News
April-June 1999, Vol. 30, No. 2
ISSN 1046-1663

National Library Service 
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

The Library of Congress


Librarians think ahead to the digital age

A conference on planning library services for the future was held at NLS on
February 3 and 4. "Exploring Possibilities: Network Library Service in a
Digital and Digital Audio Age" brought together network librarians from each
of NLS's four regions, representatives of consumer and library
organizations, and NLS staff. The purpose of the gathering was to continue
the communication process about sweeping changes in library services in the
next decade and beyond.
     NLS is working to keep regional and subregional libraries informed of
its progress in changing over to digital media and information storage, and
also working to learn from the librarians what they need to help them and
their patrons adapt to the new technology.
     Discussions focused on the wide-ranging implications of making broader
use of computers in delivering library services to visually and physically
impaired readers, shifting from cassette tapes to electronic media (possibly
the successor to CD-ROMs), using on-line methods to transmit materials to
braille users, and using electronic communication at other points in the
system.

Magnitude of the task
NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke's opening remarks reiterated NLS's pledge to
continue this two-way learning process and reminded the group that
implementing digital technology in any special-format library collection is
a formidable task. For NLS and its network libraries, it is made more
challenging by the dimensions of the system--NLS has roughly 800,000
patrons, a potential constituency of at least 3 million eligible users, a
collection of more than 100,000 items, and 808,000 playback machines in use.
The value of the collection and the hardware combined exceeds $200 million.
     NLS material also encompasses an enormous amount of information--a
vital factor in computer-use planning for any organization. For example,
NLS's audio book circulation alone exceeds the equivalent of 33 quadrillion
(33,000,000,000,000,000) bytes of information each year. Two quadrillion
bytes of information are circulated in recorded magazines, 42 gigabytes
(42,000,000,000 bytes) in braille books, and 52 gigabytes in braille
magazines. NLS's total annual circulation accounts for more than 35
quadrillion bytes of information. In 1998 patrons made more than 500 million
"hits," in computer parlance, on the collection--a figure that helps
indicate the magnitude of any format changes.
     NLS Network Division chief Carolyn Sung emphasized the importance of
maintaining the focus on meeting patrons' expectations and requests--both
for new and better technology and for maintaining continuity of service. For
network librarians, key questions are
      What will a digital library of talking books look like?
      Will it include both electronic and audio components?
      How will the digital collection be stored?
      How will patrons use the adaptive equipment of the future?
      Will the relationship between a network library and public libraries
change once digital talking books are in use?
     Network librarians are seeking ways to sensitize members of their
library staffs to the nature of the ongoing changes to ensure that services
are not delayed. The librarians present also noted that changes in
technology are providing an impetus to improve library services in general,
and especially to blind and physically handicapped readers.
     NLS's research and development officer Michael Moodie described some
of the challenges posed by preparing for outcomes that cannot yet be
foreseen with absolute certainty. The results will entail new forms of
communication--new "books," "magazines," and "playback machines"--that may
not resemble those of the 1990s; new forms of record keeping and information
management; and new skills required to train people. He stressed the need to
find ways to communicate in understandable--that is, generally
nontechnical--language about the changes under way.
     John Cookson, head of NLS's Engineering Section, described technical
initiatives in progress as of early 1999. The overall strategy is to design
a digital system of producing, storing, and distributing audio recordings in
the first phase of the change. A longer-term effort will develop a new
portable talking-book machine based on software simulation tests and
estimates of what technology will be available and affordable within roughly
ten years. A later phase will involve manufacturing a digital talking-book
machine that will meet patron needs as demonstrated in the tests and
surveys. Digital systems will be used to produce master copies of new
recordings and to convert much of the existing collection from analog to
digital media. In addition, digital software will be developed to help
patrons access information (similar to the Union Catalog that has been
accessible through the NLS web site in the 1990s).
     All of these changes assume the existence of broad agreements on
technical standards for these processes among libraries and others. NLS has
been working with the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) to
establish agreement on general guidelines for implementing digital
technology in information systems. This effort also involves establishing
standards for marking text for digital audio and braille production, as well
as standards for replicating reading materials and for producing
high-quality machines or playback systems (see story below).

Suffolk County pilot project
Linda Redmond, head of the NLS Reference Section, and Judith Dixon, NLS
consumer relations officer, updated the group on a pilot project to enhance
locally provided reference services. The subregional library in Bellport,
New York, part of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, will be working
with NLS and public libraries in the county to make reference services and
collections of public libraries more accessible to the blind and physically
handicapped patrons nationwide.
     Steps in this process will include developing strategies for educating
and involving public libraries in the provision of reference service,
developing best strategies for providing information in accessible format,
developing a model of adaptive technology, and developing an educational
component for consumers. An important outcome of this project will be to
develop patron and library information to share throughout the network.

Web-Braille
Judith Dixon also made a presentation on Web-Braille, the provision of NLS
braille books over the Internet. The pilot phase of this project, which
consisted of fifty braille books, has been completed and implementation
activities have begun. This project represents NLS's first efforts to
provide library materials in a digital form directly to patrons, and it is
expected that obstacles and observations gleaned will be helpful in planning
future projects of a much larger scale.

Group recommendations
Steve Prine, head of NLS Network Services Section, conveyed a wide range of
insights gleaned from conversations with network librarians and staff. Much
of the discussion concerned the following recommendations:
      Increase efforts to educate people about libraries for the blind and
physically handicapped and their relationship to public libraries, including
how to use adaptive equipment and other available resources. Give special
attention to informing senior citizens of the availability of assistive
devices.
      Communicate to patrons, librarians, interested organizations, and
community leaders information about NLS efforts to meet consumer demands for
upgraded technology. 
      Be aware that many patrons are not computer literate and that some
libraries lack Internet access. Avoid adopting innovations in a manner that
excludes them.
      Try to coordinate changes in libraries for handicapped readers with
changes being made in public libraries. 
      Help network libraries acquire greater expertise in constructing
accessible web sites.
      Assist network libraries in maintaining accurate electronic records
of patron reading interests and requests.
      Increase librarians' and patrons' opportunities for training in the
use of adaptive technology.
      Feature an in-depth discussion of these issues at the national
conference in Los Angeles in 2000.
(Conference Attendees

Network librarians: Karen Odean (Midlands), Carol Taylor (North), Jeanette
Studley (South), Linda Montgomery (West)
Consumers: Paul Edwards (American Council of the Blind), Curtis Chong
(National Federation of the Blind)
Chief Officers of State Library Agencies: James Johnson
Members of the NLS staff who are participating in various phases of this
project also attended portions of the two-day meeting.)
(photo caption: Standing (left to right): Linda Redmond, Steve Prine, Mary
Mohr, Judith Dixon, Michael Moodie, Curtis Chong, Carolyn Sung, Frank Kurt
Cylke; seated: Karen Odean, Paul Edwards, Jeanette Studley, James Johnson,
Carol Taylor, Linda Montgomery. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.)


NISO group advances

Work on a standard for digital talking books (DTBs) progressed as members of
the Digital Talking Books Standards Committee met March 4 and 5 in
Washington, D.C. Under the aegis of the National Information Standards
Organization (NISO), the committee, chaired by NLS's Michael Moodie, is
forming guidelines for the next generation of audio books.
     Standards documents. Members first discussed the standard itself and
what documents may be part of or associated with it. Participants concurred
that the following files would be essential to the standard:
      The file specification, which defines the files required for a
digital talking book and specifies their structure and interrelationships.
Included in the file specification will be the digital talking book document
type definition (DTD), which provides the technical structure for the
elements of a book and how they are named. This tool allows for different
kinds of playback equipment to interpret the elements of a book in a
consistent manner.
      Text navigation features list, which describes how an advanced
playback system would allow users to move through the parts of a book and
access footnotes, cross references, tables and charts, headings, and other
options.
      Playback device features list, which defines how different playback
models should operate.
      User interface guidelines to assist playback device designers in
developing machines that are easy for blind or physically handicapped users
to operate. These guidelines will address such issues as number, type, size,
and placement of controls; tactile markings; physical force needed to
operate controls; and feedback provided to users.
      Production guidelines, which will provide guidance on various
aspects of the production of digital talking books.
     Testing. The group discussed the importance of having procedures to
test compliance of DTBs and playback devices. Members agreed that testing
will lead to better books and players. While not a part of the standard
itself, a testing protocol helps ensure product compliance and
interoperability of books in different playback devices.
     Playback device features. The group completed review of the
prioritized list of features for three types of playback devices. The
systems are a basic, audio-only machine; an advanced unit with additional
features; and a computer-based software model for use on a PC. Each model
has features associated with it that are prioritized as essential, highly
desirable, or useful. Participants eliminated features covered in other
documents of the standard, sharpened definitions of about a dozen terms,
examined priorities, and verified assignments of the features.
     File specification. Mark Hakkinen (The Productivity Works, Inc.)
presented an overview of the different types of books that might use the
standard: audio, audio with varying amounts of text, and text-only. He
discussed how these books would be structured and the data files needed for
each type. A key feature of the NISO DTB standard is that it is largely
based on existing and developing standards used in other contexts. The use
of style sheets allows for particular kinds of books, such as textbooks, to
be customized according to the content and the author's intent. For example,
a tone could indicate when a cross reference is encountered that the user
might choose to follow. Users may also be able to customize reference sounds
or words (earcons) according to individual tastes and needs.
     Audio coding. Members agreed on the five audio encoding formats that
DTBs may employ and that audio data will be distributed in a form that
provides at least FM quality sound to the user. The committee also agreed
that various levels of audio compression could be used for different types
of material within a book. For example, a moderate level of compression
might be used for the main body of a book where high-quality audio is most
important. A higher rate of compression could be used on a lengthy
bibliography or index.
     Document type definition. The draft NISO DTD was examined by committee
members. Michael Moodie discussed NLS's experience using the DTD to mark up
a short but complex book. The process was helpful in disclosing some
weaknesses in the DTD and highlighted a certain level of subjectivity that
is associated with the markup activity. Participants talked about the
usefulness of adding more cross-referencing information to the DTD and
expanding the narrative descriptions of the DTD's eighty-four tags.
     Future activities. Committee chair Moodie coordinated spring and
summer deadlines for remaining work in developing the DTB standard and its
associated documents. The tasks include expansion of the DTD elements,
completion of the user interface guidelines, synchronizing the features
lists, posting documents on a web site, developing style sheets, and marking
up a dozen more books using the current DTB DTD. The group's next meeting is
slated for July.
(photo caption: Left to right: George Thuronyi, NLS; Rudy Savage, TBPC; Norm
Welch, EvaTone, Inc.; Kathy Korpolinski, RFB&D; George Kerscher, DAISY
Consortium; John Cookson, NLS; Lynn Leith, CNIB. Photo by Jim Higgins.)


Profile--Barbara Peterman

Most of the activities at NLS center around words--turning those words from
print into formats usable by blind and physically handicapped readers or
providing the machines and accessories for playing the words back to
readers. But for Barbara Peterman, NLS management analyst, the big thing is
numbers--some of them very big numbers, indeed.
     Peterman is responsible for compiling and maintaining all NLS
statistics, including circulation by network libraries and patron
demographics. She also deals with myriad smaller tasks and computes program
statistics such as readership and other items of major significance in
annual budget requests made to Congress.
     She oversees the CMLS (Comprehensive Mailing List System) database
used to maintain patron records, handle subscriptions to program magazines
and other publications, and provide approximately 4 million labels annually
for distribution of these materials to patrons. CMLS records are an integral
part of information needed for statistical analyses.
     All this work with numbers is a far cry from the anticipated career
path of an English literature major.
     A native of White Plains, New York, Peterman attended Syracuse
University, where she received a bachelor of arts degree. She obtained a
position as production assistant with the Oxford University Press in New
York City, never dreaming how prominently books would figure in her later
career. In 1971 she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as an
accounting technician with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Federal Housing Administration. Two years later a government
reduction in force brought Peterman to NLS as secretary to the chief of the
Materials Development Division. Her background with book production had
helped land her that appointment, which led to twenty-five years with NLS
serving the reading needs of blind and physically handicapped people.
     Peterman worked in her first position at NLS for a few years before
moving to a position as NLS statistician and then management analyst. She
became responsible for compiling and maintaining statistics about the NLS
network of cooperating libraries.
     Program information, culled from annual and semiannual surveys of the
network, is used for a variety of purposes. The annual survey records data
about library collections, budgets, facilities, and funding. Semiannual
reader and circulation statistics reports provide information about library
workload and readership growth. The data enable NLS network consultants to
assist libraries in meeting patron needs.
     Both sets of data serve as a profile of the program and are presented
in the annual publication Library Resources for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, making the information available to agencies serving disabled
individuals and to the public.
     Peterman also conducts special analyses such as determining the number
of senior citizens eligible for service and the demographics of the patron
community. "This information helps us to know whom we are serving," says
Peterman; and for much of it, Peterman relies on the assistance of the
Comprehensive Mailing List System (CMLS).
     Serving as the CMLS coordinator is the responsibility Peterman is
probably best known for, though it was not originally part of her job
description. "There was a need for someone to be a liaison with CMLS for
routine monitoring and I got the assignment," she says. "The system was
small then, and I was told that it would not take much time, but, in fact,
it takes much of each day."
     As the role continued to expand, Peterman became the contract monitor
for CMLS. Her duties include coordinating efforts between the CMLS
contractor and the network libraries to research and resolve concerns. "I
also interface with the Publications and Media Section to monitor
publications needs and to distribute the annual catalog survey to more than
400,000 patrons," she says.
     Her latest challenges involve "keeping current with technology, which
has changed significantly in the past ten years, and encouraging producers
to generate labels using electronic media transferred via the web or e-mail,
instead of diskettes." In addition, Peterman has had to make time for two
new initiatives to improve CMLS. She and Network Division chief Carolyn Sung
head the CMLS Working Group, consisting of NLS staff, and the CMLS Advisory
Team, consisting of network staff and a few NLS people. Working together,
the two groups are developing new ways to improve CMLS response to the
network.


Kevin Buck to oversee machine maintenance

Kevin L. Buck has been appointed NLS equipment and materials maintenance
coordinator, effective March 1, 1999. His primary duty is to provide
oversight of the maintenance and supply support for machines needed to play
books and magazines recorded for blind and physically handicapped readers.
     "This function is vital to providing good service to our readers,"
says Wells B. Kormann, chief of the NLS Materials Development Division. To
meet the reading needs of patrons across the country, NLS has an inventory
of more than 808,000 cassette machines and record players. Most of these
machines are on loan to individual readers, who need them to be in good
working order. A network of 140 cooperating libraries issue the machines and
provide reading materials to individual patrons.
     "We have been making an intensive effort to improve and unify repair
services and procedures nationwide, thanks to the cooperation of The
Telephone Pioneers of America, the General Electric Elfuns, and the network
libraries," says Kormann. "Kevin Buck has a wealth of knowledge about repair
of equipment at both a national and international level that will be
invaluable for the success of this project."
     For most of his lengthy professional career, Buck was employed by Bell
Telephone of Canada, IBM, and Digital Equipment Corporation, among others.
He has extensive managerial and hands-on experience in field services, even
providing logistical service to remote locations around the world.
     Newer NLS machines are repaired under warranty with the production
contractor, but most repairs to extend the life of older machines have
traditionally been performed by volunteers working at the state or local
level. Oversight of this activity, therefore, involves coordination with
many separate groups throughout the country. Most of the repair volunteers
are associated with the Telephone Pioneers of America, whose members are
senior or retired telephone company employees who have long experience with
sound equipment. Estimates place the value of repairs by volunteers at an
average of $4.3 million in annual savings to American taxpayers.
     Buck's international background includes a childhood in Ireland and
young adult years in England. He came to North America in his early twenties
and has lived in Montreal, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Ottawa,
Ontario, as well as New York, Philadelphia, and Columbia, Maryland.
     He lists as one of his more interesting assignments being resident
service technician in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (Privy
Council) for three years.
(photo caption: Kevin Buck. Photo by Jim Higgins.)


Network exchange

South Carolina (Columbia). With a current readership of 8,032 and 40,000
titles in its collection, the South Carolina regional library is proud of
its twenty-five years of service to the blind and physically handicapped
community. Services were available as early as 1961, but in 1973, under the
direction of James B. Johnson Jr., the blind and physically handicapped
library became part of the South Carolina State Library.
     Beginning with 14,000 titles and 1,800 readers in a 3,000-square-foot
facility, the library now occupies more than 28,000 square feet of space
with updated equipment, acoustical workstations, a recording booth, and a
fully automated circulation system. Instrumental in the initial development
of the library, Johnson is now director of the South Carolina State Library.
Frances Case, a former director of services for the blind and physically
handicapped, retired in 1992.
     Guynell Williams, the current director, has revealed some plans for
the new millennium. The library for the blind and physically handicapped is
planning to relocate to the former state archives and history building,
where it will be situated with its parent organization. The library will
benefit from a 48,000-square-foot increase in its space, which will be used
for administrative services and a larger stack area.

Georgia (Bainbridge). A grant from the Georgia Humanities Council and the
National Endowment for the Humanities has helped to enrich the Gilbert H.
Gragg Bainbridge Public Library's book discussion meetings by hosting
several of Georgia's best-known authors. Books on tape have been included so
that patrons from the blind and handicapped libraries can participate. The
discussions, generally led by Nan Grow, a Methodist minister from Colquitt,
Georgia, are well attended and often followed by a guest visit. Such was the
case in February when two Georgia writers came to libraries in southwest
Georgia. At the James W. Merritt Library in Colquitt, Kathy Hogan Trocheck,
a well-known mystery author, talked about her Callahan Garrity mysteries,
which are set in Atlanta. Judson Mitcham spoke about his novel Sweet
Everlasting at the Seminole County Library. Readers at this gathering were
so enthusiastic that there is now a waiting list for the book.
     In March the theme for these book discussions was autobiographies.
Topics included The Diary of Anne Frank and Hunger of Memory by Richard
Rodriguez.
     Susan Ralph, Bainbridge public services librarian, suggests that
libraries interested in this type of community outreach might contact their
state humanities councils for support.

Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). A familiar sound in the vicinity of the Three
River News layout table is laughter--laughter from the newspaper's editor,
Kathy Kappel. During twenty-five years of service, her joviality and
camaraderie are qualities that have endeared Kappel to the staff at the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped.
     The fall 1998 issue of the award-winning Three River News contains an
in-depth article and appreciation of Kappel written by Sue Murdock, regional
librarian. Murdock lauds Kappel's "creativity, spirit, and interest in
public service."
     Kappel, who began her LBPH tenure as a book selector on March 1, 1973,
has concentrated her efforts on children with special needs. As a
"multimedia" selector, she has served children who require books on
cassette, in braille, and in large print.
     Currently, Kappel is the assistant agency head, managing day-to-day
operations. The duties include her role as editor of Three River News, a
newspaper-style newsletter she created in 1982. Murdock states that "due to
her editorial efforts, Three River News is considered among the most
professional newsletters in the network of 140 libraries for the blind and
physically handicapped nationwide."


Louisiana regional dedicates new facility

The Section for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, which is part of the
State Library of Louisiana, has moved into its new quarters after
thirty-nine months of dust, dirt, noise, and construction. The State Library
building, located in downtown Baton Rouge near the State Capitol, added
50,000 square feet to the 90,000-square-foot building. The state of
Louisiana funded the renovation and expansion project at a cost of
approximately $9 million, including construction, furniture, and
landscaping. It was the first time any major renovation had been done on the
forty-one-year-old building.
     On March 30, 1999, with braille program in hand, members from the
Louisiana Council for the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind, and
the Telephone Pioneers joined state leaders and other guests for the
dedication of the renovated State Library building. After the ceremony
guests were invited to tour the facilities, including the refurbished
Section for the Blind & Physically Handicapped (SBPH).
     As part of the renovation, SBPH nearly doubled in size, growing from
9,000 to 16,000 square feet of space. SBPH now features a new reception
area, a conference room, expanded stack areas, private work areas, offices
for professional staff, and an equipment room. There are also areas
dedicated to duplicating cassettes, servicing machines, and circulating
materials. Furthermore, new wiring throughout the building and new computers
will support the forthcoming implementation of the READS II system and also
provide Internet access, e-mail, and word processing capabilities for each
staff member.
     After the dedication ceremonies, visitors to SBPH were welcomed to
view the new reception area and the conference room, where staff had created
a display area to showcase its services. In addition to talking books and
braille, SBPH offers large-print books, descriptive videos, and an annual
summer reading program for children and young adults. Many visitors, curious
to see where all the "green boxes" were kept, also had tours of the stacks
and other work areas.
(Jennifer Anjier

After leading the Louisiana regional library through its renovation effort,
Jennifer Anjier has announced that she is leaving to accompany her husband
to Australia. She sends the following notes 
on her years with the NLS program.
     "I started on July 1 in 1988 and one of the first things I did was to
attend the national conference in Washington. Boy, was I confused! I didn't
know an RC from a C-1.
     "In July 1988, we took over the circulation of machines from Blind
Services. NLS had to send an 18-wheeler to clear it up!
     "In 1992 we participated in NLS's multimedia campaign 'Take a Talking
Book.' We were able to increase our patrons aged 65 and older by 46 percent
[see News, January-March 1993].
     "Other projects that I have started are an annual reception for our
volunteers during National Volunteer Week, a consumer advisory committee,
and a descriptive video collection.
     "We are now in the process of purchasing a recording booth and
equipment. 
     "Now in looking back on my career as a librarian, I would have to say
that working with our visually impaired patrons has been the most
rewarding."
     She will be missed.)
(This article was provided by Jennifer Anjier, Louisiana regional
librarian.)
(photo caption: Jennifer Anjier, Louisiana regional librarian, hands out
braille programs for the dedication of the State Library of Louisiana's
renovation. Foreground from left: Calvin Daigle, Kevin Lightfoot, Jennifer
Anjier, Vernon Daigle.)



Mississippi regional marks 25th year

The Mississippi Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (MLBPH)
celebrated its twenty-fifth year in the Lions Club Building with a reception
on Wednesday, October 21, 1998. The regional library is a division of the
Mississippi Library Commission.
     Rahye Puckett, regional librarian, introduced staff members to the
assembled guests. John Pritchard, executive director of the Mississippi
Library Commission, discussed the importance of the library to the state and
its citizens.
     Mary Mohr, NLS network consultant, presented a plaque signed by Frank
Kurt Cylke, NLS director, to MLBPH in honor of their twenty-five years of
service to Mississippians. Mississippi Chemical Corporation, BellSouth
Mobility, and Friends of Handicapped Readers provided gifts for door prizes.
     Guests included the first Mississippi regional librarian, Zelda Davis;
former regional librarian Jean Hudspeth; Board of Commissioners member Dr.
Russell Burns; representatives of the Advisory Committee; Bell South
Telephone Pioneers; Friends of Handicapped Readers; and MLBPH patrons.
     Following the presentation, guests mingled with staff and enjoyed cake
embossed in braille, were awarded door prizes, and toured the library.
(photo caption: Mary Mohr, NLS; and Rahye Puckett, director of MLBPH, at the
October reception.)


International brief

Germany (Munich). The Bavarian Audio Library for the Blind recently held a
festive reception to celebrate its forty years. Founded in 1958 through the
efforts of two major blind organizations, the Library continues to represent
both groups by having two equally empowered directors--currently, Gustav
Doubrava of the Bavarian League of the Blind and Dieter Renelt of the German
League of Blind Veterans. In the form of a dialog, the directors recounted
the Library's history to the assembled guests.
     The German Audio Library for the Blind was established in 1954 in
Marburg, but requests for service grew, and by 1958 it was apparent that
another library was needed. Early in 1959 the new Bavarian Audio Library for
the Blind began serving readers in Munich. Until 1972, when cassettes were
introduced, the books were recorded on reel-to-reel tape. In 1972 the
Library also opened its first recording and duplicating studio and soon
issued a cassette newspaper containing articles from the Sddeutsche Zeitung
and the Deutsche Merkur. The newsletter remains in publication today. In
1975 the Library expanded and constructed larger facilities in downtown
Munich. Circulation grew significantly when the lending system was automated
in 1984.
     In 1997 more than 6,000 readers were sent some 158,000 books. The
collection contains about 7,500 titles. Future development will include
digitizing both production and playback devices, and to this end the Library
is working on an international level to apply new technologies.
(The information in this article was excerpted from Der Kriegsblinde, Nov.-
Dec. 1998, v. 49, nos. 11-12.)


NLS records Locked In by Judy Mozersky
Remarkable book by young stroke sufferer

The autobiographical story of Judy Mozersky, a college student who cannot
move or speak, has been recorded on audio tape by NLS. On January 26, 1999,
NLS released Locked In: A Young Woman's Battle with Stroke and presented a
copy to Mozersky, accompanied by her parents, Kenneth A. and Anne Mozersky,
at her apartment in Ottawa. Anne Mozersky is the daughter of Sol M.
Linowitz, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor.
     Judy Mozersky, an NLS patron and honorary member of the Friends of
Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America,
is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. She was greeted by Ruth
J. Foss, then head of the NLS Collection Development Section, which selected
the book, and Laura Giannarelli, narrator from the NLS Recording Studio, who
recorded the book. For the first time she heard her words on her NLS
cassette playback machine.
     "It was such an inspiring book to narrate," said Giannarelli.
"Mozersky's book was much more upbeat than I originally had imagined. My
mother suffered a stroke when I was young, and I thought this was going to
be very difficult to record. I thought I was going to cry. But I didn't,
because Mozersky wrote in such an uplifting way. She has such determination,
and her book focuses on coping and recovery. Her book is not a plea for
sympathy. I felt I knew Mozersky after I had finished my narration."
     In 1990, Mozersky, a nineteen-year-old Cornell junior, was "locked in"
by an incapacitating brain-stem stroke that left her unable to move or speak
but with the thinking part of her brain intact. In need of a way to
communicate, she and her parents explored a variety of systems. Eventually
they devised a spelling system in which Mozersky responds to portions of the
alphabet by blinking her eyes.
     Six years later, with the help of family and friends, Mozersky
published her book, in which she and others detail her progress from
hospital care to the more stimulating environment of her Ottawa apartment.
Her chapter topics include "I lost everything in one night," "I quickly
noticed one problem with eating. I had to be fed," "Do you know what I miss
most? Touching other people," and "This stroke changed my life, but it
didn't ruin it."
     Dr. Fred Plum, chairman of the Department of Neurology and
Neuroscience, Cornell University Medical College, says in the book's
foreword "despite her devastating paralysis, Judy has lost neither her
mental functioning nor her upbeat, young person's vibrant curiosity and
focus on the future."
     Mozersky continues her Cornell studies toward a degree in psychology.
She is particularly interested in reading biographies. According to Foss,
"Mozersky believes it is important to remember that she wrote this book when
she was still quite young. Mozersky would also like readers to know that she
continues to focus on maintaining a healthy life. Her apartment reflects her
appreciation of dance and her interest in maintaining friendships, cooking,
colors, aroma, music, books, makeup, clothes, photos of family and friends,
her nurses' children, and Cornell classmates...all the things that one might
expect to appeal to a young woman. Mozersky also has a delightful sense of
humor."
     Locked In: A Young Woman's Battle with Stroke is available in print
from two sources: Golden Dog Press, Box 393, 409 Oxford Street E.,
Kemptville, Ontario K0G 1J0 (telephone 1-613-258-3882) or through the
National Stroke Association, telephone 1-800-STROKES. It is available to
patrons of NLS as book number RC 47035.
(Highlights from the book

Judy Mozersky was in her Cornell dorm washing her long hair before an exam
when she had her debilitating stroke.
     "I think one of the saddest human positions is with the head lowered.
So many inhabitants of the [rehabilitation] floor had their heads lowered.
They were waiting to be fed or waiting to go to bed or something. They
looked dejected and pitiful and pathetic. I couldn't hold up my head either,
but people were always pushing it back for me. I would later work on holding
up my head with a physiotherapist. Meanwhile the occupational therapists
invented a method to hold my head back. They tied my ponytail to the back of
my wheelchair."
     Almost from the moment she had the stroke, Mozersky was surrounded by
and supported by her family.
     "As I look back on that time, I realize that my parents were truly
exceptional. At a time when I was little more than a body to be fed and
cleaned, they appreciated my mind. They understood that I couldn't live in
an institution, at the mercy of some routines and schedules designed for
people decades older. My parents assured me that I was going to an
apartment. My sweet father claimed that he would never let me be
institutionalized. My strong mother was fighting for my freedom."
     Ms. Mozersky never became clinically depressed, though the thought of
institutionalization and time spent on the strict rehabilitation ward "made
me want to die." Instead of succumbing, she fought and stomach tubes came
out. She learned to eat and drink without aspirating food or liquid into her
lungs. Every one of these painstakingly won steps brought her closer to
independence. Two years after her stroke, she moved to her own apartment. "I
was so glad to be free."
     Mozersky closes her book saying, "My case is rare and unique, and no
neurologist in the world can tell me what my future will be. It is very
frustrating not to know what to expect from life. I want to know if I'll
ever walk, if I'll ever talk. Unfortunately, I was meant not to know. Yet I
remain undaunted.")
(photo caption: From left to right: Anne Mozersky, Judy Mozersky's mother;
Ruth Foss, then head of the NLS Collection Development Section; Judy
Mozersky, the author of Locked In; Kenneth A. Mozersky, Judy's father; and
Laura Giannarelli, narrator from the NLS Recording Studio. Photo by Lee
Narroway.)


NLS titles exceed 100,000

NLS holdings topped the 100,000 mark in the spring 1999 edition of NLS's
CD-BLND database. This figure represents the total number of bibliographic
records for books and other items held by NLS.
     Says Robert Axtell, head of the NLS Bibliographic Control Section,
"Although hundreds of library collections are larger than this, almost every
book in the NLS collection is in a specially produced format for blind and
physically handicapped readers. In addition, the majority of titles exist in
multiple copies, rather than the few acquired for print collections. The NLS
collection is the largest in the world for readers of braille and recorded
materials."
     Most of the titles have been produced by NLS for distribution to
readers through its network of cooperating libraries. In addition, however,
there are other significant collections available to the NLS readership. The
centralized collections at NLS itself, in Washington, D.C., include an
extensive braille and large-print music collection and a tactile map
collection, as well as copies of most of the past and current nationally
distributed titles.
     The multistate centers hold large collections of braille books that
are owned in limited numbers, and the Multistate Center East holds the
Special Foreign Library Collection of books on cassette, on disc, or in
braille that were produced overseas or are in a foreign language.
     The NLS Union Catalog also contains approximately 150,000 additional
records of special-format materials available from other sources. All of
these records are available through the CD-BLND CD-ROM distributed quarterly
to network libraries and other subscribers and on the Internet at
www.loc.gov/nls.
     Network libraries can find directions in the Reader Advisor
Interlibrary Loan Reference for borrowing from the NLS special collections
and non-NLS collections held in the Union Catalog.


The Program
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the
Library of Congress publishes books and magazines in braille and in recorded
form on discs and cassettes for readers who cannot hold, handle, or see well
enough to read conventional print because of a temporary or permanent visual
or physical handicap.
     Through a national network of state and local libraries, the materials
are loaned free to eligible readers in the United States and to U.S.
citizens living abroad. Materials are sent to readers and returned by
postage-free mail.

Books and Magazines
Readers may borrow all types of popular-interest books including
bestsellers, classics, mysteries, westerns, poetry, history, biographies,
religious literature, children's books, and foreign-language materials.
Readers may also subscribe to more than seventy popular magazines in braille
and recorded formats.

Special Equipment
Special equipment needed to play the discs and cassettes, which are recorded
at slower than conventional speeds, is loaned indefinitely to readers. An
amplifier with headphone is available for blind and physically handicapped
readers who are also certified as hearing impaired. Other devices are
provided to aid readers with mobility impairments in using playback
machines.

Eligibility
You are eligible for the Library of Congress program if:
 You are legally blind--your vision in the better eye is 20/200 or less
with correcting glasses, or your widest diameter of visual field is no
greater than 20 degrees;
 You cannot see well enough or focus long enough to read standard print,
although you wear glasses to correct your vision;
 You are unable to handle print books or turn pages because of a physical
handicap; or
 You are certified by a medical doctor as having a reading disability, due
to an organic dysfunction, which is of sufficient severity to prevent
reading in a normal manner.

How to Apply
You may request an application by writing NLS or calling toll-free
1-800-424-9100, and your name will be referred to your cooperating library.

News is published quarterly by:
National Library Service for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542
All correspondence should be addressed to the attention of Publications and
Media Section.

Editor: Vicki Fitzpatrick 

Writers: Robert Axtell, Rita Byrnes, Jane Caulton, Carol Corrigan, Peggy
Cytron, Robert Fistick, and George Thuronyi
rgest in the world for readers of braille and recorded materials."
     Most of the titles have been produced by NLS for distribution to
readers through its network of cooperating libraries. In addition, however,
there are other significant collections available to the NLS readership. The
centralized collections at NLS itself, in Washington, D.C., include an
extensive braille and large-print music collection and a tactile map
collection, as well as copies of most of the past and current nationally
distributed titles.
     The multistate centers hold large collections of braille books that
are owned in limited numbers, and the Multistate Center East holds the
Special Foreign Library Collection of books on cassette, on disc, or in
braille that were produced overseas or are in a foreign language.
     The NLS Union Catalog also contains approximately 150,000 additional
records of special-format materials available from other sources. All of
these records are available through the CD-BLND CD-ROM distributed quarterly
to network libraries and other subscribers and on the Internet at
www.loc.gov/nls.
     Network libraries can find directions in the Reader Advisor
Interlibrary Loan Reference for borrowing from the NLS special collections
and non-NLS collections held in the Union Catalog.


The Program
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the
Library of Congress publishes books and magazines in braille and in recorded
form on discs and cassettes for readers who cannot hold, handle, or see well
enough to read conventional print because of a temporary or permanent visual
or physical handicap.
     Through a national network of state and local libraries, the materials
are loaned free to eligible readers in the United States and to U.S.
citizens living abroad. Materials are sent to readers and returned by
postage-free mail.

Books and Magazines
Readers may borrow all types of popular-interest books including
bestsellers, classics, mysteries, westerns, poetry, history, biographies,
religious literature, children's books, and foreign-language materials.
Readers may also subscribe to more than seventy popular magazines in braille
and recorded formats.

Special Equipment
Special equipment needed to play the discs and cassettes, which are recorded
at slower than conventional speeds, is loaned indefinitely to readers. An
amplifier with headphone is available for blind and physically handicapped
readers who are also certified as hearing impair