News
ISSN 1046-1663
October-December 1999, Vol. 30, No. 4
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
The Library of Congress


Web-Braille system puts books on the Internet

A new milestone for braille readers occurred on August 24, 1999, when an NLS
patron in Vienna, Austria, accessed the first digital braille book on the
Internet. The historic technological breakthrough signaled a successful two-year NLS effort to develop an Internet distribution system called Web-Braille for braille books in the NLS collection. More than 2,700 grade 2
braille books are now available for download or online use by eligible
individuals, libraries, and schools with braille embossers, refreshable
braille displays, and other braille-aware devices.
     "This is the first massive international effort to make braille book
collections accessible on the Internet," Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director,
says. "This achievement reflects the Library of Congress commitment to make
its collections more useful and accessible to eligible users. It also
reflects the first initiative by NLS to distribute its collections of books
and magazines in digital formats to its patrons.
     "Moreover," he adds, "NLS is developing a digital talking book for its
patrons, continuing its historic national leadership in creating new
recorded and braille products for America's blind and physically handicapped
individuals."
     The Web-Braille system makes braille books available immediately;
patrons do not have to wait for them to arrive in the mail or deal with
bulky volumes. It also has obvious advantages for how-to and similar
information, for which only one volume of several may be needed at a time.
     Planning and piloting. Judith Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer,
states, "It occurred to us several years ago that the NLS braille book
computer files might be able to be formatted for Internet access. Thanks to
the foresight in the early 1990s of Lois Mandelberg, former head of the NLS
Production Control Section, an archive of production computer disks of
braille books was retained as backup digital files for possible future use."
     Dixon worked with Michael Moodie, NLS research and development
officer, and George Thuronyi, then a writer-editor in the NLS Publications
and Media Section, to develop technical procedures and to conduct a pilot
test. 
     The pilot test began last year with fifty books on-line. Web-Braille's
availability was announced via notices posted to listservs popular among
blind readers. In less than one month, more than one hundred and twenty-five
patrons had signed up for the Internet braille book service. 
     Reactions of these patrons were extremely positive, indicating that
the entire collection should be put on-line as soon as feasible.
     Requirements for service. Like all NLS materials, Web-Braille books
can be made available only to eligible users who are residents of the United
States or American citizens living abroad. Therefore, the Web-Braille system
requires both a user ID and password. Patrons wishing to use Web-Braille
must register for their user ID and password with the library designated to
maintain braille magazine subscriptions in their area. 
     Materials available. Books are being added at the rate of about forty
per month. As each grade 2 braille book being embossed for the collection is
approved for shipment, the files are automatically transferred to the Web-Braille system. Grade 1 and print/braille books are not included. In
addition to searching for titles on the Web-Braille site, patrons are able
to browse the on-line version of Braille Book Review, locate a title of
interest, and (after inputting their valid user ID and password) select the
volume. 
     NLS is also exploring adding braille magazines to Web-Braille.
According to Dixon, it so far appears to be technically feasible, but NLS
must thoroughly investigate cost and production impacts.
(photo caption: No caption. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.)
(photo caption: Judith Dixon, NLS consumer relations officer, was an early
advocate of Web-Braille and helped to develop technical procedures. Photo by
Yusef El-Amin.)


Readers tell us

I am able to report that access to Web-Braille is just absolutely amazing. I
could not believe when the translated braille file just appeared like that
on my screen. Who would have ever thought something like that would be so
easy to access and download. It's like really being able to browse in a
bookstore, pluck the book off the shelf, and skim through the preliminary
pages before you decide you really want to read. All I need to do is
download files into my Braille 'n Speak, and there I go. I don't think I've
had such a liberating experience in a long time.
Tina Extermanis
Colorado

Web-Braille has really opened up my world. Now that I can download anything
I want, I'm not only reading more myself, but I can read much more to my
three little girls.  Many thanks.
Michael Busboom
Vienna, Austria

(Selected from many similar, enthusiastic comments.)


NISO standards committee considers special features of digital talking book

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Digital Talking Books
Standards Committee met at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) in
Princeton, New Jersey, on July 19 and 20 to consider reports of working
groups and schedule the tasks remaining in the standards process. Open
issues were resolved on the text-navigation-features list and the playback-device-features list. 
     The committee heard a report on successful tests by NLS and RFB&D of
the document-type definition (DTD) with text files for a number of books.
The DTD consists of a list of tags and rules for their use in marking up a
text file. The group discussed the latest enhancements to the DTD and viewed
a newly created document designed to assist agencies using the DTD. This
document and the DTD itself can be found on the NLS web site at
www.loc.gov/nls/niso. Plans were set for committee participation with the
DAISY Consortium in a thorough review and editing of "structure guidelines,"
detailed instructions on the use of the DTD developed for marking up text
files for digital talking books (DTBs). (The review and editing was
completed by mid-August.) The guidelines can be viewed at
www.daisy.org/dtbook/guidelines/draft/structguide.htm.
     The committee discussed at some length what synergies might stem from
coopera-tion with Open e-Book, a standards-setting effort by the electronic
book (e-book) industry, and agreed that continued efforts to bring the two
standards closer would be beneficial.
     One of the major tasks facing the committee in the coming months is
the development of style sheets, software strings that take a fixed text and
present it differently in different media. A working group will meet at NLS
in October to begin this process. The committee will also address how best
to protect copyrighted material when text files are distributed in a format
playable on users' personal computers. Finally, key issues surrounding the
software that will enable users to navigate through DTBs are still to be
resolved. The next committee meeting is at the American Printing House for
the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky, in November.


NLS's twentieth biennial conference, April 30 May 4, 2000

The twentieth biennial conference of librarians who provide services for
blind and physically handicapped patrons will take place at the Marriott
Hotel in Manhattan Beach, California, from April 30 to May 4, 2000. The
conference theme, "Our Leap into the Future," will emphasize the network's
intense efforts to meet the needs of blind and physically handicapped
readers as innovations in information technology revolutionize the field.
Manhattan Beach offers tranquil surroundings, graceful architecture, and
warm hospitality--an ideal setting in which to take time to reflect on the
progress of the past two years and goals for the future.
     Workshops on public relations and machine processes will be held on
Saturday, the day before the conference begins. On Sunday afternoon, NLS
director Frank Kurt Cylke, California state librarian Kevin Starr, and
Braille Institute of America (BIA) president Leslie Stocker will welcome the
200 people expected to attend. Opening remarks will also be delivered by the
conference coordinator, network consultant Mary Mohr, and other members of
the NLS staff.
     Highlights. Keynote speaker Dana Elcar will address the group on
Monday morning. Elcar, now an avid patron and supporter of NLS and BIA
programs, was enjoying a successful career as a television and film actor
when he began losing his vision in the mid-1980s. His battle with glaucoma
was written into his role in the TV adventure series MacGyver, which was
being filmed at the time. 
     Euclid J. Herie, president of the World Blind Union and also president
and CEO of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, will address the
gathering, providing his views of ongoing changes in the field.
     Poet Billie Dee, a respected West Coast writer who gave up a career in
the medical field to devote her life to intellectual pursuits, will give the
first reading of her poem about NLS programs, written especially for the
occasion. 
     Delegates will have an opportunity to consider far-reaching
innovations in information technology when Kerry Babcock,
a software engineer at the Kennedy Space Center, and Dr. Eleanor Helin, a
noted astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Technical
Institute, offer their ideas about future trends.
     Technology of the future. Several sessions will focus on computer
applications and automation issues that are of increasing interest to
librarians and information technology personnel. NLS's automation officer
Robert McDermott will chair discussions on progress toward the digital age
and implications for network personnel. McDermott will also update the group
on NLS's web site operations, including the management of bibliographic
records, the copy-allotment process, and BPHICS.
     Newly implemented library circulation systems geared toward the needs
of blind and physically handicapped readers will be discussed in four
sessions. These will be chaired by Iowa regional librarian Catherine Ford,
Maryland regional librarian Sharron McFarland, Massachusetts regional
librarian Patricia Kirk, and Wayne County, Michigan, regional librarian Fred
Howkins. McDermott will update the group on publication distribution
processes. 
     Automation topics will also be discussed in regional sessions, and
automation users groups will convene to consider applications in their
areas. 
     Regional conferences. The network's four regional conferences will
meet in separate sessions during the four-day event, and each region will
present a program of current interest to the entire group. The regional
meetings will be chaired by Indiana regional librarian Lissa Shanahan
(Midlands), West Virginia regional librarian Donna Calvert (Northern),
Florida assistant library director Michael Gunde (Southern), and Arizona
regional librarian Linda Montgomery (Western). 
     NLS updates. NLS representatives will have opportunities to provide
brief updates of progress in their areas of specialization--Brad Kormann on
the Telephone Pioneer Machine Repair Program, Judy Dixon on Web-Braille, and
Michael Moodie on progress within the National Information Standards
Organization (NISO) toward a digital talking-book standard for use
throughout the industry. A related update will be provided by George
Kerscher on the digital audio information system known as DAISY.
Publications and Media Section head Robert Fistick will describe progress in
NLS's outreach efforts, and Network Division chief Carolyn Sung will convene
the final session, which will consist of reports and resolutions from the
regions.
     Lighter moments. A Sunday evening reception will be sponsored by the
Herman H.B. Meyer Memorial Literary Club and Declamatory Society, with
entertainment by internationally acclaimed pianist Gerard Rossi. Receptions
and visits to nearby landmarks are also being planned, including an evening
trip to the Getty Museum and the Queen Mary.
(About Braille Institute of America
The host library for the national conference is the Southern California
regional library at the Braille Institute of America (BIA). BIA is
internationally recognized for its services on behalf of people who are
visually impaired. 
     BIA transcribes, prints, and distributes more than 5.7 million pages
of braille each year. Its members have access to a collection of more than
one million books in braille through BIA and the NLS collection. In
addition, BIA provides classes in braille literacy and transcription, as
well as individual and group counseling for coping with blindness. The
organization's services also include home visits, workshops, mainstreaming
assistance, skill building for independence, career services, and
social/recreational programs.
     The organization was founded in 1919 as the Universal Braille Press.
In 1929 and 1930, as the Braille Institute of America, its staff and
volunteers lobbied successfully for the establishment of the Library of
Congress Services for the Blind (later, NLS) to provide free reading
materials to blind adults.
     BIA operates from its 28,000-square-foot headquarters in Los Angeles
and regional centers in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Anaheim, and Rancho
Mirage, California. Its community outreach and lending programs extend to
more than seventy communities in the southern part of the state.
     Delegates at the biennial conference will hear remarks by BIA
president Leslie Stocker and BIA director of library services Henry C.
Chang. Delegates will also have the opportunity to visit BIA headquarters
and tour a nearby regional center.)


About Manhattan Beach, California

Just nineteen miles from Los Angeles, the seaside resort of Manhattan Beach
offers small-town charm, sophisticated shopping, beautiful beaches--and no
smog. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach make up the South
Bay communities, located at the southern end of Santa Monica Bay. The mild
climate, gourmet restaurants, and lively surf draw thousands of visitors
each year.
     A century ago, the beachfront area was owned by two men: George Peck
owned the northern section and called it Shore Acres, and Stewart Merrill
owned the southern section and called it Manhattan (after his former home in
New York City). When the two decided to merge their land and form a city,
they couldn't agree on which name to use. So they flipped a coin, and
Manhattan won. 
     Merrill built the first downtown building around 1901, and the city
was incorporated on December 2, 1912. A few years later, the town's
landmark--a 922-foot pier--was constructed. Today, the Manhattan Beach Pier
houses an aquarium and marine studies lab and is at the heart of the city's
quaint downtown area. 
     Manhattan Beach's population surged in the years immediately following
World War II, as former servicemen brought their families to settle in the
idyllic surroundings. The population stayed fairly stable for the next three
decades but is now rising again.
     Development in the 1990s has included the Manhattan Beach Studios,
California's first brand-new television and film studio in sixty years. The
first tenants to lease part of the 550,000-square-foot facility were
Twentieth Century Fox's television shows Ally McBeal and The Practice.
(photo caption: The pier at Manhattan Beach, built between 1917 and 1920, is
southern California's oldest remaining example of early reinforced-concrete
pier construction.)


NLS exhibit schedule--1999 2000
NLS will exhibit at twenty-two conferences in fiscal year 2000 as part of
its public outreach effort. Exhibits are operated by NLS staff and local
network affiliates.
     Conferences on the 1999 2000 schedule are listed below in order of
their occurrence. Each entry includes organization name, place, and date.

American Academy of Ophthalmology
Orlando, Florida
October 24 27, 1999

National Association for the Education of Young Children
New Orleans, Louisiana
November 10 13, 1999

American Library Association Midwinter Conference
San Antonio, Texas
January 15 17, 2000

Music Library Association
Louisville, Kentucky
February 23 26, 2000

Music Educators National Conference
Washington, D.C.
March 8 11, 2000

American Counseling Association
Washington, D.C.
March 20 25, 2000

International Vision Expo
New York, New York
March 28 April 1, 2000

Public Library Association
Charlotte, North Carolina
March 28 April 1, 2000

American Occupational Therapy Association
Seattle, Washington
March 31 April 3, 2000

National Association of Activity Professionals
Colorado Springs, Colorado
April 12 15, 2000

National Student Nurses Association
Salt Lake City, Utah
April 12 16, 2000

Association for the Care of Children's Health
Boston, Massachusetts
May 25 31, 2000

American Optometric Association
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 21 25, 2000

American Nurses Association
Indianapolis, Indiana
June 23 28, 2000

American Library Association National Conference
Chicago, Illinois
June 30 July 5, 2000

National Education Association
Chicago, Illinois
June 30 July 5, 2000

American Council of the Blind
Louisville, Kentucky
July 1 8, 2000

National Federation of the Blind
Atlanta, Georgia
July 2 8, 2000

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Cleveland, Ohio
July 8 12, 2000

Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired
Denver, Colorado
July 15 19, 2000

Blinded Veterans Association
Buena Park, California
August 15 17, 2000

American Academy of Family Physicians
Dallas, Texas
September 20 24, 2000
(photo caption: Brochures like Frequently Asked Questions are among the many
exhibit handouts.)


New braille book mailing container now in production
NLS has begun shipping a new braille book mailing container for use by
patrons and braille-lending agencies. The new container replaces the old
fiberboard units used in the national reading program since the 1930s. 
     The container was developed by NLS staff, under the direction of
Michael Moodie, research and development officer. Patrons and librarians
also offered extensive support in the design and testing of the new
container to achieve the desired features, which included:
    Ability to protect braille books at least as well as the rigid
containers then in use;
    Sized to fit in a mailbox so readers could easily mail volumes back to
the library; 
    Being easy to open and close;
    Lightweight, durable construction;
    Having a handle for carrying;
    Cost similar to a rigid container;
    Ability to be folded reasonably flat when empty; and
    Having an address card that is easy to insert and remove, but that is
retained during mailing.
     The concept of a container small enough to fit into a U.S. Postal
Service outside mailbox originated with Judy Dixon, NLS consumer relations
officer. NLS began by evaluating sample containers used by other libraries
around the world and worked with staff at the Philadelphia regional library
to develop ideas for a prototype encompassing the above characteristics.
Planning and testing were lengthy processes. 
     In 1993, NLS developed a prototype container under contract that was
tested in nearly a dozen different configurations. Starting with less
expensive designs, NLS added "armor" until a satisfactory model was
achieved. In 1996, field tests of the prototype container were conducted at
the Oregon and Massachusetts libraries. The outcome demonstrated a sound
design, and in 1997 manufacturing drawings and specifications were
developed. In July 1998, NLS awarded the first production contract for an
initial 10,000 units, with options for an additional 22,500 over successive
years.
     NLS staff who worked on the project, in addition to Moodie and Dixon,
included Raouf Amin, senior staff engineer, Engineering Section; Linda Bobo,
training instructor, braille codes, Braille Development Section; Robert
Kost, former head, Quality Assurance Section; and Tom McLaughlin, assistant
head, Quality Assurance Section.
(photo caption: NLS staff try out the new braille book mailing container at
a postal box near the NLS headquarters in Washington, D.C. Judith Dixon,
consumer relations officer, mails her containers, backed by NLS staff who
worked on the project. From left, Raouf Amin, Michael Moodie, Linda Bobo,
and Tom McLaughlin wait their turn to mail braille books. Photo by Lorenzo
Wright.)


Cleveland regional provides fun and learning
Topics from sensory gardens to recent technology were available to patrons
at the Cleveland regional library's fifth annual Family Fun and Learning Day
in July. This year's event attracted more than fifty patrons to hear experts
on five different subjects.
     Landscape architect Leslie Scott spoke on "Planning a Sensory Garden"
and led a tour of the library's garden area. Joyce Weidenhoffer presented
her book talk, "Nylon Stalkings II," which highlights mysteries written by
women or featuring women as heroines. Gina Simione, community outreach
specialist for the Rainbow Hospital's children's museum, talked about
"Building Bridges" and not only described different types of bridges in the
Cleveland area but invited patrons to try to build them. Officer Harnell
Smith from the Regional Transit Authority presented a talk on safety.
     Concurrently, people especially interested in technology had
opportunities to learn and ask questions on both a formal and an informal
basis. Randy Knapp, director of the Cleveland Sight Center's Storer Center,
spoke on "Computers and Adaptive Technology 101," which was followed by time
for patrons to ask questions one-on-one. Also on hand to demonstrate the NLS
Union Catalog and answer questions was Judith Dixon, NLS consumer relations
officer. Representatives of the firms Universal Low Vision Products and
HumanWare, which produce vision aids, were also available for consultation.
     Patrons provided lunchtime entertainment. After delighting guests with
several poems, Sarah Bishop played God in a skit with Aldis Daniels and
Frances Roland-McKinnon that portrayed bureaucracy at its worst.
(photo caption: Patrons enjoyed the sensory garden by touching the textures
and smelling the rich aromas of a multitude of carefully selected plantings.
Patron Lily Gyulveszy is enjoying one of more than a dozen scented
geraniums.)


Three network libraries have new directors
Although miles apart, the Louisiana, Minnesota, and Virgin Islands regional
libraries have something in common--aside from belonging to the NLS network.
They each have a new regional librarian who wants to expand services and
facilities.
     Louisiana. Sharilynn Aucoin is no stranger to the network. Not only
did she begin her career in Louisiana's Department for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, but over the past few years she worked closely with
Jennifer Anjier, who retired in May. She served concurrently as assistant
coordinator for Special Services and as the director of the Louisiana Center
for the Book before being named coordinator of Special Services at the State
Library. As coordinator, she supervises the Audiovisual Resource Center and
the Section for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. 
     Her background includes fourteen years with the Louisiana Library
Association, where she served in various positions including assistant
executive director and executive director. From 1991 to 1996, she was
manager of the Audiovisual Resource Center. 
     Aucoin is a member of the American Library Association, the Louisiana
Library Association, the honorary library science fraternity Beta Phi Mu,
and the Greater Baton Rouge Library Club, among others. 
     She has five grandchildren and enjoys reading, traveling, and walking.
     "It is exciting to be part of such a vital service," she says. "It
will be a privilege to lead the Special Services Division into the new
century." She looks forward to "increasing the patron base, using new
technology to enhance service, and helping staff grow professionally."
     Minnesota. Catherine Durivage, who replaces Nancy Walton as director
of the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, is also
excited about her new position. "I know that my wide variety of public
library experience will fit well with this library."
     Durivage comes to the network from the Mason City, Iowa, Public
Library. Prior to that, she worked as an information specialist in Iowa's
Cedar Rapids Library, where she provided bibliographic instruction, ready
reference, and reader's advisory service.
     She received her M.A. in Library and Information Science from the
University of Iowa in May 1991. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and enjoys
current events, sports, travel, fitness, music, and movies.
     Her chief goal is to expand the facility. "I know that I will face
many challenges, but I look forward to this and to working with the staff
here at the library to provide the best possible service to our patrons."
     Virgin Islands. Serita Tucker, the new regional librarian in the
Virgin Islands, also has expansion on her mind. She wants to increase her
service area and reach more people. She already spends a great deal of time
in the field. "This is my best job," says Tucker.
     A native of Pennsylvania, Tucker brings to the position twenty years
of experience in librarianship and education. Most recently, she was head
librarian at Frederiksted Public Library, Virgin Islands. Her list of
accomplishments includes serving as head librarian of the Sprauve Library
and Museum in St. John, Virgin Islands, and serving as a media
specialist/school librarian in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. In addition, she
has worked as a teacher in the Virgin Islands and Boston, Massachusetts.
     She holds a Master of Science in Information Sciences and a Master of
Education. Her hobbies are traveling, beekeeping, reading, gardening, and
studying herbology.
(photo caption: Louisiana's Sharilynn Aucoin.)


NLS welcomes librarian Catherine Desbuquois

Noted French librarian Catherine Desbuquois arrived at NLS in early
September for a one-year temporary appointment. As chief librarian at the
Bibliotheque Publique d'Information, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris,
Desbuquois has extensively researched the reading needs of blind and
handicapped individuals. She and her colleagues have developed a national
bibliographic database that is accessible to blind readers across France.
Desbuquois has also implemented numerous innovations in library technology
to assist patrons with limited access to standard-print books.
     Desbuquois's impressive career has also included posts as head of
several public libraries in Paris. She has held management positions in
music librarianship and cataloging. On a project to assist all of the public
libraries in Paris, she contributed to the development of an online
centralized library catalog, established cataloging standards, edited a
comprehensive guide for users of the online catalog, and taught classes for
librarians on computer-assisted cataloging procedures.
     While at NLS, Ms. Desbuquois will work from the office of director
Frank Kurt Cylke. After a period of introduction and orientation to NLS, its
network of cooperating libraries, and related organizations in the
Washington area, her work will include formulating recommendations to help
NLS acquire French braille and audio publications, compiling related
minibibliographies, overseeing the revision and reformatting of the NLS
Network Library Manual in electronic media, and assisting the NLS Music
Section in expanding its braille music collection. She will also conduct
briefings for NLS staff on her accomplishments and experience in the fields
of automation and outreach to patrons. 
     Desbuquois will be a featured speaker at NLS's twentieth national
conference of librarians serving blind and physically handicapped
individuals. She will also speak on related topics at several other national
and regional conferences. Among these will be the annual meeting of NLS's
National Advisory Group on Collection Building Activities in May 2000 in
Washington, D.C., and the Washington-area conference of Workers for the
Blind in March 2000.
     Desbuquois is active in the International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions (IFLA). She was nominated to the Standing
Committee of IFLA's Section of Libraries for the Blind in 1997.
(photo caption: Catherine Desbuquois confers with NLS director Frank Kurt
Cylke. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.)


Talking books in Sweden

At the end of 1998, Swedish public libraries had in stock a total of
approximately 58,000 different talking-book titles in approximately 1.2
million book boxes, each box containing six to eight cassettes. In 1997,
throughout all of Sweden, talking books were borrowed about 2 million times--that is, 5.5 loans for every disabled person in Sweden entitled to borrow
talking books.
     The existing Swedish model of handling talking books is based on:
    Law. An exception to Swedish copyright law allows talking books to be
made from the print books without permission of the copyright holder, but
only by libraries and organizations with government authorization.
    Libraries. The public library's responsibility for lending talking
books exists on three levels: (1) the local library serves individual
readers; (2) the regional library maintains a stock of books and offers
services within the region; and (3) The Swedish Library of Talking Books and
Braille (TPB) cooperates with local and regional libraries to satisfy
talking-book requirements of visually impaired and other reading-disabled
persons and to interlend talking books throughout Sweden.
    Distribution. There is no postal charge for delivery of talking books
throughout Sweden from one public library to another or from a public
library to an individual reader.
     The Swedish Library and Labyrinten AB, a Swedish company, have
together created a digital format for the talking book of the future called
DAISY (Digital Audiobased Information System). This collaboration has
resulted in an international DAISY Consortium aimed at establishing and
perfecting a set of international standards for the new generation of
digital talking books (see NISO article above).
(Information for this article is from The Talking Book of the Future: A
Report on the Swedish Model for Talking Books, by Bibbi Andersson,
commissioner; distributed by the Swedish Library of Talking Books and
Braille.)


Kormann attends IFLA 

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
held its annual conference at the BITEC Convention Center in Bangkok,
Thailand, August 20 28, with more than 1,900 people from over one hundred
and fifty countries in attendance. The theme was "Libraries as Gateways to
an Enlightened World." Brad Kormann, chief of the NLS Materials Development
Division, represented the United States on the Standing Committee for the
Section of Libraries for the Blind.
     The conference opened on August 23 with Princess Sirindhorn as guest
speaker, followed by a cultural performance featuring Thai dancing. 
     At the Standing Committee meeting, Rosemary Kavanagh of Canada took
over from Beatrice Christiansen Sk”ld as chair. She established new working
groups and urged the chairpersons of each group to coordinate with other
IFLA organizations on their subject areas. NLS will host the next Standing
Committee meeting in mid-February. 
     Kormann and others toured the Thailand Association for the Blind
(TAB), a nonprofit organization that receives government support. TAB has
3,000 patrons and uses two-track cassette book machines.
     Kormann also toured the National Library, attended a meeting of Thai
and U.S. librarians at the U.S. embassy, witnessed a ribbon-cutting ceremony
for a new Library of Congress building on the embassy compound, and served
on a panel about book preservation that focused on humidity and water damage
problems.
(IFLA publication available
Guidelines for Library Services to Braille Users, prepared by the IFLA
Section of Libraries for the Blind, was approved by the IFLA Professional
Board in August 1998. The pamphlet contains a background section on the 1994
revised text of the UNESCO Manifesto for Public Libraries, a list of eight
principles of library service to braille users, and nine guidelines for
developing braille collections. Copies of this print publication are
available from the NLS Reference Section.)


The sounds of summer in Seattle
Young patrons had an array of events to choose from this summer as three
programs designed for younger readers took place in the Washington Talking
Book and Braille Library (WTBBL). In June, Charlie Williams of Casper,
Wyoming, came to visit with his "Sound Effects Safari." Charlie used
dramatic tones, silly voices, and amazing noises--all from his own mouth!--to tell his stories. Charlie's wild imagination inspired those in the
audience to create their own unique sound effects.
     In August, local performers entertained. Seattle's African music and
dance company Adefua brought drums, traditional instruments, and an electric
energy into the building as they presented West African music and dance.
Audience members from a two-year-old to several "senior citizens" were
brought to their feet by the group's exciting rhythms. The audience found it
especially meaningful to handle maracas, drums, and other instruments,
playing them under the direction of Ade Harris, leader of his family troupe.
     At the end of August, the program "The Two Julies" made for a change
of pace. First, a local television anchor and celebrity, Julie Francavilla
of King 5 TV, held a story hour with picture books in the library's newly
furnished and accessible children's room. Julie's delivery of The Chocolate-Covered Cookie Tantrum left everyone smiling. She was followed by Julie
DeGeus, a volunteer at the library who teaches "Braille Waves," a distance-learning class for braille aired by WTBBL's Evergreen Radio Reading Service.
This Julie read from a print/braille copy of Arthur's Chicken Pox. Her
fluent braille skills and advocacy of braille literacy were especially
relevant to the pre-braille readers. Staff and audience alike were so taken
with this combination of a sighted storyteller and a blind storyteller that
both performers agreed to present a program again next summer.
(This article was provided by Elizabeth Eisenhood, children's librarian at
the Washington regional library.)
(photo caption: Charlie Williams's storytelling gets a rousing hand of
appreciation.)


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: Rita Byrnes, Jane Caulton, Robert Fistick, Michael Moodie, and
George Thuronyi