Update July-September 1998, Vol. 21, No. 3 ISSN 0160-9203 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress BANA approves new rules for brailling computer codes The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) recently approved signs and rules for brailling electronic addresses (e-mail and URLs) and filenames in nontechnical contexts. The guidelines are set forth in the newly revised Rule VI, Section 27g, and Appendix C of the BANA English Braille, American Edition, 1994, and are based on the most recent edition of the Computer Braille Code. Certified literary braille transcribers should find the information in Appendix C sufficient for brailling electronic addresses and filenames in literary braille and other nontechnical contexts. Computer filenames and e-mail, website, and other Internet addresses will follow the rules of the Computer Braille Code. The new rules explain how to enter and exit the computer braille code, how to transcribe embedded or displayed computer text, how to divide a contiguous string of characters between lines, and how to use numerals and punctuation, among other aspects of brailling computer symbols. The section demonstrates the rules through examples and requires that all computer-braille symbols used in the transcription be listed on a special-symbols page. Appendix C also contains a list of the most commonly used computer braille code symbols. In addition, BANA approved major revisions to the textbook code, including a new title, Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 1997; revisions to the music code, Manual of Braille Music Notation, American Edition, 1997; and a new Braille Code for Chemical Notation, 1997. These documents will be produced and available for purchase from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), P.O. Box 6085, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206-0085. Upon their publication, the NLS Braille Development Section (BDS) will provide the music code to Library of Congress (LC) certified music transcribers and to students in the music transcribing course and the chemistry code to LC-certified Nemeth transcribers who are brailling chemistry. Copies of the revised Rule VI and Appendix C of the BANA English Braille, American Edition, 1994, are currently available from BDS. Write the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC 20542 or call 1-800-424-8567. Braille Formats, to be released by September 30, 1998, by APH at a cost of $30, will not be available from BDS, but may be acquired directly from APH. For further information on any of the BANA publications, visit their website at http://edtech.sandi.net/epd/bana.html. The next annual meeting of the BANA Board will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, November 8 10, 1998. It will be hosted by the National Braille Press. Announcements Status of the National Literary Braille Competency Test NLS is finalizing plans to revise the National Literary Braille Competency Test. The Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) has completed an extensive job analysis related to teaching braille to children and adults who are blind or visually impaired. The current versions of the test will continue to be administered until the revision has been completed. More details about the next steps will appear in a later issue of Update. New braille music resources available The New International Manual of Braille Music Notation documents the latest braille music signs and rules that have been adopted as the international standard by sixteen countries, including the United States and Canada. The publication, however, uses a code that is slightly different than the approved BANA code. Previously available only by special foreign order, the print edition (282 pages, published by SVB Amsterdam), the braille edition (3 volumes, published by Braille Press Zurich), and a new interactive multimedia CD-ROM edition are now available from a U.S. distributor, Opus Technologies of San Diego, California. Prices for the print, braille, and CD-ROM editions are $79, $89, and $249, respectively, plus a $5 shipping and handling fee. For more information, contact Samuel O. Flores, president, Opus Technologies, 13333 Thunderhead Street, San Diego, CA 92129; phone/fax: (619) 538-9401; e-mail: opus@opustec.com; website: www.opustec.com. New organization for braillists to form in Wisconsin An informational organization designed to help braillists upgrade and maintain their braille skills and to provide resources and information is being considered for the state of Wisconsin. The organization will facilitate networking among transcribers to help them keep current on the fast-changing braille environment. It may also help braillists produce more timely and accurate braille reading materials for visually impaired persons. Anyone interested in being on the mailing list should contact Beverly Pfister, N2723 Lake Point Drive, Lodi, WI 53555; e-mail: jpfister@execpc.com; or Mary Ann Damm, 1142 Waban Hill, Madison, WI 53711; fax: (608) 273-1086. Internet braille course designed for novice transcribers Teachers, parents, social workers, and braille transcribers can take advantage of an online braille course developed to help novices improve their skills in braille transcription. Braille through Remote Learning is offered by The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc., in collaboration with the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, Raleigh, and the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Education, Durham, North Carolina. It includes three courses: Introduction to Braille, Braille Transcriber's Course, and Specialized Codes in Braille. Students may opt for no credit, for which there is no charge, or for continuing education (CEU) or university credit. Those who wish to receive formal academic credit through the NCCU program or independent study through another institution, however, must pay the associated fees. Students may apply for stipends up to $600 that may be used to offset expenses for the course, including tuition, purchase of braille-producing materials such as a Perkins brailler, and the costs of online services such as monthly fees and purchase of a modem. For more information, contact Robert R. Gotwals Jr., Computational Science Educator, The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc., 923 Broad Street, Suite 100, Durham, NC 27705; voice/TDD: (919) 286-1911; fax: (919) 286-7876; e-mail: gotwals@shodor.org; website: http://storm.shodor.org/~gotwals/gotwals.html. Pioneer coordinator Joe Bernal wins community service award Region 2 Pacific Bell Pioneers honored Joe Bernal, coordinator for California's twenty-two talking-book machine-repair shops, with the 1998 Community Service Award during their recent conference. The award is given to people who give themselves unselfishly, through dedication and hard work, to serving others in their communities. Mr. Bernal, seventy-six, has provided outstanding service to people who would otherwise not be able to enjoy reading. He says he joined the Bell Pioneers while still an employee of the Western Electric Company, where he worked thirty-seven years. Eleven years ago, Mr. Bernal became involved with repairing talking-book machines. "I had some friends who repaired machines in their homes. Three or four of us got together and decided to open up a shop, and we've been going at it ever since," says Mr. Bernal. He served one year as president of the George S. Ladd Chapter of the Bell Pioneers, and then nine years ago, he became a coordinator. Last year, he and ninety-eight volunteers worked diligently for more than 16,805 hours to repair 6,986 talking-book machines. Mr. Bernal says he appreciates the working relationship he has with NLS staffers Brad Kormann and Kevin Watson. "The information they provide helps us to do our jobs better," he says. The Bell Pioneer coordinator also says, "It does my heart good to know somebody's getting something out of the work we're doing. Every time I hear a blind person say `thank you,' I feel great." Pacific Bell Pioneers commended Mr. Bernal's generosity and expressed appreciation for his "truly remarkable contribution" to the community. He and his wife, Berta, - reside in San Francisco, California. (photo caption: Joe Bernal (right), Pacific Bell's talking-book machine-repair program coordinator, receives the 1998 Community Service Award from Bob Wenzel, Pacific Bell Pioneers regional vice president.) Donation memorializes Independent Pioneer The Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service was able to purchase new equipment for its talking-book machine-repair program thanks to a donation from the Frank H. Wood Chapter of the Independent Telephone Pioneers. The donation was made in memory of Lowell Tuxhorn, a longtime member of the Pioneer group and library volunteer, who died last November. He served the Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) as an outreach worker before leaving Lincoln Telephone. After his retirement, he extended his service to assisting in the Independent Telephone Pioneers' repair shop. The donation was presented to TBBS in February during a small memorial ceremony, which was marked by words of gratitude, hugs of comfort, and tears of sorrow. Mitzie Tuxhorn, widow of the late Pioneer; Suzanne Frazier, chapter president; and Mary Kneff, TBBS community service chairperson, joined other staff in remembering Mr. Tuxhorn's years of dedication to the program. The memorial gift was used to purchase a battery charger and a rewinder in honor of Mr. Tuxhorn's service to the machine-repair program. Pioneers encouraged to stick with standards Region 4 Southwestern Bell Telephone Pioneers who repair talking-book equipment were honored by NLS during the Pioneers' annual conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Freddie Peaco, NLS government information/volunteer specialist, expressed appreciation for the Pioneers' efforts and presented the group a commendation-for-service plaque during the conference banquet. John Motusesky, Region 4 president, accepted the plaque on behalf of the Pioneers. Other officials at the banquet were Jack Sawka, exec-utive director and chief operating officer; Jim Moberg, incoming president; and John Buhl, vice president. Mrs. Peaco also talked to the group earlier in the day about the importance of doing quality equipment repair work and encouraged them to continue adhering to the NLS standards. A hands-on training session for equipment repair followed her presentation. In one of the business sessions, Mr. Sawka urged the Pioneers to be prepared to assist NLS in repairing whatever equipment the future brings. Volunteer narrators finalists for Scourby award Insight for the Blind, at a special luncheon, honored two of its volunteer narrators with awards recognizing their achievements in the annual Alexander Scourby Awards competition, sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind. Mimi Bederman and Phil Regensdorf were among six finalists competing for the "Narrator of the Year Award." Ms. Bederman was named "Narrator of the Year" in the nonfiction category of the 1998 Alexander Scourby Awards. Mr. Regensdorf was one of the three finalists in the fiction titles category. Both have been narrators for many years. Ms. Bederman has narrated three hundred books, and Mr. Regensdorf, who was recognized by NLS for twenty years of "masterful narrating" in 1997, has narrated four hundred titles. The Scourby awards were presented at a special reception and banquet held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (photo caption: Mimi Bederman (second from left) and Phil Regensdorf (second from right) show off their Insight awards. They are flanked by Caroline Mansur (left), founder and executive director of Insight for the Blind, and Nancy McMillan Peggs, president.) Network titles in process Network librarians can now go online, pull up a short form, and electronically submit basic information about their "in-process" titles to NLS. The information is electronically dispatched and, within a week or so, is incorporated into the NLS/BPH In-Process File, or BPHI. Librarians can log onto the Library of Congress website (http://www.loc.gov/nls) to look for BPHI titles that NLS and other libraries and agencies for the blind have selected for production. The system replaces the paper intention notices that were used by network libraries to request copyright clearance from NLS before producing specific titles. The 1996 copyright amendment eliminated the need to request clearance and, coincidentally, eliminated the primary method of informing libraries about what titles their counterparts were producing. The new electronic mechanism allows network libraries to share information with each other about the titles they intend to record or braille. Having this information available allows libraries with recording or brailling programs to determine whether any other source intends to produce a book, reducing unnecessary duplication and making the most of valuable volunteer time. Braillists and recorders honored in Milwaukee "I enjoy the opportunity to meet kindred spirits," said narrator Pat Hollenbeck after attending the annual awards luncheon that brings together volunteers who tape or braille at home for Volunteer Services for the Visually Handicapped (VSVH), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than fifty people, including volunteers, consumers, board members, and university representatives, attended the May luncheon at the Boulevard Inn restaurant. Several volunteers traveled considerable distances for the event. David Keen, VSVH president, and Carol Chew, executive director, greeted the guests and congratulated the volunteers. They also recognized the work of the volunteers with three types of presentations. Volunteers who had given from five hundred to one thousand hours of service received engraved rosewood pens, those who had donated one thousand to fifteen hundred hours of service were awarded Eye of Horus pins, and one volunteer who had contributed twenty-five hundred hours of service was presented a special engraved silver note holder. Two consumers, John Henderson and Rachel Wilson, addressed the group, commending the volunteers and telling them about how they used the recorded and braille materials. It was also noted that one speaker from last year who utilized VSVH services recently received her master's degree in library and information science. Tables were decorated with balloon bouquets, programs, and favors bearing the theme of the luncheon, "Volunteering is a healthy habit." In memoriam Rose B. Kelber founded Pomona Valley Guild Rose B. Kelber, founder and past president of the Pomona Valley Transcribers Guild (PVTG), died at home in June following an illness of several weeks. "She was a dedicated teacher and taught transcribing to most of us in the Guild. She was generous with her time and talent--and she was enthusiastic and excited about transcribing. She was working on a project until a few weeks before her death. It still seems unreal to those of us in PVTG that she will not be attending our next Guild meeting. We will miss her," said Evelyn Nichols of the Pomona Valley Transcribers Guild. In addition to brailling for the PVTG, she was a full-time braille transcriber for the Arcadia School District, and she instructed braille classes for visually handicapped adults at Chaffey College for several years. Mrs. Kelber was also a life member and two-term president of the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH) and a forty-year member and five-time past president of the Pomona Valley Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). Although she was active in scores of community clubs, schools, and volunteer organizations for nearly fifty years, she was most widely known and honored for her work with the visually handicapped. "I've never known a more unselfish person than Rose. Her remarkable energy and talent were given with the deepest kind of compassion for the welfare of others. Her life was a gift to all who knew her," said a friend familiar with Mrs. Kelber's work for the visually - impaired. Mrs. Kelber lived in Ontario, California, most of her life and was an elected member of the Ontario-Montclair School Board, where she served for twelve years. She was also the first woman president of the board, a position she held for two years of her tenure. Some of her other community activities included serving as past president of the Ontario-Montclair Council of the PTA, West End Chapter; as a member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; as a member of the Stella Kelber Bnai B'rith Women; and as a member of the Temple Beth Israel and Temple Shalom Sisterhoods. She served two terms as a director of the California School Boards Association. She also contributed many hours of volunteer service at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, where she was honored repeatedly by the hospital's volunteer auxiliary - organization. Mrs. Kelber was born March 19, 1921, in Blissfield, Michigan, and in 1937 she moved with her family to Pomona, California, where she graduated from Pomona High School. She married William Kelber in 1942 and moved to Ontario. When her five children were grown, she enrolled at the University of La Verne and earned a bachelor's degree in behavioral science. She also studied at the University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; and University of California, Riverside. She is survived by her husband, Dr. William J. Kelber, two sons, three daughters, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Jessie Diann Smith known as a woman of firsts Jessie Diann Smith, a transcriber with the Braille Transcription Project of Santa Clara County, North Branch, died May 30 in Mountain View, California. For nearly thirty years, Mrs. Smith gave thousands of hours to transcribing textbooks for blind students. Her background in engineering and mathematics inspired her to gain expertise in the Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation and the Computer Braille Code. She was one of the first to use the computer to transcribe braille. "Diann was a very dedicated braillist," said Jane Corcoran, who began volunteering with her in the 1970s. "I would not be surprised if she spent twenty to thirty hours a week brailling." She brailled technical materials for the Braille Transcription Project and the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH). She was a life member of CTEVH and conducted many workshops at its annual conferences. She also helped other transcribers learn the original Stepp Ed-It program and, later, the Pokadot program. She and her husband Kenneth served for many years as computer-assisted braille specialists for CTEVH, and together they received the CTEVH Certification of Appreciation in 1988. She was also a board member of the National Braille Association (NBA) for five years in the 1980s and was chairman of the fund development committee. In 1969 Mrs. Smith signed up for a Mountain View Los Altos Adult Education class in braille. "And from then on brailling became her all-consuming passion," says her daughter, Leslie. "Mom had such a love of reading and she passed that on to my brother and me. She wanted to give reading to everyone and anyone. And that included those who couldn't see." Diann Smith was an honor student, and in 1955 she became the first woman to earn a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University (NMSU). Her first date with Kenneth E. Smith was on their honeymoon in 1955. They had been coworkers at the physical science lab at NMSU but had never dated. "During finals' week, we discussed the future and our philosophy and decided we must be soul mates and should get married," says her husband, Kenneth. The Smiths moved to Mountain View, California, and began their careers, he with GTE Lenkurt and she as an electrical engineer for Ampex in the audio custom products division. After their two children were born, Mrs. Smith chose to become a full-time homemaker. She is survived by her husband, a daughter and son-in-law, a son and daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, and her mother. Memorial golf tournament honors Arizona library volunteer Thirty-six golfers teed off at 6 a.m., May 16, at the Royal Palms Golf Course in Mesa, Arizona, for the Second Annual George Gosling Memorial Golf Tournament. The tournament raised $540, which was donated to the Arizona Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) to meet needs of library patrons and to support the volunteer program. The tournament was organized by friends of the late Mr. Gosling, who was a volunteer narrator for BTBL. An Australian native, Mr. Gosling worked for BTBL from May 1994 to May 1996. Though he had lived all over the world while pursuing his career with IBM, he retained his Australian accent. Jeanie Pawlowski, volunteer coordinator, explained that Mr. Gosling was an unusual asset to the library: "The library does not normally accept narrators who have accents because they can make the recordings more difficult for our patrons to understand, and such voices aren't usually a good match for books about Arizona or the Southwest. But George was too good a potential narrator to pass up, so the audition panel unanimously decided to accept him." Mr. Gosling was narrating his third book when he had a fatal heart attack in May 1996. When he was not volunteering, Mr. Gosling could often be found on the golf course. That is where his friendship with Lee Hall developed. Mr. Hall has been the lead organizer of the tournaments held in George Gosling's honor. He knew that Mr. Gosling volunteered for the library, and following his friend's death, Mr. Hall decided to remember him by establishing the George Gosling Golf Tournaments. Mr. Hall recruited a volunteer committee from members of the Royal Palms Golf Course, who began planning early in the year and spent much time soliciting prize donations from local businesses. After the tournament, all of the golfers returned to the clubhouse at 8:45 p.m. for the concluding awards ceremony where each golfer received a prize for participating. Mr. Hall presented the donation to Linda Montgomery, BTBL librarian. He was very pleased this year that even though fewer golfers participated, the event yielded a larger contribution to the library. Kami Krenz, special services librarian, and Ms. Pawlowski were also present for the ceremony. "The library staff and patrons are very appreciative of the great effort Lee and his committee made to support talking-book service. We thank all who have been involved. The tournament is a fine example of what people can accomplish when they reach out. George Gosling never would have dreamed that he could continue to help the library after his death," says Ms. Pawlowski. "Three years ago, Lee Hall did not know that he would be instrumental in continuing what began as a commitment by his friend, George. The George Gosling Memorial Golf Tournament is an event where everyone involved is a winner." Plans are already under way for a third tournament to be held in May 1999. (photo caption: Golfers tee off for the Arizona Braille and Talking Book Library.) Volunteers commended for loyal service The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) and the Library of Congress awarded fifty-two certificates of appreciation to the Friends of Handicapped Readers and Bell South Telephone Pioneers at the Talking Book and Braille Services (TBBS) library annual volunteer recognition reception on February 26. MLC Board of Commissioners representatives Rowena Drinkwater (chair), John Pritchard (MLC executive director), and Carol West commended the volunteers for their loyal service and assisted in distributing the certificates. Thirty-three certificates were awarded to the Friends of Handicapped Readers, and nineteen to Telephone Pioneers. Although a tornado prevented some volunteers from attending, about sixty-five people, including staff, volunteers, and friends, were present for the occasion. The guest speaker, Liz Hudson, coordinator of the Jackson Public Schools mentoring program, Partners in Education, emphasized the importance of volunteerism and praised the Friends and the Pioneers for their commitment. The Mississippi Chemical Corporation provided catering service for the reception and for the door prize, which went to Bell South Telephone Pioneer Ed Hill. (photo caption: John Whitlock, Patron Services director, Mississippi regional library (back, second from left), with Friends of Handicapped Readers receiving awards (front, left to right) Charlotte Williamson, Ginger Broome, and Laura Sherman; (back, left to right) Doug Doster, Claude Smith (Friends president), and Al Williamson.) (photo caption: Bell South Pioneers recognized at Mississippi ceremony included (front, left to right) K.U. Box, L.E. Culver, and C.E. Hill; (back, left to right) B.B. Loveless, D.E. Keith, J.E. May, and J.C. Grafton.) Pioneers log fifty-three years of service On June 5, the Arkansas State Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (ASLSBPH) honored the Little Rock Chapter of the Telephone Pioneers with a luncheon. Mary Mohr, NLS network consultant, presented the group a plaque of commendation, which will be placed in the library. She expressed NLS's appreciation for the many years the Little Rock Pioneers have provided volunteer service to the library. Margie Lentz, volunteer manager at the ASLSBPH, presented individual plaques for repairing talking-book equipment to Timothy Wood for more than thirty-three years of volunteer service and to Jeff Pemberton for more than fifteen years of volunteer service. Certificates were presented to John Howard for two years of service repairing talking-book equipment and to Bernie Nelson for more than five years of service repairing amplifier boards. These Pioneers have contributed more than 34,000 volunteer hours and a combined total of fifty-three years repairing and maintaining the machines that are on loan to visually and physically handicapped citizens of the state of Arkansas. Many said they have volunteered their time because they wanted to make a difference; the library staff affirms that they have. Others attending the luncheon were Jack Mulkey, associate director for Library Services/Development for the Arkansas State Library; John J.D. Hall, coordinator of Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; Phillip Wirzfeld, tape technician for the library; and representatives from various consumer agencies and organizations. After the luncheon, some participants toured the work site housed at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock. Braille Student-instructor dialog The Braille Development Section (BDS) receives numerous questions concerning a variety of problems in braille transcribing. This article addresses some of them. The question-and-answer format is intended to give clarity. Student: I am about to begin transcribing Exercise Sixteen in the Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing, and I have two questions. In the first excerpt, the author has inserted a period in a footnote that consists of only three words. I have followed the rule concerning short footnotes presented in Section 16.2A of the instruction manual. However, when I insert the short footnote in the text following the word to which it refers, it does not seem appropriate to include a period in the footnote. Am I correct? Instructor: You are absolutely correct. Section 16.2A of the instruction manual says that footnotes consisting of seven words or less should be inserted in the text following the word or words to which they refer. These footnotes should be placed in brackets, and the reference indicator should be omitted. In the first excerpt, the short footnote is placed after the proper name, King. Since the sentence continues after the footnote, the period should not be transcribed. Student: In Excerpt 3, the print uses footnote numbers 10, 11, and 12. Should the print numbering be followed in braille? Instructor: No. Two of the footnotes contain less than seven words. Therefore, they are inserted in the text following the words to which they refer. The one footnote that contains more than seven words should be written without a number at the end of the paragraph. (See Manual Sections 16.2A and 16.2B.) Student: The book that I am transcribing contains a lot of speech hesitation. For example, "So-o-o you say you don't want to go-o-o with me to the dance," Jimmy said with a quavering voice. Should the single-letter alphabet contractions for so and go be used? Instructor: No. Even though English Braille, American Edition, 1994, does not address this particular situation directly, single-letter alphabet contractions should not be used in speech hesitation. Student: I am still somewhat confused about how to braille a number when the print uses the crosshatch symbol (#). Instructor: You are not alone. The print number sign or crosshatch is represented in braille by the abbreviation No. This abbreviation should be written unspaced from the number. Student: If the print uses the abbreviation, No., should a space be left between the abbreviation and the number? Instructor: Yes. Print spacing and capitalization should be followed when the print uses the abbreviation No. to represent the word number. Student: I recently encountered the following passage in a book that I am transcribing: farm surplus food-- "commodities," he called them-- Should the com contraction be used after the opening quotation mark? Instructor: Section 44 of the official code does not prohibit the use of the com contraction after the opening quotation mark. However, it does say that the com contraction may not be in contact with a hyphen, a dash, or an apostrophe, even when a composition sign intervenes. Even though the com contraction is preceded by a punctuation mark rather than a composition sign, the use of the com sign would make readability difficult because of the dash that precedes the opening quotation mark. Therefore, it is - recommended that the com contraction not be used. Meetings National Braille Association (NBA) Fall Regional Meeting and Workshops, Holiday Inn City Line, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Friday, October 30-Saturday, October 31, 1998. Twenty-fifth National Conference, Antlers Doubletree Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Thursday, April 29- Saturday, May 1, 1999. Fall Regional Meeting and Workshops, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Florida; Thursday, October 14-Saturday, October 16, 1999. Spring Regional Meeting and Workshops, Holiday Inn University Park, Des Moines, Iowa; Thursday, April 27- Saturday, April 29, 2000. For more information about these meetings, contact National Braille Association, Three Townline Circle, Rochester, NY 14623-2513; (716) 427-8260. California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH) CTEVH XL Annual Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sacramento, California; Thursday, March 25-Saturday, March 27, 1999. For more information about this meeting, contact CTEVH, 741 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029-3594; (213) 666-2211; website: http://edtech.sdcs.k12.ca.us/epd/ctevhhome.html. Visual Aid Volunteers of Florida (VAVF) VAVF 1999 Conference of Volunteers, Radisson Resort North Hutchinson Island, Fort Pierce, Florida; Wednesday, May 12- Friday, May 14, 1999. For more information about this meeting, contact Florence Mathiesen, VAVF president, 6097 Blueberry Lane, Crestview, FL 32536; (850) 682-7750, e-mail: fjmat@juno.com. Volunteers master new skills During the months of April, May, and June 1998 certificates in braille transcribing were awarded to twenty-eight persons. Twenty-seven were awarded in literary braille transcribing and one in mathematics braille transcribing. LITERARY BRAILLE TRANSCRIBERS Arizona Antony L. Rogers, Douglas Arkansas Michael S. Chavis, Wrightsville Santiago Sanchez, Wrightsville Todd J. Swanson, Wrightsville California Vincent S. Smith, Folsom Connecticut Ben Pearsall, Cheshire Michael Walsh, Cheshire Delaware Robert D. Miller Jr., Wilmington Florida Doris E. Schuyler, Sarasota Josephine Ann Trupo, Cape Coral Indiana Anne Lucile Sexton, Crawfordsville Iowa Joan G. Sarchett, Cedar Rapids Massachusetts Lynn M. Biela, Holyoke Michigan Irene W. Bolthouse, Nunica Nebraska Liz Hawkins, Lincoln Gregory L. Kennedy, Lincoln New Mexico Annita K. Quiggle, Rio Rancho New York Rene Antonio Garcia, Napanoch Hildegard O. Whitaker, Rochester Ohio Elizabeth Gensler, North Olmsted South Dakota Charles L. Clark Jr., Yankton Texas Candace A. Caster, Porter Virginia M. Dobbins, Arlington Elizabeth C. Gross, Garland Susan H. Kervin, San Antonio West Virginia Michael L. Alderson, Huttonsville Wisconsin Marion H. Coyle, Madison MATHEMATICS BRAILLE TRANSCRIBER Robert D. Eshbaugh Jr., London, Ohio Audio Art Abandon hope Recording a book would seem to be a pretty straightforward affair, but an inordinate number of minefields do somehow manage to get in the way. We've discussed some of them in previous articles, but there are countless others. For example, as one's eye is racing across the page while talking up a storm, it's very difficult to distinguish bought from brought, abroad from aboard, county from country, woman from women, or trough from tough from though from through from thorough from thought. And one should never have to speak of wasps nests or utter such words as rural or listlessness aloud. Each of us has an Enemies List of words we fear and loathe. And while you're barreling your way through a sentence that takes up half a page or more--weaving your way through subclasses and parenthetical musings on the way to Armageddon--it's almost impossible to remember the point of the sentence, or how it began way back up there before your last birthday. Then there's the book you hate, written by an author you detest, on a subject that bores you to death or a premise you heartily oppose--but that you, nonetheless, must sound utterly fascinated by, and in total agreement with, for every one of its five hundred pages. Sincerity is a must. Faking sincerity is a useful skill. (It's been said that a good book requires a good narrator and a bad book requires a great narrator.) The above problems have one thing in common: they're inevitable and unavoidable--there are no solutions. Give up hope! Like noisy page turns, they're just that--problems-- and only slogging, practice, and patience will get you through them. No magic answers. Then why bring them up? Because there are enough problems to worry about that can be solved (see previous articles), and because sometimes it helps to just give up and surrender, and stop imagining that one swell day a solution will suddenly appear. It won't. Figuring out the difference between solvable and unsolvable is sort of like figuring out the difference between paranoia and real fear-- tricky, but possible. And you wind up with less to obsess over. Narrating, like most occupations, is hard work, and even though it gets easier with experience, it'll never be a romp in the clover. A clumsily written book is hard for the beginning narrator, and it's still hard for a twenty-five-year veteran. Trust me. There! Don't you feel better already? (photo caption: Ray Hagen, NLS narrator. Photo by Jim Higgins.) Update is published quarterly by: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 Correspondence should be addressed to Publications and Media Section. Coordinating editor: Freddie Peaco Publication editor: Jane Caulton Braille student-instructor dialog: John Wilkinson Audio art: Ray Hagen