Inside this Issue
Director's Report
By Kate Kosior
Hi everyone from the newly minted South Dakota Accessible Library Services. I know this is a big change for many people and wanted to use my time here during this newsletter to explain why and how this change has come about.
As you all know, our library serves individuals with all different disability-related barriers to print access. For some people, those are vision related. For others, they are physical and make it difficult or impossible to hold and manipulate books. For still more, the words on the page are difficult to interpret due to language processing disorders, dyslexia, and similar conditions.
Additionally, our library provides much more than just books. We provide programming, we provide DVD's, we offer volunteer opportunities around the state, we have educational materials, our staff sit on boards and provide across the state and country, we offer magazines and sports schedules and voting information, and hopefully sometime soon, we will offer access to newspapers.
With our name being the Braille and Talking Book Library, we were leading many people to believe that we mainly or only served individuals with visual impairment and that we only provided books.
I first approached the idea of a name change with the staff of the library over a year ago, and they were quite resistant to the change. I further consulted with the new State Librarian, and he felt that from a marketing and identity perspective, it was a good idea to make the change. I did a lot of research on what other states were calling their libraries and presented my case as far up as the deputy secretary of education. We submitted a few different name possibilities, but they were not approved, so I decided to have the staff brainstorm during meetings in January about a possible new name and come up with one together.
Ultimately Accessible Library Services emerged and was approved by both the state librarian and the deputy secretary of education. So, what does it mean exactly? Well, we provide access, meaning we reduce or remove barriers that prevent people from using library services. All services, not just books.
Still, change doesn't always come easy and takes some time. Please be patient with us as we change things like our website and marketing materials over to the new name and adjust to it ourselves, as well as helping you, our patrons, adjust. We hope in time that this important change helps us reach the thousands of South Dakotans who need our services but may have previously thought they were ineligible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at 1-605-773-5081 or by email at talkbkreq@state.sd.us
As always, thank you for support of our library!
Lynda's Announcement
...and now, a few words from Reader Advisor and Educational Materials Coordinator, Lynda Lowin
Exciting.
Nostalgic.
Adventures.
Wonderful.
Family and Friends.
I am not describing the latest book I read.
These words describe what I plan for retirement to feel like.
It is official. I will retire on June 8, 2023, from the best job in the world!
I give people books to read, what could be better than that?
I have had many wonderful conversations with you.
Sometimes I found just the book that you wanted.
Sometimes I could not.
Sometimes you told me that I would love this book you just read.
Sometimes I wondered why in the world, you would ever think I would love being scared by Stephen King?
Sometimes I cheered for you.
Sometimes we were bewildered.
Sometimes we laughed.
Sometimes we cried.
I will miss the challenge of finding just the right story to fill your hours. I will miss talking to you.
I plan to volunteer reading books for the South Dakota Collection, so if you are missing the sound of my voice, just ask your reader advisor to send out something that I read just for you.
Adult Winter Reading Challenge 2022
The six books that were chosen for this winter's Adult Challenge were books that were recommended by our patrons. They included Neither Wolf nor Dog, Granny D: Walking Across America in my 90th Year, Duct Tape Killer, Tisha, They Went Left and Winterdance.
35 patrons signed up before Feb 14 to be eligible for the Early Bird Drawing. The drawing was held on Feb 16 with Josh, Lynette and new State Librarian, George Seamon. The winner was Charlys R. of Mitchell, and the prize was a red and black plaid fuzzy warm blanket. Congratulations Charlys!
A total of 37 patrons participated in the challenge and 21 returned the questionnaire to be entered into the final drawing held on April 13. The winner was Virginia S. of Sioux Falls and the prize was a green stocking cap and gloves set. Congratulations Virginia!
Adult Summer Reading Challenge 2023
We will once again be doing an Adult Summer Reading Challenge, starting June 1 and running through Aug 25, 2023
Interested readers should contact their reader advisor to sign up to receive a customized cartridge with six books that were recommended by patrons.
- Early Bird drawing deadline - June 15, 2023
- End of Challenge drawing deadline - Aug 25, 2023
Watch your mail for a postcard with more information, or call your reader advisor.
VictorReader Stream Interview with Bob
VictorReader Stream 3
Our patrons use all different types of technology to access the books and magazines they want to read the most. Sometimes, they want to share their experiences with us or more importantly with their fellow readers. Accessible Library Services patron Bob Riibe recently shared his thoughts with Kate on the new VictorReader Stream 3.
Bob's Overview of the Basics
Humanware's VictorReader Stream 3 came out February 13, 2023. It cost $550 plus shipping. The VictorReader Stream 3 is the same size length and widthwise as the Victor Stream II but it's considerably thinner than previous Victor Streams.
The keys have a rubberized surface to make it easier for people with dexterity issues to use. They are just like a standard telephone keypad, so you don't need to know Braille to operate the device. The 5 key has two dots. The 2, 4, 6 keys are marked slightly differently to tell what they are. The sleep key can be set for 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. It will also tell you the time if you hold it down, and if you use the advanced settings, the clock will automatically change during the twice-yearly time changes. On the left side there are power and volume buttons. There are two different voices, and you can switch between them based on your preference.
VRS3 is Wi-Fi capable, and you use the internal Wi-Fi to download the materials you want to read. If you don't have Wi-Fi, this is not the product for you (although you can access Wi-Fi at public libraries and many other public locations). The VRS3 also has Bluetooth to allow pairing with two wireless devices. Bob recommends one connection be used for a pair of headphones and the other for a device like Alexa. That way if one loses its battery power, you have the other as back up. If you want to use traditional headphones, there still is a headphone jack, but it has been moved to the bottom left of the machine. Next to that is where the power cord goes for charging. There is also a microphone jack near the power and volume buttons.
Humanware estimates the battery will last 18 hours. However, Bob's experience is that it will last much longer than that, even when using consistently and at a high rate of speed. The battery is not removable.
The VictorReader Stream 3 has 13.5MB of memory. You can use SD cards to expand the memory, and on this model, there is a cover on the SD Card slot. This essentially makes the machine water resistant, but not waterproof. You can use it for BARD or Bookshare and you can get NFB Newsline on it. For podcasts, you need to go into the podcast menu and type in the name of the podcast and press confirm. It will then look for the podcasts that you want.
The big difference between this and previous Victor Streams is that this new version does not play cartridges from NLS. It does have a USB cord to connect to the computer, but if you want to be able to use your cartridges, this is not the machine for you!
Bob's Thoughts:
I have been a Victor user since 2013 when the VictorReader Stream 2 came out. About a year and a half ago, I got a VictorReader Track. It has a GPS in it, but the VictorReader Stream 3 does not.
It may seem a little bit daunting at first to handle some of the changes, but you can always call Humanware to get help. If I had a complaint, it's that the manual could be better than what it is, but you can call people for help.
This is a far better machine than anything they've had before!
More Information:
If you are interested in learning more about the VictorReader Stream 3, please contact Humanware at Humanware.com or 1-800-722-3393 . We do not have these devices at the library, nor are we able to provide them for you. We do our best to provide support for the various devices our patrons use, but because we do not have them here to try out and use, we do our best. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer directly. Please be kind to and patient with your reader advisor.
Many thanks to Bob for sitting for an interview on this device! Do you have a device or service you'd like to share with our patrons? Please contact Kate Kosior
Coming soon to a TV near you!
With today's streaming technology, DVD players are becoming a thing of the past, but if you still have one, we have over 1000 DVD & BluRay titles that you can borrow. These videos are designed for the enjoyment of people who are blind or visually impaired. You can borrow two at a time and keep them for two weeks.
DVDs available March 1, 2023
- DVD1047 "Banshees of Inisherin"
- DVD1048 "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile"
- DVD1049 "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
- DVD1050 "DC League of Super-pets"
- DVD1051 "Minions: The Rise of Gru"
- DVD1052 "Jurassic World: Dominion"
- DVD1053 "Lightyear"
- DVD1054 "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris"
- DVD1055 "Where the Crawdads Sing"
- DVD1056 "King's Man"
- DVD1057 "Woman King"
- DVD1058 "Ticket to Paradise"
- DVD1059 "Elvis"
If you are interested in receiving the DVD catalog, please contact your Reader Advisor. The catalog is also on the Accessible Library Services website.
Social Club
We had a good turnout at our latest social club event on Monday, March 27, 2023. We had an author talk with Phil and Sandy Hamman writers of "Duct Tape Killer: The true inside story of sexual sadist & murderer Robert Leroy Anderson" This book relates the true crime story of how prosecutor Larry Long and his team were able to piece together the sinister facts of the diabolical crimes which took place in southeast South Dakota.
Thanks to everyone who has participated in our Social Club so far this year. We have so enjoyed getting to know you and spending time together. Please let us know any ideas you might have for future programs! Our next social club will be held in June. Social Club meets quarterly via Zoom and phone. Links and phone numbers are on our website and Facebook pages. Visit https://library.sd.gov/ALS
NLS Events for Summer Reading 2023
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) will have live events scheduled for all ages for its first Summer Reading Program, which will run from Monday, June 26, through Friday, August 11, 2023.
This list of guests includes New York Times — bestselling authors as well as winners of Amazon's Best Book of the Year, American Library Association's (ALA) Best Fiction for Young Adults, the Newberry medal, Pura Belpré Author Honor, and ALA Schneider Family Book Award Young Children's Honor Book. All five of our Summer Reading Program author speakers have multiple books in the NLS collection in audio and braille.
Please note that due to contractual limitations with the authors and performer, these programs will be livestreamed only and will not be recorded.
- Kickoff event (all ages)
Monday, June 26 at 3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm MDT
- Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures (adult)
Thursday, June 29, at 6:00 pm CDT/5:00 pm MDT
- Story time and music: Turtle Dance Music (K-3rd grade)
Thursday, July 6, at 6:00 pm CDT/5:00 MDT
- Celia Perez, "The First Rule of Punk" (middle grades)
Tuesday, July 11, at 6:00 pm CDT/5:00 MDT
- Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, "All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything" (K-5th grade)
Saturday, July 22, at 12:00 noon CDT/1:00 pm MDT
- Kwame Alexander, "The Crossover" (YA and middle grades)
Thursday, July 27, at 6:00 pm CDT/5:00 MDT
- Jenny Torres Sanchez, "We Are Not from Here" (YA)
Thursday, August 3, at 6:00 pm CDT/5:00 MDT
BRAILLE ON DEMAND: Braille books you can keep indefinitely
NLS patrons who read Braille can now request hard-copy Braille books to keep indefinitely! Many patrons are taking advantage of this new offering by requesting books of knitting patterns or cookbooks, while others are building at-home libraries of their favorite book series. To request a book in hard-copy braille, use the NLS Braille on Demand Request Form . If you would like to speak with someone or place your request over the phone, please contact South Dakota Accessible Library Services at 1-800-423-6665 (SD Only) or 1-605-773-3131 option 1.
Publisher Annotations
The March-April issues of Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review are the first with mostly publisher-provided book descriptions. We've been using publisher-provided descriptions for most new titles added to the collection since May 2022, so you've probably already seen some in the catalog and on BARD. But this will be many patrons' first encounter with them.
These longer descriptions provide a more complete picture of a book than the 50-word annotations that NLS staff members produced for decades. We hope they will make it easier for patrons to identify titles of interest to them.
A few things to be aware of: NLS uses publisher-provided book descriptions verbatim, with no editorial changes. The descriptions often have a different tone than NLS staff-produced annotations and may reference other works or supplementary materials that are not available from NLS or contained in the NLS edition. And they do not represent the position of the Library of Congress. We will continue to provide rating taglines to flag strong language or descriptions of sex and violence in the books we produce in-house, though we do not provide ratings for commercial audiobooks added to the collection.
The Many Faces of BARD
If you are interested in learning more about BARD here is something you don't want to miss.
The NLS Patron Engagement Section offers The Many Faces of BARD online event the second Thursday of every month, at 8pm CT/7pm MT. Each monthly event covers one aspect of BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download service) and is open to all.
Here is the link where all the Many Faces of BARD information past and future can be located. This includes recordings of previous events. This page is regularly updated.
Mail Carrier Pickup: Free Pickup Saves a Trip to the Post Office
Free package pickup — from your home or office. At a time that's convenient for you.
Sending and returning packages is quick, easy and convenient at usps.com.
No more waiting in line at the Post Office. The U.S. Postal Service provides free package pickup from your home or office at a time and place that's convenient for you.
Carrier Pickup is Easy to Use
- Go online to usps.com/pickup
And follow the prompts. It's free, regardless of the number of packages you're sending. Your letter carrier will pick up your package when your regular mail is delivered. Arrange a next-day pickup or let us know up to three months in advance that your packages will be ready.
- Always open
The Internet never closes. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. So when you're ready to schedule a free package pickup, we're ready to make the pickup, available Monday to Saturday.
- We pick up international packages, too
Free package pickup is available for packages being sent by domestic Express Mail, Priority Mail, or returns packages - and international mail.
- What you should know
Packages must be ready for shipment before your carrier arrives. Requests must be made by 2 a.m. CT on the day you've requested free package pickup. Maximum weight per package is 70 pounds. There is no limit to the number of packages that can be picked up. Proper postage must be applied.
- Mailpieces weighing more than 13 ounces bearing only postage stamps as postage must be taken by the customer to an employee at the retail counter of a Post Office, Contract Postal Unit, or Approved Shipper location.
Use Click-N-Ship to Prepare Packages for Pickup
- Purchase postage online
All packages scheduled for free pickup must have proper postage applied prior to pickup. Go to cns.usps.com .
- The Post Office is on your desktop
Click-N-Ship brings the Post Office to your desktop at home or at the office for no additional fee. Print professional shipping labels and pay for postage.
- Payment Online
Click-N-Ship allows you to print postage on usps.com and pay using any major credit card. You can calculate and compare postage and purchase insurance up to $500.
Other Online Tools
- Calculate postage
Select the type of service for your mailing needs. The Postage Rate Calculator will ask for size, weight, distance and ZIP Code and provide you with the cost of the postage. Postage must be affixed to the package before scheduling your free pickup.
- ZIP codes
Find a ZIP Code and other related information at usps.com/zip4 . You can search for a ZIP Code by city or by address, or by entering a company's partial or complete address to determine its ZIP Code.
Kids News
2023 Youth Winter Reading Program
SD Braille & Talking Book Library Youth patrons — Birth through 19 years read during the 28 days in February. 15 youth returned their reading chart by March 7 and were entered into a drawing.
High School Seniors looking for more of a challenge also were able to register for the Adult Winter Reading Challenge.
The drawing was for a Code and Go Robot Mouse activity set. This activity set provides a hands-on introduction to coding concepts and tactile graphics as students program Colby the mouse to race through the maze toward the cheese. Colby lights-up, makes sounds, and features 2 speeds and colorful shaped buttons for easy programming and sequencing.
Tyson from Britton won the coding mouse set! Congratulations Tyson!
2023 Youth Summer Reading Program
The 2023 summer reading program theme is "All Together Now." It will be celebrating Kindness, Friendship, and Unity and Community.
The program will run eight weeks from June 4 to July 29, 2023 and is open to all registered library patrons birth to 19. Get ready for fun videos, crafts, and more.
Read whenever you can and record your reading each day of the program.
You can still register online or by contacting us at 1-800-423-6665 phone or 1-605-773-3131 phone x1.
Reading charts must be mailed back (or take a photo or scan and send to Josh Easter) to the Library before August 12, 2023 to be entered in the final drawing for the program.
Prizes include: $50 gift cards and an Android tablet!
If you have any questions please contact
Josh Easter, Equipment and Audio Production Manager:
1-605-773-5082 ;
or
email
We also have an Adult Summer Reading Challenge for older readers that senior high and up students can also participate in.
Check out our website and Facebook page .
If you use social media, please use #SDSummerReading2023 to share your summer reading progress!
Ten-Squared Club
South Dakota Accessible Library Services recognizes the accomplishments of our active readers who have reached age 100 or older. They are sent an invitation to join this elite club and receive a certificate of merit, a letter, and a small gift. We have heard amazing stories from our Ten-Squared Club members.
This newsletter's Ten-Squared inductee is:
Eloise Underwood
Eloise was read to by her parents growing up. She continues to read today in her room in the nursing home. Talking Books allow her to continue to read some of her favorite books such as any family stories and Christian oriented books. She said because of talking books, "My life has been highlighted."
Besides reading Eloise enjoys keeping busy attending programs, doing bingo, and enjoying music.
Of her life as a centenarian she said, "I have been blessed, (and) took each birthday as it came."
Thanks for sharing your life experiences, Eloise!
Holiday Closings
The Library will be closed for the following holiday(s). Please plan to order your books accordingly. Keep in mind that the books you return will take longer to reach us. You may want to order extra books at least two weeks in advance of the following holidays:
- Monday, May 29, 2023, for Memorial Day
- Monday, June 19, for Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Tuesday, July 4, 2023 Independence Day
- Monday, September 4, 2023 Labor Day
The Prairie Trails Newsletter is our means of communication with all patrons of the South Dakota Accessible Library Services. The Prairie Trails Newsletter is made available in digital audio on cartridge, or via email, and is posted on our website in large print and audio.
If you have any questions or comments, or wish to request this newsletter in an alternative format, please contact the SD Accessible Library Services.
Write:
South Dakota Accessible Library Services
800 Governors Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2235
1-800-423-6665 (in SD Only)
Email
Facebook
The SD ALS does not endorse any service or product listed in this newsletter.
Masthead photo of prairie grasses and pasque flower with sunrise courtesy of South Dakota Department of Tourism © 2019 .
