KidsNews Newsletter
South Dakota State Library
Braille and Talking Book Library
Spring 1997, Volume 2, Issue 1
Compiled and edited by:
Connie Sullivan, Children's Services Coordinator
Welcome to KidsNews
There's no thrill in easy sailing when the skies are clear and blue. There's no joy in merely doing things which anyone can do. But there is some satisfaction that is mighty sweet to take, when you reach a destination that you thought you couldn't make!
- Unknown

FROM THE DESK OF DAN BOYD
DIRECTOR, SD BRAILLE & TALKING BOOK LIBRARY

Browse Our Shelves from Home!

The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library (SDBTL) continues to try and provide the best possible library service. You can now browse the shelves of the SDBTL from the comfort of your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you have a computer with access to the Internet, you can access the Library home page. From this home page you can access our Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) to find out about available fiction and non-fiction books. You can search the OPAC for books by title, author, or subject keyword. Orders may be placed by e-mail and the books mailed directly to you.

Through the home page you will be able to send messages to individual staff of the SDBTBL, ask questions and make suggestions. You can send a message to request equipment, notify us of a change of address, and even ask reference questions. There is also access to many other resources on the Internet.

If you are interested in using the OPAC or visiting the Library home page, call us toll-free at 1-800-423-6665 and visit with one of the staff.


Hi Readers,
This is Freddie the Bookworm, coming to you from the Braille & Talking Book Library. From characters of the past to current celebrities, you can learn about their lives and times. For basketball fans, here are some I know you will enjoy:
  • RC 29841 - MICHAEL JORDAN: BASKETBALL'S SOARING STAR; by Deegan, Paul J.
    Presents the life and career of the Chicago Bulls basketball player who was the 1985 Rookie of the Year, the 1988 NBA Most Valuable Player, and the holder of several NBA scoring records. For grades 3-6.
  • RC 38006 - RARE AIR: MICHAEL ON MICHAEL; by Jordan, Michael.
    In a conversational manner retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls shares his life and extraordinary career. For junior and senior high and older readers. Bestseller.
  • RC 15008 - JULIUS ERVING; by Braun, Thomas.
    A brief biography of the aggressive basketball star known as "Dr. J.," one of the shortest, biggest names in the American Basketball Association. For grades 4-7.
  • BR 02337 - WILT CHAMBERLAIN; by Rudeen, Kenneth.
    A simple biography which describes the background and accomplishments of one of the finest professional basketball players in the game. For grades 2-4.
  • BRA 01449 - BILL RUSSELL OF THE BOSTON CELTICS; by Hirshberg, Albert.
    The life and career of a black basketball star, a determined athlete who overcame awkwardness, apparent lack of ability, and initial discouragement to become one of the greatest defensive centers in the history of the game. For junior and senior high readers.
  • BR 01330 - MR. CLUTCH, THE JERRY WEST STORY; by West, Jerry.
    The All-Star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, famous for his clutch performances, tells of his basketball career from high school and college stardom in West Virginia to pro years with the Lakers.
  • RC 31191 - KAREEM; by Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem.
    After being the oldest player in the National Basketball Association for five years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired following the 1988-89 season. This memoir by the "gentle giant," seven-foot center for the Los Angeles Lakers, is the result of a diary kept during his final season in which he records the points and remembers the past. Bestseller.
For more books about sports, contact your reader advisor at 1-800-423-6665.


MAGAZINES:
Free subscriptions to the following magazines are available. To subscribe, call the Braille and Talking Book Library.
    Cassette Magazines:
  • Humpty-Dumpty. 9 issues per year. Stories, jokes, poems and game activities. For ages 4-7.
  • Cricket. Fairy stories, folk tales, fantasy, science fiction, history, biographies, poems, science, sports and crafts. For ages 6 to 12.
    Braille Magazines:
  • Boy's Life. Monthly. Official publication of the Boy Scouts of America. Articles on sports, outdoors and hobbies. For ages 9-16.
  • National Geographic. Monthly. Articles on world geography and cultures, plant and animal life, space exploration and ancient history.

MORE DESCRIPTIVE VIDEOS, PLEASE!
We have several new descriptive videos available. Some of the titles include:
  • Walt Disney's THE LION KING
  • HOME ALONE with Macaulay Culkin
  • STAR WARS
  • THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Julie Andrews
  • ON GOLDEN POND starring Katherine Hepburn & Henry Fonda
  • FORREST GUMP with Tom Hanks
  • CASPER, staring the "the friendly ghost"
  • Walt Disney's CINDERELLA
  • OLD YELLER
For more titles or if you are interested in borrowing descriptive videos, please call us at 1-800-423-6665 and ask for Judy. We will tell you about the policies and procedures for using this collection.


1997 Calendars:
Listed below are some of the organizations that produce calendars in braille, print-braille, and/or large print.
  • American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
    18440 Oxnard Street, Tarzana, CA 91356, (818) 343-2022
    Cost: Free.
  • American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
    Attn: Marketing Department, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206-0085, 800-572-0844, ext. 1
    Cost: $7.95
  • Braille Institute Press
    c/o Braille Institute of America, 741 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, Ca 90029, 800-252-9486
    Cost: Free

Voice mail at the Braille and Talking Book Library:
Have you called us lately? If you have, you've probably encountered our voice mail. Please do not get upset and hang up.

We at the Braille and Talking Book Library want to provide you with the best service possible. Frequently, there are times when all of us are on the phone; and we can't answer your call. Please listen to the instructions on the machine, and we will return your call.


HOMEWORK HELP!!!
Working on a report, need an encyclopedia article and you'd like it in Braille? Well, you're in luck! The Seedling Braille Books Company will send you both a print and a Braille copy of any World Book Encyclopedia article. Call 1-800-777-8552 for your article.


TIPS FOR GOOD SERVICE:
  • Telephone Number:
    Our telephone number is 1-800-423-6665. Please call if you have any questions, comments, or requests. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!
  • If you or your parents are ever in Pierre, Come Visit Us!
    We are open to the public Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Braille and Talking Book Library is located in the State Library Building at 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, South Dakota.
  • Need More Books?
    If you need more books, are not getting titles you like, or have other questions, please call.
  • Return Books - PLEASE!!!
    Take a moment to look and see if you have cassette books that you are no longer using. These titles may have been requested by other patrons. Please return your books so that others may read them!
  • Request Lists?
    We can better serve you if you provide us with long lists of book numbers that you would like to receive. The more requests we have on file, the better able we are to serve you. Let us know if there are specific authors, titles or subjects you would like to receive.
  • Change of Address/Telephone Number?
    Notify us of any changes in your address or telephone number as soon as possible. If you change schools, we need that information also.
  • Machine Not Working?
    If you notice a problem with your machine, call us and we will send a replacement. Do not attempt to make any repairs yourself. When you return a machine to the library for replacement, it's important that you call and tell us of your need. Call toll-free 1-800-423-6665. If you put a note with the returned equipment, please follow-up with a phone call indicating you need a replacement. If equipment is returned without notification, it will not automatically be replaced.

Tips for defective tapes:
Ever been listening to a good book only to be frustrated when you turn the tape over and it sounds garbled? Here are some tips to try before returning the book to the Library:
  1. The tape might have become loose. Take the cassette out of the player and tighten the tape by turning the left spoke on the cassette clockwise.
  2. Static build-up can also cause the tape to sound garbled. To eliminate static, tap the cassette gently on a table top or desk. Do this two or three times, turning the tape over each time.
  3. Remember also to check the variable speed control (the sliding knob at the top on the right-hand side of the player) and the speed switch (below the variable speed control). Both need to be on the left for the slow speed needed for talking book cassettes. If the problem persists, put a rubber band or string around the defective tape and place it back in the cassette book container and return the cassette book as usual. Call the Library to request another copy of the book, if desired.

TEXTBOOK USERS:
Please return your textbooks as soon as you are done with them. You do not have to wait for the end of the school year. Many textbooks are used for a quarter or a semester, especially novels. Once you are done with them, we would like you to return them. Another student may need them in the spring.

Please remember that the special format textbooks are on loan for your use during school but remain the property of the SD Braille and Talking Book Library. If you have any questions on this, please call the Library. If your questions relate to cassette or large print books, ask for Karen Pochop. If your questions relates to braille, ask for Connie Sullivan.


The Future of Braille:
Most of our readers have probably heard of the controversy raging over the future of braille. Should braille be taught in schools? Who should be taught braille? Why should someone who has some vision learn braille? How much Braille should be in the libraries? Should the national braille collection be centralized?

Sometimes it seems like one person is never able to make a difference, but this is one area where each braille reader or interested person may have an effect. We would like to encourage all our readers who can read braille or have an interest in literacy to join our organization now. This includes parents, students and teachers.

Our organization is the South Dakota Classroom Braillist Association. Associate memberships are available for $15.00. Membership will provide you with information on planned training, workshops and seminars on braille you will receive reduced registration costs for workshops and seminars. You will also be sent updates on braille codes, braille technology and a quarterly newsletter.

For more information or to become a member of the South Dakota Classroom Braillist Association, please contact Judy Jacobs at (605) 583-3211 or Connie Sullivan at 1-800-423-6665.


KidsNews
KidsNews, published quarterly, is our means of communication with the younger patrons of the Braille and Talking Book Library. KidsNews is available in braille, on cassette or on a diskette upon request and is posted on our website: www.sdstatelibrary.com/talkbook

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.