Talking Book Topics--July-August 1997
In Brief

NLS Announces Magazine Program Changes

Beginning in January 1998, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) will offer readers new magazine titles, some of which will be available in cassette format. Most of the current audio magazines will continue to be available, but many popular magazines will be added to the collection, replacing others that will be discontinued.

All children's, young adult, and foreign-language audio magazines will be produced on cassette tape instead of flexible disc. These magazines will kick off a transition to the new cassette format for all audio magazines. NLS plans to continue the transition in January 1999, changing another group of flexible-disc magazines to cassette. It is expected to take three to four years before all NLS recorded magazines will be available on cassette.

The improvements to the magazine program are based on the recommendations of two advisory committees composed of program users and librarians. One of the committees reviewed the titles offered by NLS and, based on a survey of more than 3,500 patrons, made recommendations about the types of magazines NLS should offer to better meet readers' needs and interests. The other committee recommended producing recorded magazines on cassette rather than flexible disc, a change that has been requested by many patrons over the years.

The revised list of magazines is shown below. For current titles that will continue to be offered, subscribers will not experience any change and need not take any action.

Some magazines will be discontinued due to low interest in them. Patrons may find other titles of interest on the new list. Fall issues of discontinued magazines will carry notices informing readers of the change.

New Audio Magazines

If you currently subscribe to one of the six magazines that will be discontinued and replaced by a new title, you will automatically receive the new magazine and need not take any action. In all other cases, contact your cooperating library to subscribe to new titles.

Current Audio Magazines That NLS Will Continue to Offer

Current subscribers will continue to receive these titles and need not take any action.

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