It could also be because of things such as this:Miami-Dade Public Library System adds Playaway Self-playing digital audio books to its collection
The Miami-Dade Public Library System has added a new component to its audio books collection with Playaway, a self-playing digital audio book, which allows
users to listen to their favorite title anywhere.Playaway is a convenient easy-to-use durable plastic unit, which is about half the size of a deck of cards. A variety of popular titles, including classics such as Little Women by Luisa May Alcott and the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, is offered in high-quality digital technology that produces sharp,
clear sound each time it's turned on.Playaway units are currently available at the Main Library, North Dade, South Dade, West Dade and Miami Beach Regional libraries and at the Coral Gables and West Kendall Branch Libraries. Units can also be reserved by phone or online. Patrons will have to provide their own earphones and batteries.
For more information on Playaway and other audio materials please log on to www.mdpls.org or call 305-375-BOOK (2665).----- Original Message ----- From: "Grandma Cindy" <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 12:07 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Duplicating NLS Titles
There are so many books on audio tape and CD now available free from libraries, I wonder if that has anything to do with the NLS recording program possibly doing less. And they're recorded in many cases by the authors as well as by actors--not that that's necessarily a good thing. A couple of times I've heard authors read from their own works and thought they were terrible. Others were excellent. Cindy --- Barbara <barbarab65@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:I hope that NLS will continue because there are many people who are not computer literate and have no intention of learning computer skills. Without NLS, they would not be reading. Specifically, I know someone who is losing her vision because of Macular Degeneration. When I explained to her how Bookshare could change her life, her response was that she does not like using the computer and does not like listening to books using synthetic speech. She says that she does not want to change her life and that she is happy listening to NSL books. She was a physical therapist and is an educated person who hates computer technology. Another person that I know who has Dyslexia uses Kurzweil 3000 and hates the synthetic speech. She would rather listen to books on tape. Therefore, we need both audio and electronic books since we are trying to reach a diverse audience. Finally, many people have never heard of Bookshare and don't have computers. However, they have heard of Talking Books. Often, I find that people with disabilities, not only those with vision ones, who are highly intelligent and adaptable forget that most of the public only has average intelligence and does not know or have all the technological and adaptive resources that we have or know how to get these resources. Furthermore, they don't care or don't want to adapt. Instead, they would rather not read or stay at home and watch TV. Therefore, if we want to increase the literacy for people with print disabilities, we need to use all available sources and encourage them all to grow. Personally, I love Bookshare but I have to say that I would rather listen to classical literature read on tape than to hear it synthetically because it is more enjoyable for me. Lori Castner <loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Dear Jill, I was very intrigued by your comments, especially that you were a NLS patron from the inception of the Talking Book program. If you would like to share some memories of that time, please feel free to contact me offlist at loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Thanks. Cat Lover Lori----- Original Message ----- From: Jill O'ConnellTo: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 10:07 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Duplicating NLS Titles Please don't misunderstand; I have no problem with duplicating books, but I do have a problem with opinion stated as fact. As you may know, NLS did not go to CDs because they are already becoming obsolete; see information about flash cards and the Victor Stream as mentioned by Ann Parsons. Many changes may be taking place at NLS; let's hope they are all to the good. I agree that if this topic is to be continued it should be preceded with OT. I am older than most of you on this list, have been an NLS patron from the inception of the Talking Book program and a braille user before then. As a result I have seen its development over the years. I was also fortunate enough to have served on the Collection committee for two years which perhaps has afforded me a better picture of its workings than most users have had. I have nothing but praise for Jim Fruchterman's vision and have every hope that it will continue to grow and flourish but could point out some misjudgment in the way memberships were awarded for bad scanning and bad validating. If NLS staff is worried about job continuance, I wonder if this isn't largely because more and more E books are becoming available, not because the program has been mismanaged.----- Original Message ----- From: maithe007To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 10:19 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Duplicating NLS Titles Jill, I have a friend that works for them and he says that their jobs are on the line. I don't know if the reasons are because of bad management, less people are reading, other technologies are taking over, but it is a fact that they are all worried about their jobs. I know that they were planning on transferring their books into a CD format...don't know what happened to that. Either way, I do think it is a good idea to have these books in all available forms. I sometimes like to read on my computer and at other times, I prefer to listen to a book on tape. When I scan, I listen to a book on tape. When I clean, I listen to these books on tape. So, both technologies will hopefully continue to progress. There is a major problem at NLS and we need to protect ourselves. We need to scan all books available...just in case. Maithe----- Original Message ----- From: Jill O'ConnellTo: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 12:55 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Duplicating NLS Titles I think your number 4 statement is unfair and inaccurate.----- Original Message ----- From: Monica WillyardTo: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 8:46 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Duplicating NLS Titles Hi. I can think of 4 compelling reasons to scan books that are currently available on cassette from NLS. In order of importance to me, they are: 1. NLS has said they're going to retire cassettes within a few years and do not plan to convert most of those titles to digital format. So they will be completely inaccessible in just a few years. 2013 is the year they're planning to begin this process. Does anyone remember what happened when they retired the great books on records? You still can't get over half of those older books anywhere now. 2. Cassettes are bulky and break easily. They are not really a great medium for books to begin with and are a hassle for people who like to read on the go. You can't easily search them for information you want or need, and you can't make bookmarks at your favorite passages while still being able to move around in the book. 3. Our deaf/blind and some of our learning disabled membership can't use audio and need material in Braille. 4. NLS has been grossly mismanaging their funding. Frankly, I think it's possible that they will be shut down if they don't shape up. Then we'd end up having to scan those books anyway, and we'd be reacting in a sort of panic. I'd rather have books in both places so if we lose one, we still have the other and aren't stranded. Monica Willyard Evan Reese wrote: I don't think that it is true that we frown on duplicate books. Personally, I don't think it should matter. I'm validating two books now that are part of the NLS collection, and very well recorded at that. There are many here who, for one reason or another, such as being deaf-blind or hard of hearing, can't access most of NLS's collection - since most of it is on tape. So whether a book is available from NLS should not be a factor in deciding whether to scan it for Bookshare. If it isn't in the collection, and it does not violate the legalities, then it is fair game. I also like Nero Wolfe, but when other commitments will allow me the time to scan any is something I'll have to look at. One thing in their favor is that most of them are not very long books, so they should be fairly quick scans. Evan ----- Original Message ----- From: <james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 9:46 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Nero Wolf Was found 8 new Agatha Christie books! Hi, I know we frown on duplicate books and that NLS has a good deal of Nero Wolf audio books, but I know of hardly any braille ones, which makes me wonder how extensive our collection of Nero Wolf books is? That said, if anyone ever wants to scan them let me know and I'll validate. Thanks. Jim James D Homme, Usability Engineering Highmark Inc. james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx 412-544-1810 "It's more important for me to start to do the right thing than it is to wait until I think I can do it just right." To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. --------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.0/1049 - Release Date: 10/4/2007 8:59 AM --------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.1/1051 - Release Date: 10/5/2007 12:27 PM Barbara____________________________________________________________________________________Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. 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