The Magnifier Spring 2006 The Newsletter of the Oakland County Library for the Visually and Physically Impaired FreedomBox Software on LVPI Computer A few months ago, the LVPI purchased an innovative, user friendly device entitled the FreedomBox Pass Key. This device looks like a credit card, and goes into any CD drive. The program starts automatically, giving the disabled user access to the Internet, screen reading software, e-mail, and more. The user listens to options, and has the ability to respond using the keyboard, mouse or the sound of his/her voice. The FreedomBox connects to websites on the Internet and changes all the links on the pages into voice commands. It does not use up computer memory, and all traces of the program are deleted when the device is removed from the drive. All other programs function as normal while the pass key is running. In cooperation with the LVPI, e-Blind! offers free training for this and other adaptive technology software on Thursdays from 1-5 p.m. The e-Blind training room is located down the hall from the LVPI. A call is appreciated if you plan to visit. For more details, please call e-Blind! Instructor John Whitacre toll-free at 1-888-325-4631. Recordings for Recovery Recordings for Recovery would like to help you celebrate spring! R4R is a music library that is available to the visually impaired, homebound or those residing in a nursing home. The music is sent through the mail like talking books. They have music for older listeners, music from the eighties, country-western, classical, short stories and many other categories. The annual membership fee is $10.00 for individuals, or $25.00 for a facility. If you are unable to pay, the fee may be waived. To become a member of Recordings for Recovery, call 1-800-798-1192 and an information pack will be sent. It includes: A print catalog; a recorded catalog; membership information; and an order form. You may also visit their website at: www.r4r.org Staff Book Recommendations Dave recommends: Timeline by Michael Crichton RC 49277 / LP 10954 From the book jacket: Michael Crichton’s novel opens on the threshold of the twenty-first century. It is a world of exploding advances on the frontiers of technology. Information moves instantly between two points, without wires or networks. Computers are built from single molecules. Any moment of the past can be actualized — and a group of historians can enter, literally, life in fourteenth-century feudal France. The group, while seeking a stranded colleague and trying to return within a tight time frame, find survival in a feudal society more difficult than anticipated. 1999. Shaniqua recommends: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston RC 35745 From the book jacket: An American classic about Janie Crawford, a Southern black woman in the 1930s. The story follows her journey from a free-spirited girl to a woman of independence and substance. This poetic, graceful love story, rooted in black folk traditions and steeped in mythic realism, celebrates, boldly and brilliantly, African-American culture and heritage. And in a powerful, mesmerizing narrative, it pays quiet tribute to a black woman, who, though constricted by the times, still demanded to be heard. 1937. Stacy recommends: Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson RC 58826 / LP 11509 From the book jacket: Jennifer is summoned back to the town where she grew up. And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her from her grandmother. Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew — and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible. Two extraordinary love stories are entwined, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down. 2004. Library Event Calendar 2006 LVPI Book Discussion Group Tuesday, June 20 1 — 3 p.m. Law Library Training Room — 2nd Floor The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini RC 57457 / LP 11615 An Afghan in California recalls a fateful 1975 day in Kabul that seared his soul at age twelve--the day he won a kite tournament and abandoned a younger companion to rape. Then an opportunity for atonement arises. 2003 Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir RC 52093 / LP 11636 Moroccan woman describes her family's twenty-year imprisonment after her father led an unsuccessful coup against the king. Malika recalls her luxurious childhood in the palace, her harsh exile to an abandoned fort with her mother and five siblings, their escape, recapture, and final release from prison. 1999 Braille Proofreaders Wanted K & R Braille Transcribing, LLC is looking for people to proofread Braille for pay. The service is located in Lincoln Park. For those interested who may not be able to get a ride on their own, it is possible that transportation may be provided. For more information, contact: Robert Beaton, Certified Braillist 4224 Howard Street Lincoln Park MI 48146 734-777-1812 robbiebeaton@hotmail.com Jewish News on Cassette Did you know that The Jewish News is available on cassette? Volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women narrate portions of the weekly Jewish News onto tape and provide a copy for the LVPI to duplicate. The tape is recorded on 2-track, normal speed, and can be played on our standard cassette players by changing the speed control button. To subscribe contact the library at 248-858-5050 or 800-774-4542 Opportunity for Employment Become a computer trainer for the blind! Contact Cathy McAdam at 313-563-1412 or e-mail mcmcadam@comcast.net OAKLAND COUNTY LIBRARY FOR THE VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED 1200 NORTH TELEGRAPH DEPT 482 PONTIAC MI 48341 PHONE: 248-858-5050 TOLL-FREE: 1-800-774-4542 FAX: 248-858-9313 TTY: 248-452-2247