[bksvol-discuss] Re: Three Asterisks: An explanation from the staff

  • From: "Evan Reese" <mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 21:20:38 -0400

Hi Marty, the blank line only goes in, if and only if, as math textbooks would 
say, the chapter begins at the top of the page. If there is text above the new 
chapter title, then you put in the three asterisks to preserve the blank lines 
around the chapter title as Madeleine described.

HTH

Evan

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Martha Rafter 
  To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2012 9:09 PM
  Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Three Asterisks: An explanation from the staff


  Hi Madeleine,
     Thanks for this, but I think Iâm either confused or really, really dense!  
  Donât we need to put in a blank line between the page break and the chapter 
heading any more?  Then it would be:

  Page break
  blank line
  Chapter heading
  * * *
  text of page

  Again, thanks you!
  Marty

  From: Madeleine Linares 
  Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2012 5:43 PM
  To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Cc: mailto:cynthr@xxxxxxxxxxx 
  Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Three Asterisks: An explanation from the staff

  Hello everyone,

   

  My sincere apologies for my delayed response re. asterisks but here is whatâs 
going on:

   

  In Braille, neither bolding nor font size changes show up, which means that 
it is really difficult to tell when there is a new chapter or section. 
Therefore, three asterisks are added after each chapter title or chapter name 
to make it clear where the chapter title or name ends and where the text 
begins. For example:

   

  -----page break---

  Chapter Three

  ***

  [text]

  ----page break-----

   

  It could also look like this:

   

  -----page break-----

  [text from ch. 4]

  ***

  Chapter Five: Kristy Kills

  ***

  [text for ch. 5]

  --------page break---------

   

   

  This is especially important if there is a chapter name. For example, Chapter 
Three: The Woman in Red (or whatever). Without the star, Braille readers would 
have no way of knowing whether or not âThe Woman in Redâ was the first line of 
text or a chapter title.

   

  Three asterisks are NOT needed at the beginning of a page before a new 
chapter (if the new chapter starts at the very top of a page) but ARE needed if 
the chapter starts in the middle of the page. Three asterisks are also used to 
show other breaks in the text, whether itâs a change in narration and the 
sighted reader sees a font change or all italics, if there is a symbol in the 
page to indicate a time change or something, and when there is a new section of 
the book (such as Part One or Book One of several).

   

  Many volunteers already do this, which is wonderful. Since we want Bookshare 
books to be as accessible to everyone as possible, we strongly encourage adding 
in three asterisks after the chapter number or name. I know there has been a 
lot of confusion about this. From my understanding it is not a new idea, but it 
has never been enforced, which is likely why some people do it and others donât 
and have never been aware that they should. We want to encourage it going 
forward.

   

  Please contact me directly with any questions or concerns. 

   

  Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication!

   

  Best,

   

  Madeleine Linares

  Volunteer Coordinator

  Bookshare, a Benetech Initiative

  650-644-3459

  madeleinel@xxxxxxxxxxxx

   

  Join us in celebrating our 10th Anniversary!

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