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Home > What's New? 2004
What's New? is an annual update for those already familiar with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). It describes the most recent developments in the NLS program. Please contact your cooperating network library to request any item mentioned, unless otherwise indicated.
NLS continues to prepare for a transition from an analog to a digital format for its audio materials. The Current Strategic Business Plan for the Implementation of Digital Systems (December 2003) provides a detailed description of the proposed plan for delivering digital audio materials to patrons and the steps required to implement it. It discusses the alternative technologies under consideration and the criteria for selecting one, the costs of different approaches to producing and distributing physical media, and the transition process from the old system to the new. The plan is available online at www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan2003.html.
Frequently Asked Questions: Digital Talking Books (2002) is a brochure designed to answer questions from current program users about digital talking books and the transition to the new format. It is available from the NLS Reference Section in large print and online at www.loc.gov/nls/dtbfaq.html.
To gather information about current patron characteristics, a national survey of NLS patrons was conducted in the fall of 2003. It included questions about general use of talking-book library service, familiarity with playback equipment, difficulty in learning to operate and use playback equipment, use of other technology, and basic demographic characteristics. The results show a diverse population with respect to education and rural/urban living, but one that is predominantly middle-aged and elderly with late-onset serious vision loss and modest economic means. Nearly all patrons use at least one high-tech device, such as a remote control, however, the use of high-tech adaptive equipment, computers, and the Internet is less widespread but still significant. These results will be used to guide NLS in the design of future digital talking-book equipment and services. The final report is available on the NLS web site at http://www.loc.gov/nls/technical/patronsurvey2003 in both HTML and Microsoft Word formats. A limited number of braille copies will be available from the NLS Reference Section later this spring.
In late 2003, NLS began a pilot program to test delivery over the Internet of digital audio magazines presented in human speech. A small group of eligible readers is participating in the program, working closely with the NLS engineering group to develop a successful system.
The pilot currently includes three NLS-produced audio magazines (Smart Computing, U.S. News and World Report, and selected issues of People). The magazines are marked up to conform with the NISO digital talking book standard, so users can navigate to articles and subarticles. In addition, the web site for the pilot is set up so that users can download selected articles or an entire magazine issue. Work continues to streamline the process of mounting the magazines on the site and to simplify the download process for users. NLS is developing plans to add more magazines and to include more users.
Web-Braille, NLS braille books and magazines on the Internet, continues to grow and receive enthusiastic responses from users. With more than 3,400 users and almost 6,500 NLS-produced titles, Web-Braille is now a permanent part of the NLS program.
During 2003, NLS News, Update, and Braille Book Review were added to the twenty-six other braille magazines available on Web-Braille. In addition, more than one-hundred books and one magazine produced by regional libraries in Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah have been added.
The NLS-sponsored software package called WB-View was updated to version 1.50 this year. In addition to allowing Web-Braille users to set multiple bookmarks, go to bookmark, find and find again, go to last visited position on open, and autoscroll, version 1.50 of WB-View now allows users to select one of fifteen pre-defined line lengths from 8 to 80 characters. Disabling this feature restores the line length originally present in the file.
Two large-print catalogs were scheduled for 2004: Cassette Books 2003 is available in large print and will be available on cassette; For Younger Readers 2002-2003 will be available in large print by early fall and will be produced subsequently in braille and on cassette. Readers who requested these catalogs on their most recent publications order forms should receive them through the mail.
A technical circular, Audio Technology Initiatives, was produced in large print and is available online at www.loc.gov/nls/technical/circulars/audiotechnologyinitiatives.html. The circular describes the broad range of digital projects under way at NLS.
New braille music scores and books and music materials on cassette are continually being added to the collection of the Music Section at NLS. In addition, numerous music scores and other works from the music collection were scanned, proofread, and added to Web-Braille this year. The materials in this medium are both old and new. To date more than 560 music titles have been added to Web-Braille. Because the digital file for these materials is available, the Music Section is able to emboss fresh copies for patrons who do not have web access or the resources to emboss them.
When contracting to produce or when purchasing new embossed braille music materials, the Music Section seeks to obtain both paper and digital versions. Thus, the Web-Braille collection is growing in tandem with paper braille acquisitions.
Some examples of new braille music include Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats; the musical Grease; the Suzuki Violin School, volumes 6 and 7; the early piano music of Howard Hanson; and the Hindemith Collection (a group of ten shorter pieces for piano by Paul Hindemith). Titles that have been in the collection for some time but are now available on Web-Braille include Vivaldi's Gloria; the three-volume Sonatina Album; Grieg's Poetic Tone Pictures for piano; Copland's Old American Songs (in two volumes) and his Stomp Your Foot; 24 Italian Songs and Arias; and many others.
On cassette, numerous materials produced by Bill Brown have been acquired for learning to play an instrument. Titles for guitar include Smooth by Santana; I walk the line by Johnny Cash; and the 59th Street Bridge Song; and for piano, Beethoven's Für Elise; Elmenreich's Spinning Song; Take my life and let it be. For those more interested in the classical realm, 12 courses or books taught by Prof. Robert Greenberg were recently acquired. Included in this group are biographies of Liszt, Brahms, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Mahler, Haydn, Robert and Clara Schumann, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. In addition, there is a course on the operas of Verdi and the operas of Mozart.
Many patrons have expressed an interest in being able to search for books recently added to the NLS collection. The Bibliographic Control Section is now indicating the month of distribution for newly produced and cataloged NLS national program books so that catalog users may find new titles. Recently distributed books can be retrieved with a keyword search using the phrase: "distributed [month] [year]"; for example, to retrieve books distributed in March of 2004 enter: "distributed march 2004"
Reference factsheets, circulars, directories, and bibliographies provide information on topics of interest to persons with disabilities and to service providers. Reference publications all appear on the NLS web site at www.loc.gov/nls/reference and can be provided on computer diskette or CD upon request from the NLS Reference Section.
The following NLS-produced reference materials were recently updated:
Braille, recorded, and large-print editions of the directory Magazines in Special Media 2003 are available upon request and online at www.loc.gov/nls/reference/directories/magazines.html.
The Reference Section has the following reference circulars in process. The large-print and online versions should be available by fall 2004, with braille and recorded editions to follow as indicated:
Reference Circulars and Factsheets 2003 is an audiocassette that contains five publications produced by the Reference Section. Contents are tone-indexed as follows:
NLS receives information and advice on its program through two standing committees: the Collection Development Advisory Group and the National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee. If you have ideas on the development of the NLS book collection or on playback equipment, contact your consumer organization or your local library for the name of your representatives on these committees.
In addition, your comments and suggestions concerning the NLS program are always welcome. Address them to the NLS Consumer Relations Officer at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, or e-mail jdix@loc.gov, telephone (202) 707-0722, or fax (202) 707-0712. Requests for copies of reference materials may be addressed to the Reference Section by e-mail nlsref@loc.gov, telephone (202) 707-5100, or fax (202) 707-0712. Requests sent by the U.S. Postal Service may be considerably delayed.
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Posted on 2006-05-30