GOING DIGITAL!
Beginning June 2006, RFB&D (Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic) will no longer offer analog cassette players or analog cassette installments.

Beginning June 2007, they will only offer digital content to members. More information on p.10.


Notes from the Director
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!!!
It is often difficult to measure the ways in which an organization's services impact the lives of those it serves. The South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, a division of the South Dakota State Library is an exception. 2006 marks the 37th Anniversary of the South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library and the 75th Anniversary of the National Library Service for the Blind & Visually Impaired. The South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library has always provided a high level of service to its patrons, helping patrons move beyond blindness, visual impairments and physical challenges to achieve independence and a sense of fulfillment many thought were no longer possible. We currently supply recorded books, descriptive videos, magazines, radio talking book, telephone newspapers, alternative format textbooks and large print books to registered patrons in almost every city in South Dakota. Our collection has grown to over 45,000 titles with over 191,000 copies. The collection continues to grow at the rate of 2,000 titles/16,000 copies per year. Our patrons range in age from 4 to 100+ and they continue through notes and conversations express their satisfaction with the service and its importance to their lives.

To celebrate this milestone we are asking each of you, our patrons and friends, to spread the word about our service to as many people as possible. Tell your friends, family doctor, and pastor - anyone who may know someone who could benefit from the service. With your help we can provide even greater service to the citizens of South Dakota.


Welcome from the Educational Materials Coordinator - Karen Duenwald
In October 2005 I began work as the Educational Materials Coordinator at the SD Braille and Talking Book Library. I am a certified English Teacher and had been teaching for the past two years, but becoming an employee at the State Library has been a highlight in my career, since I will continue to work with teachers to continue the much important education of reading for our South Dakota students.

I enjoy every part of my job - the library, the library patrons, the staff, the volunteers, and the work which I have been doing to help our patrons receive large print, Braille, and talking textbooks for their education.

The goal of South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library Educational Materials program is to assist students that are not able to read standard print in the K -12 school system by coordinating, ordering, and producing needed educational materials. Ordering materials in a timely manner allows for maintaining the educational growth of these students at a level equal to their non-impaired peers in academic and social abilities.

In December, I sent out a memorandum to all special education teachers and the parents of our K-12 student patrons. Included with the memorandum were: a child's application for free library service, a textbook order blank, a re-binding authorization form, and an application for RFB&D (Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic).

If you have a senior (graduating student) of the 2005/2006 school year, please be sure to send back the books and cassette players which they have borrowed from our library. Also, do not forget to send along a change of address for them, if applicable. We would like to keep the students as our patrons. Even though they will no longer be able to obtain textbooks, they will still be able to borrow from the large collection of talking books we have at the library. For those in college still needing alternative formats textbooks, we will make every effort at the library to help find the needed textbooks at the most cost-efficient prices.

If you have not received the memorandum and the information needed for ordering alternative format textbooks, or if you have any questions, please give me a call at 1-800-423-6665 or (605)773-3131 or e-mail me at karen.duenwald@state.sd.us.


2006 Summer Reading Program
The 2006 Governors Summer Reading Program sponsored by the South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library and supported by the South Dakota Lion's Foundation will run from June 12 through July 21, 2006.

"Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales" is the theme of this year's program. The program is open to all registered students of the Braille and Talking Book Library between the ages of 7 to 15. The reader's are broken into age divisions: 7 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years, and 13 to 15 year olds. The readers can only read recorded books or Braille books for the program. Participants are required to submit written or oral book reports. They may receive assistance in writing the report. The student submitting the most book reports will be the winner in their age division. Incentives are mailed throughout the program. The more book reports returned the more prizes they receive.

Each age division has a winner in the recorded format and in the Braille format. Plaques will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners in the recorded and Braille division. The first place winners receive their plaques at an awards program, time and place is to be announced at a later date. The awards program is attended by the winners and their family and includes a luncheon and special program.

Registration forms for the program will be mailed to the schools on April 17, 2006. Each student already registered with the Braille and Talking Book Library will have their registration form mailed May 1, 2006.

We encourage students to participate, as this gives them the opportunity to do recreational reading during the summer. Students are encouraged to choose their books. The program may be incorporated into summer school that requires reading novels.

For more information call the Braille and Talking Book Library at 1-800-423-6665 and ask for Mary.


Potter 'improves kids' reading'
You might enjoy reading Harry Potter books, but did you realize they're good for you? That's the verdict of a survey which had just been released.

The poll, by a major bookshop, says six out of ten kids think the magical tales have helped them improve their reading skills, and their teachers agree too. More than six out of ten teachers say the books have gotten kids, who wouldn't normally read, to pick up a book.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, sixth in the series, came out on 16 of July.

Teachers also say the tales about the boy wizard encourage kids to read other books too.

George Grey, from bookshop Waterston's, says: "When children find something that they love they are prepared to try something more complex than they have read before. The Harry Potter books have a wonderful ability to challenge the reader."


Quotable Facts About America's Libraries

Did you know?
• 62% of adults in the U.S. have public library cards.
• Americans go to school, public and academic libraries more than twice as often as they go to the movies.
• Reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer more than seven million questions weekly. Standing single file, the line of questioners would stretch from Boston to San Francisco.
• A 2002 poll conducted for the American Library Association found that 91% of respondents expect libraries to be needed in the future, despite the increased availability of information via the Internet.

Academic Libraries:
• Academic librarians answer 97 million reference questions each year - almost three times the attendance at college football games.
• College libraries receive less than three cents of every dollar spent on higher education.
• If the cost of gas had risen as fast as the cost of academic library periodicals since 1990, it would cost $3.00 a gallon to put fuel in your car.

School Libraries:
• Research shows the highest achieving students attend schools with good library media centers.
• Americans spend seven times as much money on home video games ($7 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children ($1 billion).
• School library media centers spend an average of $7 per child for books - less than half the average cost of one hardcover school library book.
• Students visit school library media centers almost 1.5 billion times during the school year - about one-and-a-half times the visits to state and national parks.

Public Libraries:
• There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S. - a total of 16,220, including branches.
• Americans spend more than three times as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.
• Americans check out an average of more than six books a year. They spend $25.25 a year for the public library - much less than the average cost of one hardcover book.
• Public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work.
• 95% of public libraries provide public access to the Internet.

2003 Notable Children's Books

• Millions. Cottrell Boyce, Frank. RCO60063
  In this sweet, fast-paced, funny novel set in England, fourth-grader Damien Cunningham and his older brother, Anthony, ponder what to do big bag of furnace-bound, pre-Euro pound notes that is from a train and lands at Damien's feet.


• The Tarantula Scientist. Montgomery, Sy. RC059029
  This vigorous and sometimes humorous text, enlivened by Bishop's striking color close-up photography, introduces field scientist Sam Marshall and his hairy subjects. An irresistible invitation to real scientific work. A 2005 Sibert Honor Book.


• Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Morrison, Toni. RC058483
  "Remembering can be painful, even frightening," Morrison states in the introduction to this powerful book of words and photographs. Factual information about school integration is presented with the intent that young children learn what happened to how far we have come - and to repeating the past. The 2005 Coretta Scott King Author Award Book.


• The Fire-Eaters. Almond, David. Almond, David.
  Simultaneously searing and soaring, this passionate exploration of faith places the private apocalypses of rural English schoolboy Bobby Burns against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• Al Capone Does My Shirts. Choldenko, Gennifer. RC058456
  Alcatraz is the evocative backdrop for this highly original novel, set in 1935, in which 12-year-old Moose talks about his travels on "the Rock," where his father works. Moose struggles to make friends while he cares for his autistic sister. 2005 Newbery Honor Book and A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• Daniel, Half Human: and the Good Nazi. Chotjewitz, David. RC059938
  In this suspenseful story, set in 1930s Germany, a boy accustomed to a life of deception after discovering that he is half-Jewish. His complicated relationship with his friend is challenged when the rise of Nazism takes the children in different directions. 2005 Batchelder Honor Book and A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• Bucking the Sarge. Curtis, Christopher Paul. RC059165
  With great wit and intelligence, 14-year-old Luther plots to escape his ruthless mother's plans for his life and to find his way in the world outside of Flint, Michigan. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• The Sea of Trolls. Farmer, Nancy. RC059623
  In a tale inspired by Norse legend, Jack sets off on a quest and encounters wild and outrageous characters, including trolls, dragons, giant spiders, and boars. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. Freedman, Russell. RC058728
  Freedman gracefully narrates the story of Anderson's life and career in this handsomely and spaciously designed book an artist who preferred to focus on her career but was forced to confront her nation's racism. The 2005 Sibert Medal Book, A 2005 Newbery Honor Book, and A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• The Race to Save the Lord God Bird. Hoose, Phillip M. RC059406
  The tragic reign of the magnificent ivory-billed woodpecker unfolds with passion - and a tiny dollop of hope at the end. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• Kira-Kira. Kadohata, Cynthia. RC059896
  Kadohata's tenderly nuanced novel glitters with plain and poignant words that describe the strong love within a Japanese American family from the point of view of younger sister Katie. Personal challenges and family tragedy are set against the oppressive social climate of the South during the 1950s and 1960s. 2005 Newbery Medal Book.


• The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. Konigsburg, E. L. RC058018
  Margaret Rose is rescued from summer camp by her eccentric uncles and, in turn, saves their splendid, artistically sculptured towers. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• Indigo's Star. McKay, Hilary. RC059536
  Through a series of humorous and poignant adventures, the Cassons learn about the true meaning of family and friendship. It's great to spend more time with the quirky characters that first appeared in Saffy's Angel (RC056168, BR014553).


• Airborn. Oppel, Kenneth. RC059792
  Matt, a cabin boy aboard a luxury airship, saves a dying balloonist whose ship has been damaged. The balloonist's last words are about beautiful, winged creatures. One year later, the granddaughter of the balloonist takes on the airship, hoping to find the mysterious creatures. A 2005 Printz Honor Book and A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• A Hat Full of Sky. Pratchett, Terry. RC058636
  Young Tiffany Aching, two years removed from saving the world with an iron skillet, returns to face two new challenges: formal education in witchcraft and an identityeating monster. It's the Feegles to the rescue in a great sequel to The Wee Free Men. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• The Schwa Was Here. Shusterman, Neal. RC059803
  Schwa is an "invisible-ish" boy who goes unnoticed by nearly everyone. He and his friend, Antsy, develop a crush on the same girl, who is blind and their friendship becomes strained. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).


• So B. It. Weeks, Sarah. RC058658
  Heidi is determined to discover the background of her mentally disabled mother, who calls herself So B. It. She travels to a Home for the Disabled, she meets a host of memorable characters, and when she arrives, she finds the answers to her ancestry as well as a new family. A 2005 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA).

What is Large Type?
Here is a portion of the introduction of the NLS guide ("Reading Materials in Large Print: A Resource Guide" - available at ) that explains what large print is:

"Type is measured in points from the bottom of the lowest letter (for example, the tail of the letter "y") to the tallest capital: type one-inch high measures 72 point. Most adult books are set in 10- to 12-point type, newspapers are often 8-point, and some editions of the Bible are in 6- point type. The minimum size for large-print materials is 14-point type. Large-print materials are most commonly available in 16- to 18-point types..Large-print materials are easiest to read if they are printed in heavy leading (spacing between the lines of print), wide margins, simple type, and non-glossy paper."

Here is a sample of different size types:

This is Arial 12-point type.
This is Arial 18-point type.
This is Arial 24-point type.
This is Arial 30-point type.

May Is Historic Preservation Month
Discover a past that has led to our future. Libraries are full of information about a town's history. Old newspapers provide stories of battles, crimes and other interesting events, as well as notices of building permits and other helpful clues on historic places.

If you are interested in discovering our nation all over again, try reading the following books about monuments or about land management:

• Our National Monuments. Ayer, Eleanor H. RC036226


• Reclaiming the last wild places: ... DiSilvestro, Roger L. RC043075

May Is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
Our history is not only in need of being preserved, it is also in need of being understood. You may find the following books about some of our important immigrants interesting. They have great information regarding Asian-Pacific Americans: the places they live, the food they eat, and the stories they have told.

• The encyclopedia of Asian food and cooking. Passmore, Jacki. RC035386


• Famous Asian Americans. Morey, Janet Nomura. RC037064


• American dragons: twenty-five Asian American voices. Yep, Lawrence - editor RC039409


• Spacious dreams: the first wave of Asian immigration. Takaki, Ronald. RC039953


• Haiku: Asian Arts and Crafts for Creative Kids. Donegan, Patricia. RC060202


• American Eyes: New Asian-American Short Stories for Young AdultsCarlson, Lori M. RC043701

Message from RFB&D® President & CEO John Kelly
RFB&D® is inviting all of our members to GO DIGITAL! We want every member to have the very best audio opportunities available.

• Beginning June 2006, we will no longer offer analog players or analog cassette installments.
• Beginning June 2007, we will offer only digital content to members.

In order to play RFB&D digitally recorded textbooks, you will need to use specially adapted CD players or software. RFB&D offers a complete line of players, software and accessories for nonprofit sale.

RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD are a new innovation in digital recording technology. Offering great portability and the ability to navigate a book by page, chapter or section at the press of a button, they can be accessed with specialized CD-ROM players or with software that installs on standard multimedia PCs. In our Book Catalog, AudioPlus digitally recorded textbooks will appear with a prefix of AD- or DT-.

Note: If your CD player or software is not purchased from RFB&D, you must purchase a User Authorization Key (UAK) before you can play RFB&D books. The cost of the UAK is $10 for CD players and $10-$20 for software plus shipping and handling costs, depending on which software product you are using. In addition, you will be required to send your CD player to RFB&D for installation of the UAK. Please contact Member Services at 800-221-4792 if you have any questions regarding the purchase or installation of the User Authorization Key. You will need an authorization form for the UAK which you can receive from Member Services.


READBOOKS!
National Braille Press, along with Seedlings Braille Books for Children, is distributing attractive braille book bags to families with blind and visually impaired children, ages birth to seven, across the country. The distribution process is a collaborative effort with educators and early intervention professionals.

Each bag contains:
• A print/braille book for three age groups: birth-3, 4-5, and 6-7;
• A braille primer for sighted parents entitled Just Enough to Know Better;
• A colorful print/braille place mat; Print/braille bookmarks;
• Because Books Matter, a guide for parents; Print/braille magnetic letters
• A gift coupon for another print/braille book or braille/large print playing cards.

Contact the Braille & Talking Book Library if you would like to receive READBOOKS!


2005-2006 Prairie Bud and Prairie Pasque Winners
Sponsored by the South Dakota Library Association, South Dakota Children's Book Awards encourage students in grades K-6 to read, and vote for, their favorite book of the year. The Prairie Bud Award is designed for students in grades K-3, while the Prairie Pasque Award targets fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Children who read at least five titles at their grade level from the list qualify to vote. Both awards are based on the votes of South Dakota students.

A panel of educators and librarians selects the fifteen candidates for each award. Nominated books are chosen for their quality and potential popularity with children. The Prairie Pasque Award was first given in 1987 to Ivy Ruckman for her book, Night of the Twisters. Other winners have included Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for Shiloh, David Pateneaude for Someone Was Watching, Louis Sachar for Holes, and Judy Blume for Double Fudge. The Prairie Bud Award was created by the Prairie Valley Reading ouncil and has been given annually since 1998. The Prairie Bud Award was first given to Patricia Rae Wolff for her book, Toll-Bridge Troll. Other winners have included Bill Grossman for My Little Sister Ate One Hare, Joan Steiner for Look-Alikes, and Glen McCoy for Penny Lee and Her TV.


The BOOKBAG, published quarterly, is our means of communication with parents, teachers, and schools that utilize textbooks and educational materials in alterative format. The BOOKBAG is available in Braille, on cassette or on a diskette upon request and is posted on our website: http://www.sdstatelibrary.com/b&tb/

If you have any questions or comments you would like to address, or wish to request this newsletter in alternative format, please contact the Braille and Talking Book Library.

The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library does not endorse any product or service listed in this newsletter.

- Karen Duenwald, Educational Materials Coordinator, Editor