2008_Feb_BG

BITS OF GOLD

Montana Talking Book Library (MTBL)
Department of the Montana State Library
Regional Library of the National Library Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
(NLS/BPH)

Volume 108, Number 2 May 2008
LIBRARIAN’S LOG: from the desk of Christie Briggs, Regional Librarian.

Our mission at the Montana Talking Book Library is this:
We (the employees and volunteers of the library) are dedicated to providing the best quality free library services to eligible blind, low vision, physically and reading handicapped Montanans to insure
“THAT ALL MAY READ”.

If you have a friend, neighbor or relative who is having difficulty reading standard print (even with the use of glasses and/or magnifiers), please encourage them to apply for our services. Everyone should have an opportunity to read.

The National Library Service is currently adding two additional years to their original business plan timeline of transitioning to digital books and players. This is due to a decrease in federally approved funding.

Starting in 2009, digital players will be offered but in a smaller number than originally planned. Preference will still be given to veterans and centenarians who wish to receive digital books and players. Cassette players and cassette books will continue in service for a longer period of time than expected. Patrons will also need to use the cassette players for magazines, even after the digital players are issued, because most magazines will be the last materials to transition to digital.

NLS is currently offering an expanded digital download service to patrons who have purchased a Humanware Victor Reader Stream digital player. WebBraille is also available to patrons with appropriate equipment. Contact your Readers’ Advisor to find out more about these two services.

DONATIONS AND MEMORIALS 2007

The Montana Talking Book Library staff appreciates the thoughtfulness of those who contributed to our library in 2007. Acknowledgements are sent to all donors. Our patrons enjoy many years of pleasure from these gifts. Please remember to include the name of the person for whom a memorial is made and the name and address of those to be notified. All gifts are tax-deductible. Many thanks and blessings to the following contributors:
DONATIONS:

Audrey & Orris Anderson	Bonnie Anderson	Peg Barnekoff
Cookie Basinger	Joyce Beckes	Mary Biskupiak
Birdie Blanton	Laura Brown	Ed Canty
Cheryl Christopher & Ken Marx	Betty Collins by Jon & Carol Thatcher	Donna Davis
David & Rosamond Diggs	Estate of Olive Long Dodds	Bonnie Gebhardt
John Gordon	John Greene	Dick & Patti Howse
Charlotte Kasper	James & Shirley Keenan	Keystone Automated Systems
Vernie Kralicek	Leona Larson	Ralph & Carol Leonard
Duane Lund	Dr. AJ & Virginia Marchello	Brian McCutcheon
Fred & Marybelle Miller	Colleen Mockler	Montana Association for the Blind
Montana Historical Society Press	Dale Moore	Elsie Muntzenberger
Adele Paulson	Arnold Peterson	Gloria Purcell
Jim Quinn	Glen Rasmussen	Dwain & Lillian Rennaker
David Rotar	Edna & Oliver Smith	Jean Smith
Marjorie Smith	Vicki Smith	Annamae Somers
Rose Sylling	Edith Tanna	Albert R. Tong
Doris Triplett	Jane Weidler	Gwen Williams
Cylene Wood	M. Chris Wulf

MEMORIALS IN HONOR OF:

Joel Atkinson—Patricia Saindon.
Jon Beck—Nancy & Jack Glaser.
Agnes Bills—Mary Ann & Jim Canan; Patrick & Susanna Kloven; William F. Paterson; Marietta & John Peters; Mary Lou & Harold Pope; Marjorie Schaeffer; William & Prudence Schuback, Rev. Henry Warren & Domenica T. Cipollone; Shirley Wegner; Beatrice Willett; Kathryn & Remly Wilson.
Lea Blunn—Cathy & Frank Heintzelman; Pauline Lorang; Vicky & Dave McCray.
Linda Campbell—DeLane Newgard.
Norbert Donahue—Robert F. Cooper Jr.; Valley Ellingson; Ken Kalvig; Leonard & Mary Kaufman; Dan & Corinne Lundgren; Ivan O’Neil; Donna & Edgar Trippet; James Vidal; Harold Vogelsang; Pam, Tom A. & Tom H. Zoeller.
Terry Dwyer—Dick & Patty Howse.
William Frazier—Marjorie Hansen.
Gloria Fuhrman—Patricia Saindon.
Janet Hunter—Vicky & Jim Greaney; David Rotar.
A V Krusee—Patricia Saindon.
Fred Miller—Lynn Askar; A R Hagener; Margaret Janicke; Lisa M. Metcalfe; Donovan Puffer; Mrs. Fred Miller; Annamae Somers.
Michael Mulroney—Patricia Saindon.
Ruth O’Connell—Donna Davis; Phyllis Herbert.
Lee Rassmusson—Patricia Saindon.
Frank Schmaltz—Arlynn Archer; Karen & Thomas Czaplewski.
Rose Shennum—Gloria Purcell.
Adela Tarrant—Patricia Saindon.
Earl Thisselle—David Cushing; Beverly Pugsley.
Robert Tubbs—Moira Ambrose; Betty Anderson; Gordon R. Bennett; Mary Biskupiak; Phyllis Dagenais; G B Carson; John Delano; Gary E. & Carol A. Duval; Lois Eveland; James P. Foley; Gates of the Mountains Foundation; Raymond & Barbara Goeres; Frank & Bonnie Gruber; Rev. Joseph D. Harrington; Donna Hart; Phyllis Herbert; Inez Hoopes; Mary & Mark Hopkins; Donna Huguet Family; Dolores Tremper Family; Vernie Kralicek; Agnes Larue; Carol & Ralph Leonard; Al & Dorothy Marcinek; Teresa McDonald; Ken & Sherry Morrison; Murel & Jim O’Connell; Barbara & John A. Palmquist Jr.; Robert L. Pennington; Gloria Purcell; Robert & Pamela Smith; Robert l. Solomon; Jack Stults; Daphne Crosbie; Marilyn & John Sutey Family; Virginia L. Thompson; Jean Weeks; Perry & Jane Weidler; Edith Wheat.
Vivien “June” Vinson—Lenora Fuhlendorf; Agnes Custafson; Sheryl Vinson Harvey; Richard Vinson Kay; Lelia Proctor Memorial Chapter, Montana Association for the Blind; Mark & Jackie McKernan; William & Annette McNeill; Robert & Sybil Vinson, R&S Contracting; Norma Vinson.

Possible Additions to Our Magazine List:

If you are interested in receiving any of the magazines listed below, call your reader advisor before June 20. We will look into adding these to our cassette magazine offerings if a positive response
(20 patrons each) is received.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
Audubon
Cowboys and Indians
Woman’s Day

Please remember to return all magazines that come in plastic containers! Like the books, magazines are due back in about two months. Many magazines, both in cassette and large print format, are overdue —please return promptly as others are waiting!

2008 SUMMER READING PROGRAM

The annual summer reading program is underway for patrons under the age of 15. Many libraries across the country, including Montana’s public libraries, are using this same theme. Participants are encouraged to read a number of books over the summer to fulfill their personal contract and are able to win prizes and certificates for their participation.

This summer’s theme is

What will the 2008 fire season be like?

Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as other seasons that prompted these books!

Nonfiction:
RC 53954 Year of the Fires: the Story of the Great Fires of 1910 by Stephen J. Pyne

RC 35639 Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean (the story of the Mann Gulch Fire)

RC 57258 Fire and Ashes: on the Front Lines of American Wildfires by John N. Maclean ( John is Norman’s son)

RC 53047 Fire! by Sebastian Junger ( includes the 1994 Colorado forest fire)

RC 50200 Fire on the Mountain: the True Story of the South Canyon Fire by John N. Maclean

MCB 838 Lookout Cookbook: a Collection of Recipes by Forest Fire Lookouts by Libby Langston (includes their history and insights about life)

RC 64741 Wildfire by Taylor Morrison (grade level 4-7—copies coming soon!)

Fiction:
RC 59093 Fire Flight by John Nance (some strong language) -- a patron pick!

MCB 450 Unless the Wind Turns by Mildred Walker (set in Montana)

RC 53067 The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans
(some sex, some violence, some strong language)

audio bibles for the blind

aurora Ministries of Florida offers free Audio Bibles to people all around the globe who qualify as being legally blind and/or print-handicapped. The Audio Bibles are available in both cassette tape and CD and/or MP3 formats. Aurora Ministries has the King James Version, the New King James Version, and the International Children's Bible. Call the Montana Talking Book Library if you are interested; we can complete your application and certify you for this service. A complete Audio Bible will be mailed when your completed application is received at Audio Bibles for the Blind. For further information, you can access their website at www.audiobiblesfortheblind.org or call 941-748-4100.

More Musical Notes:

Music for the Blind has a new music course,
“Intro to the Harmonica for the Visually Impaired.”
This course is one among over a dozen others that are taught in an all-audio format and that are specifically designed for those who are blind or who have low vision. These courses do not require any Braille skills so they are quick and easy to use. To find out more about complete courses and song-based lessons for piano, guitar, violin, flute and others go to
www.musicfortheblind.com

PATRON PICKS: The following books have been recommended by our patrons:

RC 61775 My Year in Iraq: the Struggle to Build a Future of Hope by L. Paul Bremer. (American former diplomat describes his work from May 2003 to June 2004)

MCB 620 Charlie Russell Roundup by various authors. (Essays about the Montana artist and his enduring mystique)

RC 63743 Shades of Darkness: A Black Soldier’s Journey through Vietnam, Blindness and Back by George E. Brummell. (Memoir of a staff sergeant blinded in Vietnam, his life in segregated Maryland, his rehabilitation, education, and career with the Blinded Veterans Association; violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex)

LOW VISION MONTANA (LVM)
LVM is available to promote independence for Montanans with low vision and blindness. It can assist you in locating state and national resources. The Talking Book Library, the Lions Clubs and most agencies or organizations addressing low vision or blind issues are involved in Low Vision Montana. Contact: 1-800-601-5004 or go to www.lowvisionmt.org.

Recycling Old Braille Magazines:
If you have old Braille magazines and want to recycle them, you can bundle them and place them in a medium sized box and mail to

BRAILLE INSTITUTE # LIBRARY SERVICES
741 NORTH VERMONT AVE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90029-3494

These can be mailed “free matter” if coming from a Talking Book Library patron to the Braille Institute.

LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED ON INDEPENDENCE DAY (JULY 4)
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!

MONTANA TALKING BOOK LIBRARY FREE MATTER
1515 EAST SIXTH AVENUE FOR THE BLIND
PO BOX 201800
HELENA MT 59620-1800

Address Service Requested

This newsletter is available on cassette, e-mail and large print upon request or visit our website: http://msl.mt.gov/tbl

LIBRARY HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm	PHONE HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
PHONE NUMBERS: 1-800-332-3400	(in Helena) 406-444-2064
WEBOPAC: http://klasweb.msl.mt.gov	WEBBRAILLE: http://loc.gov/nls/braille

REGIONAL LIBRARIAN:	Christie Briggs, cbriggs@mt.gov
COORD. VOL /DIR RECORDING SVC:	Diane Gunderson, dgunderson@mt.gov
COLLECTION MANAGER:	Carolyn Meier, cameier@mt.gov
MACHINE LENDING AGENT:	Lee Madison
READERS’ ADVISORS:
Patrons with last names A-G contact:	Linda Miles, lmiles@mt.gov
Patrons with last names H-O contact:	Sandra Stanton, sstanton@mt.gov
Patrons with last names P-Z contact:	Lee Madison, lmadison@mt.gov
BITS OF GOLD EDITOR:	Sandy Stanton
For patron requests or contact information, e-mail us at: mtbl@mt.gov

DISCLAIMER: The products and services mentioned in this newsletter are for your information only and do not imply endorsement by MTBL. Thank you for your comments and suggestions.