The Newsletter of the Oakland County Library for the Visually and Physically Impaired The Magnifier Summer 2007 NLS Produces Last Analog Cassette Player The last four-track cassette book machine (CBM) was produced on February 17, 2007, marking the end of an era. The National Library Service has now shifted its focus to production of digital books and players. NLS plans to continue providing CBMs from existing inventory, as well as cassette books, for many years to come. NLS invested nearly $5.6 million in spare parts to repair the machines as needed through 2011. By then, the introduction of the digital player will have dramatically reduced the demand for cassette machines. There are no plans to recall CBMs from patrons. In fact, patrons can continue to utilize their cassette players to listen to audiobooks that haven’t yet been converted to digital format. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic is Now Digital Since 2002, RFB&D Learning Through Listening has been making their textbooks and other book offerings available on digital compact disk (CD), as well as cassette format. In June 2006, they began to take steps toward a complete conversion to digital CD format, and ceased offering cassette players or any new analog (cassette) books. Beginning June 2007, their collection will only be offered on CD, requiring a special player which must be purchased through RFB&D. Please note that while RFB&D has gone digital, it will not be compatible with the digital format NLS is converting to next year. This ends the cooperative loan process we shared, and we will no longer offer any interloan service from their organization. Anyone interested in RFB&D can call 800-221-4792 to inquire about services, or visit their website at www.rfbd.org for more information. There is an application process to prove eligibility, and there are fees associated with the program. Summer 2007 Patron Book Recommendations Patron Gregory Kozell of Waterford, who enjoys non-fiction, true adventures, westerns and mysteries, recommends: Larry McMurtry, especially: Buffalo Girls RC 31992 / LP 08145 Comanche Moon RC 45001 Dead Man’s Walk RC 43928 Lonesome Dove RC 22959 Streets of Laredo RC 37323 Zeke and Ned RC 46314 He likes mystery authors Sue Grafton, Robert B. Parker, James Patterson, John Sandford, and Stuart Woods. He also enjoys horror/psychological thriller authors Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and western author Louis L’Amour. Patrons Steve Loftus of Farmington Hills and Ralph Holberg of West Bloomfield both recommended: RC 58737 Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip: Movies, Memories and World War II by Richard Schickel Time Magazine film critic explores the false nostalgia of wartime popular culture. Revisiting his escapist childhood addiction to movie-going, Schickel contends that the government, films, and other mass media deliberately distorted the realities of war—and promoted a "greatest generation" fantasy—to keep people complacent and maintain a "happy middle-class fiction.". Please continue to send in your book and author recommendations! Reader’s Digest and Newsweek Each year, the American Printing House for the Blind mails out a letter asking if you wish to continue receiving Reader’s Digest and/or Newsweek. This form must be filled out and returned EACH YEAR or your magazines will be cancelled. This helps APH keep their costs down and maintain an accurate database. Be sure to watch for it in your mailbox. Attention All Macy’s Shoppers! Macy’s online offers a free user assistance tool called Easy Web Browsing. It aids people with some types of visual impairments to access websites more comfortably. It magnifies text that you point to with the mouse, and reads the magnified text aloud. Go to www.macys.com, and after agreeing to the terms and conditions, the software is downloaded and started automatically. Page 2 Summer 2007 Calendar of Events Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson RC 40688 Set on an island in Puget Sound shortly after World War II. Carl Heine has drowned, and Kabuo Miyomoto, a fellow fisherman, is charged with Heine's murder. Covering the trial for the local newspaper is Ishmael Chambers, who was the first love of Hatsue, the defendant's wife. As the trial gets under way, the courtroom and the entire once peaceful community are tense with suspicion and prejudice. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1994. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls RC 61540 Reporter for msnbc.com looks back on her unsettled life. Describes growing up in a dysfunctional family, which was always on the move. She recalls her father's dream of building a "glass castle," and relates how she and her siblings escaped to make lives of their own. Strong language. 2005. Wednesday, September 26, 2007 1 — 3 p.m. Please join us for refreshments and book discussion. Call 248-858-5050 or 1-800-774-4542 to register. Please Do NOT Share While many patrons know other patrons who use the library books on tape, book sharing is strongly discouraged. Each book is checked out on each patron’s record, and is the responsibility of that person to return promptly. Also, the library and other committees rely on circulation statistics to plan for budget and other needs. If 50 people let 50 people borrow their cassette books, then that is 50 statistics that are lost. When you consider our patron base is 3,200, the amount of missing stats could be staggering. Share the title (not the book) with others, so they may order their own copies. Are you Age 100 or more? The National Library Service (NLS) has established the 102 Talking-Book Club. It salutes remarkable patrons who, at one hundred years of age or older, remain actively engaged in reading. Each patron receives a certificate and a pin noting their special status. Our birth year records are not always perfect, so if you are a patron who is one hundred years or older, we would love to hear from you. Please let us know so we can make you a member of this special group! Call the LVPI at 1-800-774-4542 or 248-858-5050. Page 3 OAKLAND COUNTY LIBRARY FOR THE VISUALLY & PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED PHONE: 248-858-5050 TOLL-FREE: 1-800-774-4542 FAX: 248-858-9313 TTY: 248-452-2247 OAKLAND COUNTY LIBRARY FOR THE FREE MATTER VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED FOR THE BLIND 1200 NORTH TELEGRAPH DEPT 482 OR PONTIAC MI 48341 HANDICAPPED