News ISSN 1046-1663 April-June 2002, Vol. 33, No. 2 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress Digital Talking-Book Standard approved The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announced in March that a national standard for Digital Talking Books (DTB) has been approved. The standard, developed through a consensus of participating service agencies, advocacy groups, librarians, manufacturers, producers, and patrons moves NLS a step closer to making the next generation of talking books, supported by digital technology, a reality. Titled "Specifications for the Digital Talking Book," the standard defines the format and content of the electronic file set that comprises a DTB and establishes a limited set of requirements for DTB playback devices. The five-year-long effort was coordinated by NLS. Michael Moodie, NLS research and development officer, has chaired and organized the NISO DTB committee meetings and work groups from the project's inception in 1997. Voting members of NISO approved the document in December 2001, and the standard was ratified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on March 6, 2002, as American National Standard ANSI/NISO Z39.86- 2002. According to NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke, "It is truly a universal standard that will benefit the blind community for generations to come. This single standard addresses the requirements of a range of agencies serving users with a wide variety of reading needs." Standard content. As defined in the standard, a DTB is a unified set of electronic files that present information to a reader by means of a variety of alternative formats. Most commonly, a DTB will consist of a digital audio recording of a human narrator's voice accompanied by a file that enables rapid, flexible movement through the book--for example, jumping instantly from chapter to chapter, or article to article in a magazine. Some DTBs will also include a file containing the full text of the book, which readers can access with a refreshable braille device, large-print visual display, or synthetic speech. Some DTB players will also include mechanisms for such actions as placing bookmarks or jumping directly to cross-references. Utility and flexibility. "This standard will facilitate the efficient presentation of information through a variety of alternative media and will make it easier for readers to navigate the digital world," says Michael Moodie. "The standard makes possible a powerful, flexible reading system that easily adapts to different types of documents and different user needs. It provides a framework under which a person or agency can create DTBs ranging from a very simple novel to a long, complex reference work or textbook. The standard was built as far as possible on existing standards and specifications, so programming skills and software tools developed for other purposes can be applied to the DTB world. "The real beauty of the DTB standard is that it allows users great flexibility in how they read those DTBs. Some books call for a straight, linear reading experience, while others will need sophisticated functions that allow random access to sections of the DTB, the ability to turn on or off selected elements such as footnotes, and the capability to set bookmarks, highlight portions of text, or do keyword searches." Participants in development. The participation of consumers is emphasized by NISO executive director Patricia Harris. "The ANSI/NISO DTB standard is built on specifications and needs formulated by blind and visually impaired users, who were heavily involved in every aspect of the development effort." She noted that "during the development process, the full committee met eleven times across the United States and Canada, and smaller working groups met countless times in person and via conference calls and e-mail." Agency partners from the international community in this complex effort are listed below. Standards availability. NISO is a nonprofit association, accredited by the American National Standards Institute, that identifies, develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards to manage information in the changing and increasingly digital environment. NISO standards apply both traditional and new technologies to the full range of information-related needs, including retrieval, repurposing, storage, metadata, and preservation. NISO is the only U.S. group accredited by ANSI to develop and promote voluntary technical standards for use in information delivery services for libraries, publishers, and related information technology organizations. All NISO standards are developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in the field to meet the needs of both the information user and the producer. When a standard is published, NISO announces this as widely as possible through a variety of electronic lists, to many industry news outlets, and on its web site. NISO standards are used by publishers and information providers, automated information systems companies, library directors, systems librarians, serials librarians, preservation librarians, abstractors, and indexers--all those whose work depends on interoperability with other systems and processes. For more information, visit the NISO web site at . "Specifications for the Digital Talking Book" is available for free download at the web site. Participating Agencies  American Council of the Blind  American Foundation for the Blind  American Printing House for the Blind  Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (of the American Library Association)  Blinded Veterans Association  Canadian National Institute for the Blind  DAISY Consortium  Hadley School for the Blind  Industry Canada (Assistive Devices Industry Office)  isSound Corporation  Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped  National Federation of the Blind  Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic  Talking Book Publishers, Inc.  Telex Communications, Inc.  VisuAide, Inc.  World Blind Union Digital Long-Term Planning Group meets The Digital Long-Term Planning Group took its second look at NLS's digital future when it met on March 6, 7, and 8. Established in October 2001 (see News, Vol. 32, No. 4), the group is charged with a thorough review of current and projected technologies and their potential applicability to NLS's mission. NLS's automation officer Robert McDermott chairs the group. A short period of reflection on the first meeting and its work included discussion of a growing perception that the cornucopia of accessible, electronically available information in the world at large considerably alters the need for the NLS program for blind people. A closer look at patron demographics will help to determine the accuracy of that perception. Potential topics. The group launched into its formal agenda with reports on six topics that the first meeting had identified for further study. The topics, with their presenters, were: 1. Digital signatures and patron transfers (Barbara Goral and Robert McDermott); 2. Nonappliance-based e-books (Deborah Rutledge and Judith Dixon); 3. Demographics (Judith Dixon); 4. Speech recognition (Gerald Buttars, Karen Keninger, and Stephen Prine); 5. Commercial audio books (Guynell Williams and Brad Kormann); and 6. Ten speculative scenarios for our program (Steven Booth and John Cookson). These projections, results of a "brainstorming" exploration, ranged widely from "change nothing!" to "change everything!" with intermediate steps that included web-based text, computers for all, synthesized speech, and alternative players. Digital talking books. The group turned to discussions of the digital talking book (DTB), ranging among such issues as project-status update, operational requirements, the life-cycle cost model, distribution scenarios, packaging and labeling, analog-to-digital transition, and the NLS action plan. Biennial conference planning. Much of the meeting was devoted to planning for agenda items at the biennial Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals. The Digital Long- Term Planning Group will convene again at NLS in the fall of 2002. (photo caption: Tom Martin, assistant chief of the Network Division, records points made by group members. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.) (photo caption: Guynell Williams, South Carolina, and Michael Moodie, NLS, consider packaging of NLS books. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.) Attendees Consumer representatives: Steven Booth (NFB) and Paul Edwards (ACB) COSLA representative: Jim Scheppke Network representatives: Gerald Buttars (Utah), Barbara Goral (Colorado), Karen Keninger (Iowa), Deborah Rutledge (New Jersey), and Guynell Williams (South Carolina) NLS: John Cookson, head, Engineering Section; Frank Kurt Cylke, director; Judith Dixon, consumer relations officer; Brad Kormann, chief, Materials Development Division; Michael Moodie, research and development officer; Stephen Prine, head, Network Services Section; Carolyn Sung, chief, Network Division; and David Whittall, network consultant, Network Services Section, in addition to Robert McDermott Audio committee advises The annual National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee (NAEAC) meeting took place on April 3-5, 2002, and included representatives of consumer groups, repair volunteers, and network librarians. Their main purpose was to review the current status of NLS's equipment manufacturing and repair programs, and to discuss future programs, such as the digital audio development project. The NAEAC's three groups--librarians, volunteers, and consumers--also proposed specific recommendations that were to be submitted to NLS staff for consideration. Program review. The first day of the meeting was devoted to reports on the current status of machines and projects. Brad Kormann, chief of the NLS Materials Development Division, gave an update of NLS efforts in both the digital and analog realms. John Cookson, head of the NLS Engineering Section, moderated the panel dealing with production and repair. Donald Smith, head of the Quality Assurance Section, spoke about current production of the headphones, E-1 machine repairs, and C-1 machine contract repairs. John Cookson also commented on the status of the planned production of amplifiers for hearing-impaired persons, headphones, and solar battery chargers. Kevin Watson, NLS equipment repair officer, informed committee members about the status of the Volunteer Repair Project. Carolyn Sung, chief of the Network Division, spoke on restructuring the repair parts supply procedures, while James Miller, equipment control officer, reported on the current state of equipment inventory. In light of mail problems since the October anthrax scares, Cookson, Sung, Watson, and GE Elfun representative Robert Smith spoke about postal and other carriers' irradiation procedures and testing C-1 reliability through real-time metering. The remainder of the session was devoted to review of digital audio development. Cookson spoke about the NISO digital talking-book standard, and John Bryant, head of the NLS Production Control Section, covered digital mastering by NLS producers. The final portion of the April 3 meeting concentrated on short- term and long-term digital planning. Billy West, NLS audio book production specialist, informed the committee about the digital mastering and duplication experiment, and Lloyd Rasmussen, NLS electronics engineer, presented a summary of research and development that supports the NISO DTB standard. Robert McDermott, NLS automation officer, explained the goals of the Digital Long-Term Planning Group, while John Bryant explained the player design contest being conducted with the Industrial Designers Society of America. Recommendations. The second and third days of the meeting were focused on the large number of recommendations and suggestions proposed by the three subgroups for consideration by NLS.  From consumers. The consumers subgroup provided a basic wish-list for the future--a good quality, moisture-proof digital talking-book playback machine compatible with the needs of people with physical disabilities. Also, they would like to see NLS develop media for digital talking books that would be compatible with a PC and playable with NLS-developed software. They are also encouraging NLS to investigate the possibility of online distribution of audio books and magazines when broadband becomes more affordable.  From librarians. Reflecting requests from their own consumers, the most urgent concern was to introduce the new talking-book technology as soon as possible, or to consider an appropriate interim technology. They also recommended that NLS provide information on companies producing battery chargers and rewinders, results of upcoming solid-state memory meetings and the digital player design competition, as well as quarterly updates on changes and advances in the DTB initiative.  From repair volunteers. Information exchange also concerned volunteers, who would also like to see a separate technical publication available that would accelerate the dissemination of technical information. Also, they were concerned with changing the printing on individual CBM boxes to include "free matter for the blind or handicapped" and other issues relating to postal matters. (photo caption: Repair volunteers Robert Smith, Kevin Watson (NLS), Jerry Adamson, Dick Iverson, Joe Bernal, and Les Miller. Photo by Yusef El-Amin.) Committee members Consumers: Darren Burton, Northern Region; Norman Jones, Blinded Veterans Association; Allan Peterson, Western Region; Sharon Strzalkowski, American Council of the Blind; Bruce Woodward, National Federation of the Blind Repair volunteers: Jerry Adamson, Telephone Pioneers of America (Midlands); Joseph Bernal, Telephone Pioneers of America (South); Richard Iverson, Telephone Pioneers of America (West); Les Miller, Telephone Pioneers of America (North); Robert Smith, General Electric Elfuns Network library representatives: John Brewster, Braille Institute (West); Richard Feindel, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (South); Mamie Grady, Chicago Public Library (Midlands); Christine Lisiecki, New Jersey Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (North) Bookshare.org provides books in digital formats Bookshare.org is a new online service that offers more than 8,000 books in digital format for readers who are blind or visually impaired or have disabilities that impede the use of conventional print. Readers must have access to computers with assistive technology such as refreshable braille or synthetic speech and must pay a nominal subscription fee. Bookshare.org relies on volunteers to submit electronic versions of books that have been scanned so they can be digitized and downloaded for the use of subscribers. The service takes advantage of the special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications in specialized formats with restricted access. Bookshare.org is sponsored by Benetech, a nonprofit company. By providing a central repository, the same texts need not be scanned over again by each person who wants to use the material but, once scanned and uploaded, can be accessed immediately by any member of the service. Bookshare.org will make a vast library of low-cost books in alternative formats readily available--but, because the books are scanned by volunteers, the quality of the books it provides cannot be guaranteed. A rating of the technical quality of each book is available with each title. The current total of around 8,000 books is growing daily as members and volunteers submit new files. U.S. residents who can provide proof of blindness, visual impairment, or other disabilities that prevent the use of print can subscribe to Bookshare.org with a one-time $25 sign-up fee and a $50 annual subscription charge. Individuals who are already registered to receive library service from NLS can provide their own certification by e-mail, authorizing Bookshare.org to verify their eligibility directly with NLS. Bookshare.org is an initiative of Benetech, a nonprofit venture that, by its own description, "combines the impact of technological solutions with the social entrepreneurship business model to help disadvantaged communities in our society and across the world." Benetech is a corporate descendant of Arkenstone, which developed and marketed assistive technology through the 1990s. For more information about the service and subscription requirements, visit the Bookshare web site at . For more information about Benetech and its other initiatives, visit . (photo caption: James R. Fruchterman of Benetech explains Bookshare at the national conference.) Digital activities highlight national librarians meeting Digital considerations pervaded the national meeting of librarians serving blind and physically handicapped individuals with the theme "Our Digital World: A Leap to the Future" during their five-day conference in Richmond, Virginia, Sunday, April 30, through Thursday, May 2. Progress in development of the digital talking book for the nation's talking-book program was detailed to more than 175 participants with presentations from a variety of speakers and panelists and in concurrent discussion sessions. Two major addresses were a prelude to updates by NLS on its digital planning efforts. Noted artist and writer Fiona Page of Atlanta, Georgia, gave an informative and humorous talk about how she adjusted to blindness at midlife. She was followed by James Sanders, president and chief executive officer, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, who gave a presidential address, "I Have a Dream: Transforming Learning and Access to Information," outlining his vision of a world where the digital revolution will make blind and sighted readers equals. NLS staff summarized digital technology progress in a session titled "An Audio Digital Planning Effort," moderated by Wells B. Kormann, chief of the Materials Development Division. NLS staff discussed digital talking-book standards, building a digital audio collection, mastering, collection development, talking-book player design, distribution system, and electronic communications transitions. NLS gave conference attendees an advance copy of its new publication Digital Talking Books: Progress to Date--May 2002, which details much of the information presented at the conference. (See article below.) Keynoting the digital effort, Elsebeth Tank, director, Danish National Library for the Blind, talked about new ways of thinking about the digital revolution in "Transformations: Why and How to Change Libraries Serving Blind Individuals." Digital conversion information continued with an address by Rosemary Kavanagh, vice president of client services, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, on "Challenges in Shaping the Digital Generation of Service." Her talk was followed by presentations and discussion sessions led by consumers, network librarians, and NLS staff from the Digital Long- Term Planning Group. Topics covered nine areas: demographics, ten speculative scenarios (for digital talking books), speech-browser pilot test, digital signatures, commercial audio books, nonappliance e-books, web site development, upgrading web site accessibility, and Web-Braille. (See article above.) Ongoing activities A breakfast colloquy, Focus on Native Americans, was led by Ruth Nussbaum, NLS reference librarian, and David Whittall, NLS network consultant. Automation activities were presented by automation officer Robert McDermott and automation specialist Lloyd E. Lewis, along with user- group discussions for the various automation systems used by the network. Two workshops preceded the conference: "Children and Young Adult Services," conducted by Barbara Kelly and Patricia Steelman, librarians in the NLS Collection Development Section, and "The Art of Audio Book Production," conducted by Margaret Goergen-Rood, director of the NLS studio, and Bill West, NLS audio book production specialist. A panel discussion on "Outreach Campaigns" highlighted the close of the conference with librarians from Massachusetts, Missouri, and Nebraska relating their successes with the national "Take a Talking Book" senior multimedia campaign. New services Prior to the National Automation Conference on Wednesday, May 1, two addresses were presented by Library of Congress (LC) staff. Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, director of the LC Veterans History Project, discussed the national congressionally mandated program. Mary Mohr, former NLS network consultant, outlined LC's new digital reference initiatives. Also, James Gashel of the National Federation of the Blind provided conferees with an overview of the national newspaper service called NFB-NEWSLINE, and James R. Fruchterman of the Benetech Initiative briefed participants on "Bookshare," his firm's Internet book-borrowing program using synthetic speech. (See articles above and below.) The national conference was coordinated by Steven Prine, head, Network Services Section. He was assisted by Jean Moss, assistant head, Production Control Section, and David Whittall. The host library was the Virginia Library and Resource Center, Barbara McCarthy, director. Conferees toured the library facilities and attended receptions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Historical Society. The Virginia Library and Resource Center hosted a canal boat ride. (photo caption: On behalf of the host library, the Virginia Library and Resource Center, regional librarian Barbara McCarthy opens the conference with the roll call of states.) (photo caption: Exchanging viewpoints between sessions. Above, Andrew Egan (Rhode Island) and Peter Douglas (Albany, New York). Below, Linda Stetson, Katy Sinquefield, and Linda Stokes (Georgia).) (photo caption: Artist and writer Fiona Page gave the keynote speech on adjusting to blindness.) (photo caption: James Sanders, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, outlined his vision of future equality.) (photo caption: Attending to business. Foreground, Garry Olsen (Wyoming), Gerald Buttars (Utah), and Brad Kormann (NLS). Second row, Greg Carlson (Florida), Sandra Everette (Arizona), and Linda Montgomery (Arizona).) Broward County event brings people together This year's "Meet the Narrators" program at the Broward County, Florida, subregional library produced an unexpected meeting--an author and the narrator of her book. For the past three years, Insight for the Blind and the Broward County Talking Book Library have brought people who record talking books together with the patrons who listen to them. The talking-book users learn about what it takes to record talking books and magazines; the volunteers at Insight get to meet their audience and bask in the praise for their efforts. This year's program on March 13 was special because a member of the audience happened to be an author whose book had been recorded at Insight for the Blind. The author, Debbie Hazelton, met Miriam Wagner, who recorded her book Solving the Self-Esteem Puzzle: A Guide for Moving from Piece to Peace (RC 34984) for NLS. Hazelton, an avid braille and talking-book user, came to "Meet the Narrators" as a representative of the State of Florida, Division of Blind Services, where she is the new children's services counselor. The meeting was a pleasant surprise for both women. Insight for the Blind, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the largest volunteer recording studio in the United States meeting the stringent specifications established by NLS, which assigns the materials to be recorded. The Broward County Talking Book Library and Insight for the Blind work together to provide an outstanding reading experience for those eligible to receive talking books. (Material for this article was supplied by Joann Block, subregional librarian for the Broward County library.) (photo caption: Together to "meet the narrators" at the Broward County library are Joann Block, subregional librarian; Debbie Hazelton, author; and Miriam Wagner from Insight for the Blind, narrator of Hazelton's book.) Report issued on digital talking books A new report on the talking-book program conversion to a digital format was issued on May 1, bringing up-to-the-minute information on the progress of this major undertaking. The 54-page volume, Digital Talking Books: Progress to Date--May 2002, updates the digital project's first report, Digital Talking Books: Planning for the Future, issued in July 1998. Its publication coincides with the adoption of the NISO standard. "At this writing, NLS has determined that digital playback services will begin to be offered in 2008," says NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke. "At that time approximately 20,000 audio titles may be available in a digital form, with full digital production of current titles to commence in 2004," Cylke noted. Articles by NLS staff include "Twenty Steps to Next-Generation NLS Technology--Update" by John Cookson, head of the Engineering Section; "Work Accomplished to Date" by Michael M. Moodie, research and development officer; "Nine Tasks to Implement the Use of Digital Talking Books" by Wells B. Kormann, chief, Materials Development Division; "Digital Braille: Web-Braille Puts Braille Books on the Internet" by Judith M. Dixon, consumer relations officer; and a bibliography compiled by Linda Redmond, head, Reference Section. Kormann, who chairs the NLS Digital Audio Development (DAD) Committee, believes "NLS is on track to convert from an analog to a digitally based program by 2008. Great progress has been made in the first report's twenty steps to digital technology. A reader of this updated report will readily comprehend the enormous task as well as the progress to date," he said. In "Work Accomplished to Date," Moodie notes that, in addition to building the ANSI/NISO digital talking-book standard, NLS has completed a computer-based life-cycle cost model that allows comparison of costs for the current audio cassette program with costs likely in the deployment of a fully digital operation. In 2001 NLS established a Digital Long-Term Planning Group made up of consumer representatives and network librarians, who, with NLS staff, will contribute to the planning for the deployment of digital information technology through the national network of more than 130 cooperating libraries in the years to come (see article above). NLS has begun to build a collection of digital recordings through a graduated increase in digital output required of audio contractors. A low-complexity mastering system for network libraries, experimental digital talking-book production tools, and the selective conversion of existing analog titles to digital media are among many ongoing initiatives in research and development. Simultaneously, the NLS DAD committee has begun preliminary steps to design a digital talking-book player, beginning with software that will run on an ordinary PC. The group has also teamed up with the Industrial Designers Society of America to sponsor a contest to challenge industrial design students to create the shell of a digital talking-book player. The contest will be judged in June 2002 and results announced in July. The report also covers NLS's Web-Braille on the Internet program, which uses digital files to make thousands of books from the NLS collection available to readers who use braille output devices. A comprehensive bibliography in the report provides further information on these and other NLS digital research and development efforts over the past ten years. Free copies of Digital Talking Books: Progress to Date--May 2002 are available in large print, in braille, and on recorded cassette from the Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542. To expedite requests, use facsimile (202) 707-0712; telephone (202) 707- 5100; or e-mail . The report is also available on the NLS web site at . NFB-NEWSLINE available to NLS patrons Thanks to a federal grant, NFB-NEWSLINE became available nationwide on March 1, 2002, offering telephone access to audio versions of newspapers and other time-sensitive information. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) created the service to allow people who are unable to read conventional print to have access to newspapers and other materials at virtually the same time as their sighted colleagues, friends, and family members. A centralized system using modern telecommunications technology, high-speed computers, and synthetic speech rapidly distributes the newspaper contents and other data in a format usable by blind individuals. NLS patrons who would like to initiate service may notify their cooperating library of their interest. The library will ensure that the patron's name and address are forwarded to NFB, which will in turn contact the patron with an identification number, security code, and telephone access information. New patrons should find an addendum sheet (FR 100) accompanying their applications for NLS service. NFB-NEWSLINE is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Daily papers provided include USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal, among many others. NFB-NEWSLINE's goal is to provide at least two papers from each state. Other menu selections will include announcements and library newsletters. Registered readers can access NFB-NEWSLINE through a toll-free number from anywhere in the continental United States and Puerto Rico, using a touch-tone phone. After entering their ID number and security code on the keypad, readers are guided through easy-to-use menu options and navigation instructions. One-touch keypad entries enable the reader to move quickly from one section to another of a particular paper or from one article to the next, to skip ahead in an article, and to alter voice speed. There are also word search and word spell-out options. For more information, visit the NFB web site at or call (410) 659-9314. Network exchange California (Los Angeles). The Braille Institute of America Library's "Meet the Author" day on February 8 featured an appearance by award- winning author Theresa Nelson, who kept an audience of forty-five young adults rapt as she spoke about the life of a writer and the power of imagination. "I can't remember a time when I didn't love books and stories. My earliest memories are of my mother reading to my brothers and sisters and me," said Nelson, who grew up in Beaumont, Texas, in a family of eleven children. "Before long I was following their lead and writing my own fairy tales. I was writer, producer, director, and resident witch-- since the witch always got the best lines." Before becoming a writer, Nelson worked as an actress and drama teacher. Her first book, The Twenty-five-Cent Miracle, was a 1986 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She is also the author of And One for All, Beggar's Ride, and Earthshine, all of which were ALA Notable Children's Books and School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year. Henry C. Chang, director of Braille Institute Library Services, served as master of ceremonies for the morning program, which was organized by information resources librarian Julie Uyeno. At the close of the program, lunch was served and prizes were awarded. (photo caption: Children's author Theresa Nelson speaks to young adults about writing and the love of books.) Ohio (Cincinnati). Christopher Smith, a readers' advisor with the Cincinnati regional library, has won the Sidney Jackson award for 2002. This award is presented annually to the Kent State School of Library and Information Science student who has written the best essay on library history, social responsibilities of libraries, or intellectual freedom. The research paper, An Evolution in Service! One Hundred Years of Cincinnati's Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 1901-2001, is currently being recorded and translated into braille for the library's collection. Smith finished his library degree in December 2001, the same year the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped celebrated its 100th anniversary, making his paper a contribution to the celebration. Smith was part of a pioneer Kent State program--a Library Science degree using distance learning. He was able to take classes given from the Kent State campus at a local facility with a group of about fifteen students. Because Smith has low vision, distance learning was essential to his earning a degree. Smith has always had an interest in history, and the timing of the library's 100th year and his research paper worked out very happily. Illinois (Chicago). In 2001 the Talking Book Center conducted joint summer reading programs for children and adults, both with the theme used by the Illinois Library Association, "Feel Your Need to Read." The children's program was conducted by Jerry McNally from June 11 through August 18. Nineteen patrons between the ages of five and seventeen participated. The most prolific reader reported reading thirty-two books. Patrice Johnson initiated the program for adults in response to stories of success at other libraries. Participants were asked to read twelve titles from a theme-related bibliography between July 2 and August 18. Ninety-eight patrons registered, and forty-six read twelve books or more--a most encouraging return for a new program. Both programs concluded with a party on August 18 at the Harold Washington Library Center. Thirty-seven people attended. South Carolina Sighted children discover new ways of reading A collaborative partnership between the South Carolina State Library and the official book examination and preview center for the state of South Carolina has given the library's Talking Book Services division an opportunity to expose sighted children to special-format materials available to blind and visually impaired readers. Housed at the South Carolina State Library and designated by the Palmetto Book Alliance, an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, the BEST (Books Evaluation Selection Training) Center supports teaching, learning, and research related to children's and young-adult literature and materials. When Helen Fellers, coordinator of the BEST Center, presented her idea of incorporating tours of the Talking Book Services division with BEST Center tours, Guynell Williams, director of Talking Book Services, greeted her with resounding approval. The February through April 2002 tours introduced approximately 110 sighted children (ages 4-7), their teachers, and their caretakers to the state's Talking Book Services program. Christopher Yates, reader services and collection development librarian for Talking Book Services, has the pleasure of speaking to the visiting children. He explains how blind and visually impaired children use talking and braille books, demonstrates assistive computer equipment, and introduces them to Spinoza (donated by the Spinoza Company)--the cuddly bear who "talks" through a hidden speaker and tape cassette player. Spinoza has been the big hit of each tour. "It's nice to interact face-to-face with these children," said Yates, "and I hope I leave them with the understanding that books are fun and can be enjoyed by everyone, even people with disabilities." "The children have just been so excited and the teachers have been wonderfully pleased with all the new information they've received. It has been a marvelous opportunity for all involved," remarked Fellers. The South Carolina State Library and its Talking Books division wholeheartedly agree and look forward to a long and productive relationship with the BEST Center. (Material for this article was provided by Guynell Williams, South Carolina regional librarian.) (photo caption: Christopher Yates, reader services and collection development librarian, presents one alternate reading method through Spinoza, a cuddly bear who uses a tape cassette player to talk through a hidden speaker.) Multistate center directors meet at NLS Personnel from the two NLS multistate centers met with NLS staff on April 26 to discuss matters relating to materials and supplies. The two regional service centers function under contract with NLS to store and provide NLS publications, equipment, supplies, and interlibrary loan service for all NLS books and magazines to network agencies in their geographic areas. Each MSC handles some limited items for the entire network. The Mississippi River serves as the geographic dividing line with eastern states served from Cincinnati through a contract with the Clovernook Center for the Blind, and western states served from Salt Lake City through the Utah State Library. Carolyn Sung, chief of the Network Division, supervises contract procedures, working closely with the Library of Congress Contracts and Logistics Division and the head of the NLS Inventory Management Section. Discussion items included broad areas such as collections, publications, automation, space, and supplies. Specific current topics included the U.S. Postal Service and NLS mail, safety concerns about receipt of box shipments, the automated inventory system under development, braille mailing containers, and large-quantity purchase patterns and their impact on space use. (photo caption: Present at the multistate directors meeting are Steve Prine, head of the Network Services Section; Jacqueline Conner, director of the Multistate Center East (MSCE); Brad Kormann, chief of the Materials Development Division; Ruth Nelson, Library of Congress contracting officer; Carolyn Sung, chief of the Network Division; Ernest James, acting head of the Inventory Management Section; Karnell Parry, director of the Multistate Center West (MSCW); Carolyn Sweeney, administrative assistant at the MSCW; and Paula Seevers, administrative assistant at the MSCE.) 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 Fistick, Nancy Galbraith, Irene Kost, and Edmund O'Reilly