday Crosswords includes 60 themed crossword puzzles. It is an excellent way to hone your solving skills while matching wits with today’s top puzzle constructors. Dell Sunday Crosswords is a quarterly, available as a press braille subscription and as ebraille.

Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine, reporting on products, trends, and the practical applications of science and technology. Popular Science is a quarterly and has been available in braille on BARD for some time, and now it is available in audio as well.

Dogster, Interweave Knits, and Dell Sunday Crosswords can be downloaded in formatted braille.  Subscribe and find the latest edition on your Wish List when the next issue becomes available on BARD.  Or call or email us and we will start your press braille subscription.

How to Receive Books from TBBL

There are several ways to use the library. The best way is to download the books yourself using the BARD system. You then have immediate access to any audio book and many electronic braille titles. If downloading is not feasible for you, we will deliver book orders to you via the US Postal Service.

If you would like books sent on an automatic basis, our library software will select books based on your favorite subjects, authors, and reading level. When you return an audio cartridge order or braille book, another will be mailed out automatically. The automatic method is recommended if you enjoy a variety of subjects and prefer to have books selected for you. You are still welcome to place specific requests.

If you prefer to only receive select specific books that you select, you may call, mail, or email our library to place requests. You may also request books online through our library catalog, https://tbbl.nysed.gov/index.jsf. Our catalog includes every title in the collection and allows you to search by title, author, or subject. Please contact us to learn more and to request your login and password.

Adjusting the Number of Books on Each Order

TBBL patrons can currently receive by mail a total of 3 cartridges containing from 1 to 25 book titles. If you are currently receiving cartridge orders containing 6 books, the number new patrons often begin with, but find that you are not getting enough books to meet your reading needs, please call or email us and we will increase the number for you. Similarly, if you are getting too many books on each cartridge order, let us know and we will reduce your number. It is important that you return your cartridge orders when you are finished with them. Doing that ensures that you receive new titles promptly. A new order will be triggered for shipment when your old order is returned.

Adjusting your Author and Subject Preferences

If you find that you are not receiving the kinds of books you really like, please contact us and we will work with you to improve your library service. We can recommend new authors, increase your subject categories, or eliminate the kinds of books you are not interested in.

Talking Book Player Information

Patrons interested in listening to books on cartridge or flash drive are

loaned a talking book player. Players are sent through the US mail and may take up to two weeks to arrive. Players have a rechargeable battery and can be left plugged in when not in use. You can learn about your player through built-in audio instructions. When your player arrives, turn it on and press any button to hear an audio description of that button’s function. Large print directions also accompany the player. To return a player that has malfunctioned or is not in use, mail it as Free Matter in the original box, or any box you have on hand. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have questions about operating your player.

Plays

The TBBL book collection includes over 300 drama titles in audio and over 200 in braille, including plays by Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Neil Simon, Oscar Wilde, David Mamet, and many other great playwrights. Search drama on the catalog and on BARD. Or call us for suggestions.

BARD Mobile App for iOS Update

NLS has announced the release of version 1.4.3 of the BARD Mobile iOS app, which supports iOS versions 11–15.

BARD Mobile iOS 1.4.3 includes:

• support for iOS15 and iPadOS15

• ability to sort and search the app’s Wish list and Previous Downloads

• additional ways to subscribe to books and magazines

• ability to pinch and enlarge the Get Books Navigation screen text

• improvements with error messaging

Version 1.4.3 also fixes bugs found in the current BARD Mobile app for iOS.

BARD Mobile App for Android Update

NLS recently announced the release of version 1.4 of the BARD Mobile Android app, which allows patrons using Android devices running operating systems 7 through 11 to read contracted braille with supported refreshable braille displays via the BrailleBack app from the Google Play store. Supported displays are listed in the description of the BrailleBack app in the Google Play store at https://bit.ly/3r9T71g.

The braille functionality of version 1.4 for Android is similar to the braille functionality on BARD Mobile for iOS devices. The new Android version is like the iOS version in offering users adjustable settings. Braille Reflow adjusts formatting for displays shorter than 40 cells.  Braille Autoscroll allows users to move through braille text automatically based on adjustable time increments.  Version 1.4 also fixes bugs found in the current BARD Mobile app for Android.

Android users can now adjust their User Account Settings to show audio and/or braille content based on their reading preferences. They can also troubleshoot and reset their app to delete data, including downloaded content or all data.

Users who have enabled auto-updates for the BARD Mobile app in the Play Store will get version 1.4 on their mobile device seamlessly. Others will need to manually update the app through the Play Store.  BARD Mobile Android users can identify the version running on their devices by checking the bottom of the Settings screen.

NYS Talking Book and Braille Library Hours and Contact

Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Reader advisors are available between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Toll-free: 1-800-342-3688
Fax: (518) 474-7041

tbbl@nysed.gov

Talking Book and Braille Library
Cultural Education Center
222 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12230-0001

Last Updated: May 12, 2022