BOOKBAG
South Dakota State Library
Braille and Talking Book Library
Winter, Volume 2, Issue 2
pdf download


Notes from the Director
Changes at the Library
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our patrons for their patience and understanding during this past year.

The South Dakota State Library has been undergoing many changes and since the Braille & Talking Book Library is part of the State Library we have also seen a number of changes. The changes that are being made allow us to provide additional services in the future.

The entire library has now moved to temporary quarters on the second floor of the library building. The first floor of the building will now be remodeled and in about a year the library will move to first floor and that will become our permanent home.

The two biggest changes have been the State Library print book collection and the Braille & Talking Book Library cassette book collection. The Braille & Talking Book Library has reduced the size of its cassette book collection by one half. The reduction was because of less space and beginning in 2008 we will need room for the new digital books. The Braille & Talking Book Library still has all of the cassette titles just not as many copies.

Again, thank you for your patience. The move should be complete within the next month.


American Action Fund - Free Braille Books Program
Blind kids want the same things that sighted kids want. They want to watch their favorite television shows, go roller-skating with the gang, buy the current fashionable shoes, and read the newest popular book. We at the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) believe blind children ought to have the opportunity to do all of these things, and we are working to make this possible.

In 1997 the AAF started a new program to provide to blind children a FREE Braille book every month from a popular children’s reading series. The titles published every month are the same titles that are available in bookstores everywhere. In the first three years over 60 titles from five of the most highly popular children’s reading series—GOOSEBUMPS®, GOOSEBUMPS® SERIES 2000, BABY-SITTERS CLUB, BABY-SITTERS CLUB – FRIENDS FOREVER, and ANIMORPHS®—were distributed to thousands of blind children.

The book series currently offered through the program are THE NIGHTMARE ROOM, NANCY DREW®, and the LITTLE HOUSE CHAPTER BOOKS. THE NIGHTMARE ROOM, a new series by R.L. Stein, author of the GOOSEBUMPS® series, is targeted to children grades 5 and up. The still-popular NANCY DREW® series is appropriate for children grades 3 and up. The LITTLE HOUSE CHAPTER BOOKS are adaptations of the classic Little House novels. These books are suitable for children grades 2 and up. Blind youngsters, blind parents, teachers of the blind, schools, and libraries serving the blind are eligible to participate in this program. Participants may enroll in and withdraw from the program at anytime. And the books are FREE!

No child should be left out because he or she is blind. Because of this program blind children can now discuss the newest book with their classmates and build their very own collection of books—just like their sighted friends. An application can be found at: http://www.actionfund.org/Application.htm.


Sifting Through the IEP Process
“The following advertisement is courtesy of Nolo legal books and software as seen in Future Reflections volume 26, No. 3. The Complete IEP Guide maps the process from start to finish, providing support for dealing with bureaucratic difficulties and helpful advice for custom-fitting your child’s IEP. Whether your child needs six months of speech therapy, or special education ‘K through 12,’ this book will help you steer clear of pitfalls and get meaningful results.

Nolo’s IEP Guide: Learning Disabilities is specially designated for the parents of children with learning problems such as dyslexia, aphasia, dyspraxia, and visual or audio processing disorders. You’ll learn how to identify a learning disability, qualify your child for an IEP program, and choose the best programs and services down the line.” To order, visit www.nolo.com or call (800) 728-3555.


New Perkins Products
Two new books are available for purchase:
  • Welcoming Students with Visual Impairment to Your School: A guide for training public school personnel and families about the needs of students with vision loss

  • Beyond Pegboards: A guide for Teaching Adolescent Students with Multiple Disabilities
For more info, visit the Perkin's School for the Blind website.


Toy Guide Released
Toys “R” Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids is a guide that addresses a child’s individual needs and offers toy recommendations based on research from National Lekotek Center, an independent organization that hand-picks and tests the toys it features. The Toys “R” Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids is now available at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and online.


NLS Announces BARD
For patrons who haven’t already heard it through the grapevine, NLS has expanded its download pilot test program to include any patron with a player capable of reading its new Digital Talking Book (DTB) files. The expanded and re-titled Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) program allows patrons to download digital talking book files over the internet and play them back through a DTB-enabled player. You can apply for this program on line at www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb/.

There is one catch: our new DTB-enabled players won’t become available until next spring at the earliest. For early-adopter patrons who just can’t wait until our DTB players arrive, the only alternative is to buy a commercial DTB player. To help them select one, NLS has published a new fact sheet, “Digital Audiobook Players,” available at www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/audiobkplayers.html. Or call your reader advisor to have a printout mailed to you.


2004-2005 Braille and Talking Books Cumulative Catalogs for Younger Readers have finally arrived.

Call a reader advisor at 1-800-423-6665 to request a copy.



Special Requests
Many of our patrons have called wondering why they have received brown boxes in the mail with Special Request on the side. When we reduced the size of our collection we kept only a single copy of some of the titles in our collection. If somebody calls in and specifically requests one of these titles we make a copy for them. To save time we use the brown boxes and Special Request stickers. That way when the books are returned we can reuse the boxes and cassettes.


Music is for Everyone
Are you musically inclined? Like to sing or play an instrument?

You may be interested in the NLS Music Service. The special music collection consists of more than 30,000 braille and large print music scores and texts, cassette instructions on learning to play an instrument, and information about musicians and musicianship. Also available are subscriptions to publications about music. There are materials suitable for beginning to advanced levels, and the loan period is three months.

Note: This music service does not have recorded music for recreational listening. These are generally available from your local public library.

The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library does not have these materials in our library—you can call the NLS Music section directly on their toll-free line at 1-800-424-8567. Unless you are a brand new patron, they will have your account information. You can also call your Reader Advisor for more details.


Kids Zone - new NLS web site
NLS has introduced Kids Zone, one place on the internet for children who are blind or physically handicapped to search for books and research with reference services. Children’s materials were always available through the online catalog, but getting to the material was sometimes a multistep process and not very kid-friendly. Now your children/students have their own catalog on NLS Kids Zone at www.loc.gov/nls/children/index.html.

“The kids’ catalog offers listings of award-winning books, information on popular series, descriptions of magazines for children, and a link of award-winning books, series, and classics also provide the added convenience of direct links to Web-Braille for subscribers and the most recent RC numbers for ordering books from network libraries.


“Common sense should tell us that reading is the ultimate weapon - destroying ignorance, poverty and despair before they can destroy us. A nation that doesn’t read much doesn’t know much.” - Jim Trelease



2008 Braille Calendars - free
A Service from the American Action Fund is the productions and distribution of free Braille calendars to blind and deaf-blind people on a nationwide basis. A very large number of volunteers help the Action Fund provide its services. They are now accepting orders via email at calendars@actionfund.org Or you can fax your order to 818-343-3219.

Finally, you can always request a calendar by writing at:
American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
18440 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356


Vision Quest
Your Lesson Plans Are Here!

Help your students explore their eyes and vision by incorporating new easy-to-use lesson plans and activity sheets in your K-12 classes. Free gradelevel- specific tools from the South Dakota Optometric Society’s popular Vision Quest program are just a click away.

Visit http://www.sdeyes.org/childrens.html or call 605-224-8199.

If you haven’t received a complete Vision Quest packet in the past, be sure to ask for the first-time user’s kit packed with classroom resources and teacher’s tips to help you identify and assist students with visual problems. Remember, good vision helps your students concentrate, learn and enjoy school!
South Dakota Optometric Society
PO Box 1173
Pierre, SD 57501


Account information changes
We appreciate it when schools and parents contact us with any changes to account information such as: name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, and contact person that is authorized to check out machines and books from our library.

It is important to keep this information current at all times. If a school has a change of address or contact person; this information is needed so we know where and to whom to send the next school-year’s textbooks.

Also, remember that other students may be requesting textbooks your child/student used this school year and you would help us by sending any and all textbooks back at the end of the school year.

Thank you for keeping up your account!


Happy Winter !!
From the staff at the Braille & Talking Book Library

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