The following announcements may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively,
as space permits. Items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their
listing does not imply endorsement.
The Arizona Instructional Resource Center (AIRC) at the Foundation for Blind Children in
Phoenix announces the completion of a braille transcription of the English translation of the
Holy Koran. The braille copy is available for sale in seven volumes. For more information
please call the AIRC at (602) 331-1370.
The National Braille Press has announced the availability of the Magic Tree House series by
Mary Pope Osborne. The series features three books written for children in grades 2 to 4.
The first, Dinosaurs before Dark, is "a fast-paced" mystery involving the extinct reptiles. The
second, The Knight at Dawn, blends "fact, farce, and fantasy." And the third, Midnight on the
Moon, brings the excitement of "suspense and magic." The three titles are among National
Braille Press's First Stepping Stone books. Each is one braille volume with extra spacing
between the lines. The publisher advertises them as "high interest, low vocabulary." For more
information, write the National Braille Press at 88 Saint Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115;
call 800-548-7323; fax (617) 437-0456; or e-mail orders@npb.org
Jason and Nordic Publishers has released a commercially available print-braille book.
Produced by American Printing House for the Blind of Louisville, Kentucky, the book tells
how young Heather learns the value of her white cane when her puppy wanders off. It was
written by Kate Chamberlin, who holds a master's in early childhood education. She became
blind while she was teaching nursery school and continues teaching through the Study Buddy
Program. She is also a newspaper columnist and freelance writer. The book is illustrated by
Dot Yoder. Designed for public school libraries, it is hardback with sturdy binding. It is
available from the publisher for $24.95 plus $5.50 shipping and handling. For more
information write Jason and Nordic Publishers, P.O. Box 441, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648; call
(814) 696-2920; fax (814) 696-4250; or email turtlbks@nb.net. Jason and Nordic also has a
website at www.nb.net/~turtlbks
The following information is reprinted from Talking Book Topics, July-August 1998.
The digital talking-book standards committee is seeking comments on a draft document that
describes features envisioned for the next generation of talking books. Patrons wishing to
review the document may obtain a copy in cassette, large-print, or braille format. Comments
will be accepted through September 15.
The standards are being developed under the auspices of the National Information
Standards Organization, which is a nonprofit association accredited as a standards developer
by the American National Standards Institute.
For a free copy of the features list, contact Research and Development Officer,
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress,
Washington, DC 20542; e-mail nls@loc.gov; fax (202) 707-1690.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) presented its twelfth Alexander Scourby
Narrator of the Year Awards to honor excellence in talking-book narration. AFB awarded
prizes to narrators for three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and periodicals.
The award-winning narrators are Graeme Malcom, AFB, for fiction; Mimi Bederman,
Insight for the Blind, for nonfiction; and Jake Williams, Talking Book Publishers, for
periodicals. The annual Scourby Award was established in 1986 in memory of the popular
talking-book narrator who died in 1985.
The following announcement may be of interest to readers. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. Items mentioned, however, are not part of the NLS program, and their listing does not imply endorsement.
Current History magazine offers audio cassettes covering different issues of contemporary world affairs. Topics covered are: Volume 1--The Disintegration of the Soviet Union; Volume 2--China Rising: A Superpower Awakes; Volume 3--The Fundamentalist Challenge in the Middle East; Volume 4--Latin America: Open for Business?; Volume 5--The Cold War: Beginnings; and Volume 6--The Pacific Century?
Each cassette costs six dollars and can be ordered from Current History Magazine,
4225 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, telephone 1-800-726-4464.
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