Update ISSN 0160-9203 July-September 1997, Vol. 20, No. 3 National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress Pinellas Braille Group celebrates forty years of making a difference The Pinellas Braille Group, Inc., of St. Petersburg, Florida, celebrated its fortieth anniversary at a luncheon on June 3, 1997, hosted by the Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El, the group's sponsor. The highlight of the affair was the presentation of an award from the Mildred Shavlan Achievement Fund to Jessica Tomlinson, a seventh-grade student, in recognition of her efforts to acquire independent-living skills, outstanding academic achievements, and community involvement. This award is given each year to deserving visually impaired students of Pinellas County. While the nearly seventy volunteers and friends enjoyed a catered luncheon in the social hall of the synagogue, representatives of the Sisterhood gave words of congratulations and encouragement to the group. The members recounted the group's achievements and activities over the past forty years. The Pinellas Braille Group members began transcribing braille using the slate and stylus, advancing to the braillewriter, and then to the computer. They progressed from narrating at home on small tape recorders to using two recording booths, and added large-print transcription to their services. "Since we do all our brailling at home, the luncheon was an excellent way to mark this milestone and an opportunity for us to just socialize," says Vilma Spector, president of the group. The main responsibility of the Pinellas Braille Group is to provide textbooks in braille and recorded formats for Florida students who are visually impaired. It also supplements the reading needs of visually impaired adults in the state. For example, insurance agent Mike Lamb became acquainted with the group when he needed braille textbooks in grade school. The group continued to assist him with his reading needs through high school and college, and in his career and church activities. The group also accepts assignments from the Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Services, other state organizations, and the Jewish Braille Institute in New York. Some members of the Pinellas Braille Group helped establish the Visual Aid Volunteers of Florida (VAVF), which was formed to assist the Florida Instructional Materials Center. Group members like recording specialist Eileen Balliett, have also served on the VAVF board of directors. Ms. Balliett and Mildred Atkinson have developed training and supervising programs for the recording studio narrators. Meg Wagner, a specialist in brailling math and science, nurtured the group's use of computers. "The Pinellas Braille Group, Inc., is an active and enthusiastic group of volunteers," says Mrs. Spector. "Two of our members, Mickey Bobertz and Meg Wagner, have served on the board of directors of the National Braille Association. At present Alice Childers is serving as foreign language consultant for the Textbooks Format Technical Committee of the Braille Authority of North America. We have had a productive forty years." (photo caption: Margaret Boman presents the Mildred Shavlan Achievement Award to Jessica Tomlinson.) Volunteers take Philadelphia library to new heights The Philadelphia Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) would find it difficult to maintain the level of service it presently provides without its volunteers. Volunteers recorded, duplicated, inspected, and distributed the thirty thousand-plus cassette magazines and books produced by the LBPH in 1996. They also repaired more than four thousand playback machines last year. Three visually handicapped volunteers helped set up and maintain the public-access braille/large-print computer workstation and trained patrons with disabilities to use the computer. This workstation provides some of the same word-processing, catalog-information, and reference services to disabled patrons that sighted persons receive from other Free Library of Philadelphia agencies. Student volunteers also play an increasingly prominent part in the program. As in 1995, a group of four students spent their Wednesdays volunteering at the library, while a second group of ten youths devoted their Wednesday afternoons to helping out. Individual students from three high schools also provided volunteer services. Collectively, these student volunteers represented five high schools in the Philadelphia area. A number of longtime volunteers who are also disabled continue to perform important tasks such as shelving books and discharging and recycling machines. A volunteer who speaks Spanish has begun contacting Spanish-speaking readers and translating information, such as the 919 News, into Spanish. The library recognized these dedicated volunteers for their many hours of service at a luncheon in early December 1996. Nearly forty volunteers, including student volunteers plus library staff and guests, attended the semiannual affair. Richard Riddell, the LBPH volunteer coordinator, presented a certificate of appreciation to each volunteer. Mr. Riddell congratulated the group and then spoke about the value of volunteering. Recognition for the heart of Pittsburgh "Volunteers--the Heart of LBPH" was the theme used by the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, during National Volunteer Week to honor the Telephone Pioneers. Throughout the week, coffee receptions were held at the three work sites used by the Pioneers. "These dedicated people give their time and energy weekly. They help us serve our patrons in many ways: checking flexible-disc books, repairing cassette cartridges, and fixing cassette players and disc machines," says LBPH librarian Sue Murdock. Patrons and staff jointly extended their gratitude to Bill Adams, Harry Baier, Margaret Behan, Jim Belton, Ed Carlin, Mary Pat Casey, Helen Connolly, Jack Goerl, William Guentner, Bob Henderson, Bert Kennedy, Dorothy Klaus, Robert Lewis, Tom Masterson, Rita McNamara, Bill Nixon, Helen Schaeffer, Fritz Seldon, Irene Silvestrin, and Julius Thauer. Prison inmates among volunteers who help out in Alabama Last fall the Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) held a volunteer recognition luncheon celebrating the contributions of those who have donated their time over the past twenty years. During 1996 twenty-one in-house volunteers and Telephone Pioneers donated a total of 1,570 hours of service. In addition, volunteer work was performed by prison inmates of the Alabama Department of Corrections. "We greatly appreciate the work the inmates do. They have learned a variety of jobs and have helped us with several projects," said Fara Zaleski, regional librarian. "In the area of machines, they have tested accessory equipment and prepackaged repaired cassette-book machines. These activities provide them with an opportunity to interact with disabled and elderly visitors and to see firsthand that their tasks have an impact on someone else's life." Library staff, subregional librarians, representatives from AT&T and BellSouth, Telephone Pioneers, in-house and Department of Corrections volunteers, and guests gathered at the luncheon. The Telephone Pioneers of America received special accolades for their many years of machine-repair services. Telephone Pioneers from Athens, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa were present. Alabama's Telephone Pioneers evaluate and repair playback equipment, generally working on Monday and Thursday mornings. Thus far they have repaired 334 talking-book machines and 1,561 cassette-book machines and identified an additional 250 machines to be returned to producers under warranty. The in-house volunteers worked with patron files, material circulation, inter-library loan, and shelving new books. Carolyn Sung, NLS Network Division chief, presented several special plaques and gave a brief history of the Pioneers. Patricia Harris, Alabama Public Library System director, assisted Ms. Zaleski in awarding framed certificates to all LBPH volunteers. A local caterer served an excellent luncheon to 105 people seated in the library warehouse that had been turned into a banquet hall. The luncheon was funded through several large donations from patrons. (photo caption: Alabama volunteers and guests socialize in festive atmosphere. "Volunteer Parking" signs served as centerpieces for each table.) Copyright law amendment--questions and answers Since the 1996 passage of the amendment to the copyright law, Public Law 104-197, many questions have arisen regarding the production of braille and recorded materials. Known as the Chafee amendment, this legislation allows nonprofit agencies serving blind individuals, including government services, to produce special-format books and magazines without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder. (See Update, JanuaryþMarch 1997, for background information.) NLS has prepared Facts: Copyright Law Amendment, 1996: PL 104-197 to clarify major concerns. The following information is excerpted from Facts. Full copies may be requested from the NLS Reference Section. Q. What is the effective date of the amendment? A. H.R. 3754 does not specify an effective date. Therefore, the effective date was September 16, 1996, the date on which the president signed the bill into law. Q. Are the provisions of the amendment retroactive? A. The exemption covers all nondramatic literary works protected by copyright regardless of when they were first published. Reproduction and distribution under the exemption must take place on or after September 16, 1996. Q. Does the amendment cover periodicals? A. The new exemption covers "nondramatic literary works"; Section 101 of Title 17, United States Code, includes "periodicals" within the definition of "literary works." Therefore, the amendment covers periodicals. Q. If a book is involved in litigation, will the exemption apply? A. Nothing in the Chafee amendment withdraws the exemption in case of litigation. However, in the event that NLS is notified that a federal court has issued a final decision, holding that the work is an unauthorized publication of which a recall of copies is required, NLS will withdraw all copies of the infringing work. Q. Is a published script of a play considered a "nondramatic literary work?" A. A published script of a play would be considered a "dramatic work" or alternatively a "dramatic literary work" and would be outside the amendment, which covers only "nondramatic literary works." Therefore, NLS will continue to seek permission from the copyright holders to reproduce and distribute plays. Q. What does "authorized entity" include? A. The amendment defines and limits "authorized entity" to "a nonprofit organization or a governmental agency that has a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities." A "nonprofit organization" is understood to mean an organization that has been granted nonprofit tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. To the extent that authorized agencies and organizations use or delegate authority to volunteers, special education teachers, and commercial producers under government contract to produce and distribute works under the exemption, those activities appear to be fully covered by the exemption. Such individuals can be said to be agents of authorized entities and are, therefore, acting under implied authority. The activities of individuals not connected to those specialized agencies and organizations fall outside the exemption. Q. Is copyright permission required for works published simultaneously in the United States and elsewhere? A. All works protected by U.S. copyright law, including those first published abroad or in multiple editions published in several countries, are subject to the exemption for activities undertaken by authorized entities within the United States. Section 104 of Title 17 sets out the eligibility requirements for U.S. copyright law protection. For further information, obtain Circular 38a from the Library of Congress Copyright Office. Q. NLS produces braille and recorded versions of books published and copyrighted abroad. Under the Chafee amendment, will permission from foreign copyright holders be required? A. All works protected by U.S. copyright law, including those first published abroad, are subject to the exemption. Thus, permission from foreign copyright holders for reproduction and distribution in the United States under the exemption is not required. If the braille or recorded versions of the books were distributed outside the United States, however, such act of distribution would not be covered by the exemption since U.S. copyright law has no extra-territorial effect. Because NLS loans material to eligible foreign agencies, NLS will continue to request permission for all books and periodicals published outside the U.S. Q. Must foreign agencies that purchase NLS books continue to obtain copyright clearance? A. Foreign agencies that purchase NLS books must continue to obtain copyright clearance. The principle with respect to this is the same as described above. The exemption applies only to activities within the United States. Q. Will foreign countries still be able to purchase magazines that NLS produced in special formats? A. As the previous answer indicates, the exemption will not apply to activities conducted abroad. Therefore, foreign agencies will have to seek their own individual written copyright permissions from the copyright holders before NLS will permit the purchase of copies of master recordings of audio magazines reproduced by NLS under the new exemption. Q. Must producers continue to add "all rights reserved" to the copyright notice that is currently placed at the beginning of books reproduced in special formats? A. No, this is not required. The "all rights reserved" copyright notice originated in the Buenos Aires Convention of 1910. The effect of this convention in the United States has always been unclear. But because in 1989 the United States joined the Berne Convention, which has limited requirements regarding notice of copyright, there is no need to include this statement. Q. Does "bear a notice" refer only to announcements or does it include the print label affixed to all copies and phonorecords? A. Section 121 of Title 17 has two notice requirements. It provides that the copies or phonorecords produced under the exemption shall (1) "bear a notice that any further reproduction or distribution in a format other than a specialized format is an infringement," and (2) "include a copyright notice identifying the copyright owner and date of the original publication." The copyright law has contained notice requirements for many years; those requirements have always been understood to mean a written notice. The previous copyright law contained a provision that said "copies of the work shall bear the symbol þ accompanied by...." Thus, the use of the word "bear" has been understood to mean that the copies have affixed to them a written copyright notice. In the 1976 Copyright Act, Sections 401 and 402 of Title 17 provided for the placement of a notice of copyright on visually perceptible copies and on the surface, label, or container of phonorecords of sound recordings. Consequently, NLS will (1) include both of the required notices, in print, on all braille copies and on all phonorecords of sound recordings, and (2) include both notices in audible form on all sound recordings. Q. Does "specialized format" include the NLS-produced instructional music cassettes recorded at the standard commercial speed of 1-7/8 ips rather than NLS's customary 15/16 ips speed? A. The exemption does not include music, nor does it cover recorded material that is not in a "specialized format." Q. NLS compiles a music magazine containing articles reprinted from national periodicals. Are magazines that are produced in large print, braille, and recorded formats covered by the exemption? A. The exemption defines "specialized format" as "braille, audio, or digital text that is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities." Works reproduced in large print are, therefore, not included under the exemption. Q. Where should questions concerning the amendment be directed? A. Questions originating from the media should be directed to the Library of Congress Public Affairs Office at (202) 707-2905. Call the Library of Congress Copyright Office Public Information Line at (202) 707-3000 for other general questions. Q. NLS currently lends books through interlibrary loan (ILL) to foreign agencies serving blind and physically handicapped individuals. Will this practice continue or will ILL be limited to books for which NLS has received copyright permission? A. NLS will continue to lend to eligible foreign agencies through interlibrary loan. Such distribution is permissible under U.S. law and is unlikely to infringe the laws of other countries. However, foreign agencies must look to the law of the country where the use takes place to determine whether they might be liable for acts of unauthorized importation or distribution of lawfully made copies without permission of the copyright owner. Pioneers and Elfuns commend volunteer repair training project "We commend NLS for the efforts put forth in the Volunteer Repair Project," declared the Telephone Pioneer and Elfun representatives during the annual National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee meeting that convened at NLS March 12þ14, 1997. The five volunteer representatives emphasized the need for continued support and encouragement of those trained in the program. Concerns about digital technology also figured prominently in the thirty recommendations submitted by the committee, which consists of fifteen members representing consumers, librarians, and volunteer repair personnel. Michael Moodie, NLS research and development officer, explained that digital technology is definitely a part of NLS's future, though the medium for the next generation of talking books has not been named. He briefed the representatives on the standards that were to be proposed at the May 1997 meeting of National Information Standards Organization (NISO), emphasizing that the process for establishing the standards for the technology would take two to five years. NLS studio director Margie Goergen-Rood, Production Control Section, and senior electronics specialist George Stockton, Engineering Section, updated the group on current projects. Goergen-Rood heads the digital original mastering and duplication experiment while Stockton is testing digital talking-book computer simulation. Recommendations Consumers recommended that "future talking-book technology"  be able to handle footnotes,  be able to announce the machine's serial number, and  be able to spell words on request. They also asked that new cassette magazines be "tactually different" from book cassettes and that they be enclosed in easy-to-open packaging. Finally, they requested that the twenty-first-century equipment be "reliable, lightweight, and compact." Librarians emphasized the need for the new equipment to eliminate usage barriers by removing the speed selection feature, using bolder and larger type and braille labels on switches, and having the machine play all four sides of a cassette just as the E-1 cassette machine does. They also requested that audio front matter spell out author names and keywords in titles, in light of our diverse population and frequently lost labels, and that NLS pay special attention to the needs of our growing population of older Americans. The librarians commended NLS for  its budget request to increase production of cassette-book machines in 1998 and  the Volunteer Training Recognition Project. The Telephone Pioneers and Elfun repair representatives also commended NLS for improving the "cleanability of CBMs." They asked that NLS  purchase amplifier board testers to quickly determine serviceability of the part,  encourage libraries to clean machines before submitting them for service,  reduce NLS's turnaround time on back orders, and  develop a battery-charging system to accommodate repair services of various sizes. Other topics on the agenda were of a routine nature and included the production of C1 and C2 machines, batteries, solar chargers, and extension levers; the equipment inventory status; and the magazine studies. (National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee Consumer representatives: Carolyn Garrett, American Council of the Blind; Corrine Blank, Blinded Veterans Association; Bonnie Peterson, National Federation of the Blind; John Farina, Northern Region; Fred Mansfield, Western Region Network library representatives: Cecilia Marlow, Midlands Region; Gordon Reddic, Northern Region; Rebecca Sherrill, Southern Region; Paul Jacobsen, Western Region Telephone Pioneers representatives: Gerald Adamson, Midlands Region; Carl Gingrich, Northern Region; J. Walter Alfred, Southern Region; Richard Iversen, Western Region Elfun representative: Robert A. Smith) Braille student-instructor dialog The Braille Development Section receives numerous questions concerning a variety of problems in braille transcribing. This article addresses some of them. The question-and-answer format is intended to give clarity. Student: I am transcribing a book for my thirty-five-page trial manuscript. In the proper name, Thomas R Moore, the initial r is written without a period. Should a period be inserted in braille? Instructor: No. Abbreviations used in print may be written with or without a capital or a period. In braille, such abbreviations should be written in accordance with the print copy. However, because the letter r is written without a period, the letter sign is required in braille. Otherwise the letter r standing alone is read as the word rather. Student: In the book I am transcribing, a vocal sound is written as "sh-sh." May I use the sh contraction in this instance? Instructor: Yes. The sh contraction standing alone represents the word shall. However, the whole-word contraction for shall may not be joined to other letters or contractions to form parts of words. (See Section 36a of the official code, English Braille, American Edition, 1994.) Student: Is the letter sign required when the abbreviation Fr. is used to represent Father or Friar? Instructor: No. Even though the letters fr represent the short form for friend, the letter sign is not required before capitalized or uncapitalized letters when the letters are an initial or an abbreviation followed by a period. (See Section 12b1 of the official code.) Student: Similarly, in the book I am transcribing there is a sentence that has a phrase me/us/rest. Should the single-letter alphabet contraction for us be used? Instructor: No. Single-letter contractions may be joined to other words only with the hyphen to form genuine hyphenated compound words such as have-nots and merry-go-round. The phrase me/us/rest does not represent a genuine hyphenated compound word. Student: The book that I am transcribing contains a sentence that reads "The committee members discussed the bookkeeping problems of non-profit and for-profit organizations." Can the and and for contractions be joined? Instructor: No. The word for is part of the hyphenated word for-profit. Student: I have one final question. May I submit my thirty-five-page trial manuscript using interpoint braille? Instructor: No. There are specific rules pertaining to transcribing materials in interpoint braille that are not covered in the braille transcribing course. Therefore, all trial manuscripts are to be submitted using single-sided braille. (Correction In the AprilþJune 1997 issue of Update, the following entry in the Braille Student-Instructor Dialog contained an error. The entry should read: Student: Throughout the book that I am transcribing, a dash is represented in the print text by a space, a hyphen, and a space. How is this handled in braille? Instructor: Good question. Many authors frequently use a spaced hyphen to represent a dash in print. However, in braille, a dash should be transcribed as dots 3þ6, 3þ6. No space should be left before or after the dash in braille.) Volunteers master new skills During the months of April, May, and June 1997, thirty-six certificates in braille transcribing were awarded. Of these, thirty-two were awarded in literary braille transcribing, one in literary braille proofreading, two in mathematics braille transcribing, and one in mathematics braille proofreading. LITERARY BRAILLE TRANSCRIBERS Alabama Connie Walton, Talladega Karen Bishop Workman, Talladega Arizona Gelmar P. Belcar, Scottsdale California Sharon M. Anderson, Anaheim Gordie Beitzel, Long Beach Masako Kobayashi, Torrance Angela M. Riley, San Marcos Ellen Voyles, Moraga Connecticut Graylon Shannon, Cheshire Florida Marlene Kurson, St. Petersburg Alma D. Sherman, Leesburg Jean Webber, Altamonte Springs Kansas Corey L. Aaron, El Dorado Maryland Linda Darlene Brown, Arnold Fidela C. Simmons, Towson Michigan Joseph A. Patterson, National City Minnesota Cindi Laurent, Blaine Kay Ness, New Hope Montana Kathryn R. Sehorn, Missoula Nebraska Kenneth W. Petersen Jr., Lincoln Nevada Gregory J. Cook, Las Vegas George Dunckhurst III, Las Vegas Jimmy H. Keys, Las Vegas Richard S. Shipton, Las Vegas New Jersey Cora Jane James, Summit New York Richard F. Katz, Brooklyn North Carolina Mary M. Dallow, Wilmington Oklahoma John C. Dubala, Oklahoma City Pennsylvania Darshela Boney, Cambridge Springs South Dakota Danny W. Crosby, Yankton Kenneth G. Geis, Yankton Ralph D. Peterson, Sioux Falls LITERARY BRAILLE PROOFREADER Joseph P. Palano, Holliston, Massachusetts MATHEMATICS BRAILLE TRANSCRIBERS Thomas G. Andrews, Wilmington, Delaware Virginia R. Degen, Holstein, Iowa MATHEMATICS BRAILLE PROOFREADER Joanne Baldwin, Tucker, Georgia Meetings National Braille Association (NBA) Fall Regional Meeting and Workshops, Valley River Inn, Eugene, Oregon; Friday, November 7-Saturday, November 8, 1997 Spring Regional Meeting and Workshops, Holiday Inn Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky; Friday, May 8-Saturday, May 9, 1998 Fall Regional Meeting and Workshops, Holiday Inn City Line, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Friday, October 30-Saturday, October 31, 1998 For more information about these meetings, contact National Braille Association, Three Townline Circle, Rochester, NY 14623-2513; (716) 427-8260. California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH) CTEVH XXXIX Annual Conference, Los Angeles Airport Hilton, Los Angeles, California; Thursday, March 26-Saturday, March 28, 1998 CTEVH XL Annual Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sacramento, California; Thursday, March 25-Saturday, March 27, 1999 For more information about these meetings, contact CTEVH, 741 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029-3594, (213) 666-2211; Website: http://edtech.sdcs.k12.ca.us/epd/ctevhhome.html Allentown Pioneers get media attention All the country seemed to be in a dither promoting the idea of volunteerism during the three-day summit on expanding volunteer activities, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and led by General Colin Powell. But Mike Kelly, columnist with the Allentown, Pennsylvania, Morning Call, used the opportunity to call attention to the work of the Telephone Pioneers of America and the Pioneers of Lucent Technologies, who operate the Talking Book Repair Shop. Mr. Kelly was laudatory of seventy-nine-year-old Joe Lesyk, Telephone Pioneer regional coordinator, and the men who work with Mr. Lesyk in the shop: Paul Blomster, Burt Bordner, Thomas Briody, Dennis Clark, Carl Gingrich, Stan Hause, Les Miller, Bill Nelson, Joseph Skrapits, and Del Sutter. The Allentown volunteers are specialists, Mr. Kelly reports, in repairing amplifier boards--3,500 in the last three years. These Pioneers also have their hands in other services for blind and physically handicapped people. Mr. Lesyk builds special tricycles for children who are disabled, Mr. Nelson repairs Perkins braillers, and Mr. Bordner constructs checkerboards for blind people. (photo caption: Joe Lesyk in the Talking Book Repair Shop with Kevin Watson, NLS acting equipment and materials maintenance coordinator.)