Insights Fall 2009Inside this Issue: |
We celebrated our library’s new name, the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center, with a ribbon cutting ceremony during this year’s Fall Festival. Congressman Rush Holt, Ewing Mayor Jack Ball, Rocco Fiorentino Jr., Kimberly Smith, Comcast and hundreds of our customers and their friends and relatives joined us to commemorate this new chapter in the history of our organization. I am grateful to all of you who provided the wise counsel to create a name that defines our library by the materials we provide to our residents, rather than by trying to define our customers. The response to the new name from those who attended the festival
was overwhelmingly positive and I believe it will help to attract even more customers to our library. With a new name comes a new look on the Web. Be sure to visit our new website at: www.njsltbbc.org.
I wish you and your family all the best this holiday season - Norma
Talking About 2010: Adam Szczepaniak, TBBC Director
Looking toward the future, TBBC is expanding our outreach efforts in the hopes of reaching every child and adult in the state who is in need of our services. We are working diligently with veterans’ programs to make sure our retired, returning and wounded soldiers receive the materials they need to be able to read again. And we will continue to engage in a proactive role with NLS to ensure delivery of digital players. Creating partnerships with local libraries throughout the state willing to become a Braille and Audiobook Depository Library will provide customers local access to our materials. New depository libraries include Sussex County Library, Newark Public Library, Pennsville Public Library and McGuire Joint Base Library. Rather than having customers wait another two years for the next Fall Festival, plans are underway for open houses and themed parties throughout the year. Audiovision
is looking at new programming to expand its services to include taped book club meetings and book reviews. As changes and improvements in service are implemented, I will keep you informed either through our newsletter or our website, www.njsltbbc.org.
Enjoy your holidays - Adam
THEY’RE HERE!
TBBC is excited to announce the arrival of the Digital Talking Book Machines. The Digital players are easy to use. Like the cassette machines, you simply insert a cartridge into the machine to listen to a book. The advantages of the digital player are the smaller size, lighter weight, longer operating time on battery power, improved audio quality, better durability
and comprehensive navigation system. Two versions of the digital player will be available: standard and advanced. The two machines are the same in size and shape but the advanced player has a second row of controls for setting and retrieving bookmarks and
for navigating content. We are currently working on a distribution schedule to get the new players in circulation.
If you choose to use a digital player we will teach everyone how to operate it as well as how to download books from the BARD system. Downloading will give you more freedom over the books from which you can choose. We cannot wait to share the digital players with you!!!
Veterans First
TBBC gives preference to veterans first for the distribution of digital talking book players. Public Law 89-522 provides that eligible persons honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces shall have preference in borrowing library materials produced by NLS.
Veterans, if you have not done so already, please contact one of our Readers’ Advisors at: (800) 792-8322 to add your name to the list of veterans to be given priority.
Audiovision Crosses the Digital Divide
In June, Audiovision successfully leaped the digital divide! Not only were new digital receivers delivered to subscribers’ homes, but online news streaming was made available through our Website, www.njslttbc.org, and through our New Jersey public television partner NJN Network at www.njn.org. In FY09, streaming Audiovison was accessed more than 15,000 times.
With greater access to this media, new ideas are brewing in the office! Be sure to listen to the TBBC book club with more exciting program editions to come!
2009 Fall Festival at
the Talking Book & Braille Center
October 3rd was an awesome day!
The NJSL Talking Book & Braille Center hosted the 2009 Fall Festival that was attended by 325 customers, volunteers and staff. We were delighted that Governor Corzine proclaimed the day as “Talking Book & Braille Day” in New Jersey.
The festival also kicked off New Jersey’s celebration of National Blindess Awareness Month, acknowledging the vital importance of Braille literacy and the need for building awareness about the prevention, treatment and cure of blindness/visual impairments.
Mary Jane Clark, NY Times best-selling suspense novelist, read an excerpt from her latest novel, Dying For Mercy.
Dr. Thakor, Chair of the Johns Hopkins University Biomedical Engineering Department, presented prototype smart canes and caneless technology that improves and enhances the lives of people who are blind and visually impaired.
Accessible Racing gave 51 people the chance of a lifetime to experience driving a prototype NASCAR designed specifically for the physically and/or visually impaired driver!
Gwendolyn Jones, with The Garden State Story Teller’s League created a fun-filled rendition of children’s stories set to music.
The Philadelphia Zoo’s Traveling Naturalist Show presented animals to learn about and touch.
Renowned sculptors Clifford Ward and Guryi Hollosey unveiled pieces from their latest collections available to touch in coordination with the Grounds for Sculpture.
Thirty vendors representing a variety of companies, agencies and technologies exhibited their products and services.
Thank you so much to everyone
who made it a fabulous fun-filled day.
A letter from the TBBC Development Office
As I reflect on my first year at the Talking Book & Braille Center, I am filled with humble joy by all that I have learned from you. It is an honor to serve each and every one of you as your Development Officer. You are unique individuals and valuable members of society.
The Development Office opened October of 2008. We got right to work! We research and plan and create best practices in fundraising and communications. We strive to improve in every area of development and our hard work is paying off!
The outpouring of kindness has been tremendous and we are so thankful to everyone who supports the mission of the Talking Book & Braille Center.
I look forward to 2010 and working even harder for you, our TBBC customers. New and exciting things are coming up next year and it’s a privilege to be a part of TBBC’s growth and change.
Erin MacCord
TBBC Development Officer
Email: emaccord@njstatelib.org or 609-530-6131
Donate online to TBBC at:
Our services are critical to people with disabilities, visual impairments and blindness. Everyday we touch the lives of thousands of families in New Jersey with our free services that are so important to independence and well being. To keep offering services, we need your help!
A gift to the Talking Book & Braille Center is a gift of kindness to a person
who cannot see the words in a book or hold a book to read.
Please offer your support to the NJSL Talking Book & Braille Center. Your donation ensures our services will be here now, in the future and will continue to remain free of charge. With your help, the enjoyment of reading will belong to everyone.
Thank you.
Our very best to you this and every holiday!
Friends of LBH
The staff at TBBC extends our most heartfelt thanks to the Friends of the Library for the Blind and Handicapped. Member-supported donations to the Friends have provided TBBC with the following:
A Kindle (digital download book reader) available in the RTAC Lab
A Humanware player available in the RTAC Lab
Guest speaker, Mary Jane Clark, at this year’s Fall Festival
And in FY2010,
the Friends are purchasing digital cartridges and mailing cases
that will allow TBBC to expand its digital book collection, including creating
customized book samplers.
If you’d
like to inquire about becoming a Friend, please contact Betty Dougherty,
President, at 732-283-1688. For membership information, there is a link on our
Website at: www.njsltbbc.org. Click on the sitemap link to find the information
on
the Friends.
Thank you - Corporate Supporters
2009 hallmarks the very first year the Talking Book and Braille Center received corporate support. Join us in an expression of thanks to:
Seroteck
TD Bank
Comcast
The Seeing Eye
Foundation Fighting Blindness
ASL Services
ABLE The Newspaper Positively For, By & About The Disabled
The Association of Blind Athletes of New Jersey
Braille Brands
Braille TEES
DeWitt & Associates
SW Unlimited, LLC
TBBC Insights Newsletter
Editor: Wendy Paulsen
wpaulsen@njstatelib.org
609-530-3239