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Category Archives: Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS)
TBBS Volunteers Receive Award
Volunteers at Talking Book and Braille Service were chosen for Celebrate Literacy, 2021. The award was presented by the Nebraska State Literacy Association at their annual conference. This year the conference was online. Pictures of some of the volunteers were displayed during the ceremony.
We think the studio volunteers are super! They are very dedicated, and many have narrated for several years. Thank you Nebraska State Literacy Association for honoring them.
NLC Staff: Meet Amy Irons
Questions and Answers with Talking Book and Braille Circulation Technician, Amy Irons. She started working with the NLC in August of 2019. Take a few minutes and get to know her better with a few fun questions!
What was the last thing you googled?
Horse Creek Adventures
What advice would you give your 21 year old self?
It’s okay if you don’t have it figured out yet
What’s your ideal vacation?
Mountains and forest
What do you do to relax?
Art: paint, draw, sew, cross stitch
Describe your first car?
A 1987 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Station Wagon with wood paneling. It was white and her name was Billy
What was the first concert you remember attending?
All for One at the Nebraska State Fair
What movie can you watch over and over again?
Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, The Princess Bride
What was the last book you read?
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
What was the last movie you watched?
Birds of Prey
What is your proudest handyman moment?
I installed ceiling fans
Three words that describe you?
Weird, silly, and kind
What smell brings back great memories?
Pine trees and Christmas
If you could have one superpower what would it be?
The power to heal
What’s the last thing you do before you got to bed?
Make the rounds in my house to make sure all the doors and windows are locked and then snuggle with my dog
Do you have any tattoos?
Yes – seven
What is your favorite comfort food when you are sick?
Miso soup
What words or phrases do you overuse?
She was not fragile like a flower, she was fragile like a bomb
What’s your most treasured possession?
My son – Bodhi – age 11
What posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
Lisa Frank’s unicorns and dolphins
Do you love or hate rollercoasters?
Love
Do you have any pets?
One fat unruly cat named Girl Girl and a dog named Cora who is the sweetest girl that ever lived.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Taco Bell
Favorite technology you could not live without?
The Internet
If you could get rid of one holiday – which one would you abolish?
Columbus Day
If you could only eat one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sushi
If you could call anyone in the world and have a one-hour conversation, what would you call?
Lizzo
What do you get every time you go to the grocery store?
Mio
NLC Staff: Meet Matt Hier
Questions and Answers with NLC’s Audio Production Studio Manager, Matt Hier. He started working with the NLC in our Talking Book & Braille Department in October 2019. Take a few minutes and get to know him better with a few fun questions!
What was the last thing you googled?
I was unfamiliar with shoepeg corn that appeared in a recipe
What’s your ideal vacation?
Traveling to cities – New York, Chicago, and Seattle are my favorites
What do you do to relax?
Curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book
Describe your first car?
Red 1989 Ford Probe
If I weren’t working in a library, I’d be …
Working in a radio station
What was the first concert you remember attending?
Sweet 98’s Sweetstock at Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs
What movie can you watch over and over again?
Back to the Future
What was the last book you read?
Normal People by Sally Rooney
What was the last movie you watched?
The Matrix
What is a quote you live by?
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Three words that describe you?
Reserved, hardworking, and empathetic
What smell brings back great memories?
Scents of fall: apple cider, caramel corn at a pumpkin patch, cinnamon
If you could have one superpower what would it be?
To fly
What’s the last thing you do before you got to bed?
Read
If you had a warning label, what would it say?
Less cranky than appears
Do you have any tattoos?
No, I’m not opposed to them but I am indecisive and would almost certainly regret my decision
What is your favorite comfort food?
Mac and cheese
What words or phrases do you overuse?
Fantastic
On what occasion do you lie?
Only when it will hurt someone’s feelings if I tell the truth and it does not matter
Do you love or hate rollercoasters?
I love theme parks but not giant rollercoasters
Do you have any pets?
No
What is your guilty pleasure?
80’s pop music
Favorite technology you could not live without?
Streaming television shows and movies
If you could get rid of one holiday – which one would you abolish?
4th of July because I don’t like loud noises
If you could only eat one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Italian food
If you could call anyone in the world and have a one-hour conversation, who would you call?
Michael J. Fox
What do you get every time you go to the grocery store?
Frozen pizza
Talking Book and Braille Service Open by Appointment Monday July 6th
Long-time no see! Starting July 6th, Nebraska Talking Book and Braille Service will begin allowing patrons entrance to our library by appointment. Since the pandemic is still very much a reality, our staff is still socially distancing and we are therefore continuing to have only one Readers Advisor at the desk at a time.
If you are going to be in downtown Lincoln and would like to come pick-up your books in person, give us a call ahead of time and we will get your order ready to go. When you come in at your appointed time, we will have a table to the left of the main doors for pick-ups and drop-offs so that we can all social distance, and so that our staff can sanitize the space for everyone’s safety!
Additionally, we would all appreciate the use of masks and hand sanitizer when you come in and that you remain six feet apart from your friendly librarian! Bathrooms and drinking fountains will not be open to our guests at this time, so please plan accordingly. We ask that you not loiter after your order pick-up to provide the space we need to sanitize after your visit. Lastly, please be aware that if you are more than fifteen-minutes late for your scheduled appointment, you will have to reschedule.
We look forward to seeing your friendly faces and providing you with books. Thank you for your patience as we get through this difficult time.
Readers Services Division, Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service
NLC Staff: Meet Holly Atterbury
Questions and Answers with NLC Reader’s Advisor, Holly Atterbury. She started working with the NLC in our Talking Book & Braille Department in August 2018. Take a few minutes and get to know her better with a few fun questions!
Last thing you googled?
Nebraska Primary
What’s your ideal vacation?
Driving up the Pacific West Coast Highway in Oregon, staying in cabins in state parks.
What do you do to relax?
Embroidery – right now working on something my grandmother started to give to my mom for her upcoming birthday.
If I weren’t working in a library, I’d be …
in school to become a professor teaching Creative Writing
What movie you can watch over and over again?
Mad Max: Fury Road
What was the last book you read?
Underland by Robert Macfarlane
What was the last movie you watched?
The Half of It
Three words that describe you?
Funny, charismatic, and interesting
What smell brings back great memories?
An early summer morning with dew on the grass and a cool breeze – this reminds me of my childhood
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Shapeshifting
What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?
Pet my cats
If you had a warning label, what would it say?
Caution – may contain many tangents
Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet
What is your favorite comfort food when you’re sick?
Chicken noodle soup
What’s your most treasured possession?
I love my 1988 Ford Ranger truck with almost 400,000 miles on it (the engine was rebuilt!).
What posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
Art posters of dragons, dolphins, and wolves
Do you love or hate rollercoasters?
I have a love/hate relationship with roller coasters – because I almost passed out on a roller coaster once
Do you have any pets?
Two cats – Bourbon and Edgar
What is your guilty pleasure?
Reality TV dating shows
Favorite technology you could not live without?
My cell phone
If you could get rid of one holiday, which one would you abolish?
Arbor Day and Columbus Day
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oreo Milkshakes
What do you get every time you go to the grocery store?
Cheese
Listened to a good book lately?
This article was originally published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
Nebraska Talking Book and Braille Service uses newly developed technology to supply audio books to individuals with print disabilities. As books are requested, they are duplicated and mailed to the borrower’s home. Duplication-on-demand has eliminated waiting lists for popular books. Borrowers are also able to download reading materials and listen to them on their phone.
Talking Book and Braille Service is available to Nebraskans with print disabilities. These include visual impairments, dyslexia, and disabilities that make holding a book difficult. Talking Books is part of the Nebraska Library Commission and works in collaboration with the National Library Service.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled works with Talking Book libraries across the nation to provide audio books, magazines, and special book players. The National Library Service has also paid for mailing the materials back and forth to homes, so that there is no cost at all to borrowers to use the service.
To supplement the bestsellers and national books and magazines, the Talking Books audio studio records 21 magazines of specific interest to Nebraskans. Volunteers narrate the text as a second person follows along and handles the recording equipment. The team’s goal is to make a recording that is word perfect. Experienced volunteers might also narrate books about Nebraska or by Nebraska authors. To audition to be a narrator, or if you or someone you know would like to sign up to use the service, please contact the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service at 402-471-4038 or 800-742-7691.
Posted in Books & Reading, Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS)
Tagged Narrating, TBBS, Volunteers
2 Comments
#BookFaceFriday – “Conversations with Friends” by Sally Rooney
Raise your hand if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to read more! One of the best ways to accomplish that goal is by joining a book club, and have some great ‘conversations with friends’ about books! “Conversations with Friends: A Novel” ( Hogarth, 2017) by Sally Rooney is a part of our book club kit collection. It’s also available to our Talking Book & Braille customers who are looking for a new read in the new year! Check out all of our Book Club titles and TBBS services to start tackling your goals today!
“An insightful look at what it’s like to be young, smart, and deeply confused about friendship and love . . . It’s like an Ask Polly letter in the form of a novel, in the best possible way.”—The Cut
This week’s #BookFace models are Anna Walter and Holly Atterbury, two of our Talking Book & Braille Service Library Readers Advisors!
Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
NLC Staff: Meet Gabe Kramer
Gabe Kramer: The Accidental Librarian
Meet Gabe Kramer who joined the Library Commission staff ten years ago and recently became Talking Book & Braille Service Director. Gabe grew up in Wahoo and graduated from Wahoo High School. He attended UNL earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcasting and completed his Master’s Degree in Library Science this past December from the University of Missouri. As a kid, Gabe remembers reading all the Goosebumps books and his first Stephen King book in 5th grade. As an adult, Gabe prefers nonfiction and is currently reading John Adams by David McCullough. Gabe estimates for every fiction book he reads, he reads two nonfiction. Stephen King is his favorite author. Gabe’s library also includes a substantial music collection featuring David Bowie, Nirvana, Kanye West, and Radiohead.
Prior to working in libraries, Gabe worked at Dairy Queen, the UNL Parking and Transit Department, and produced the broadcasts for the Lincoln Stars and the Lincoln Saltdogs. Gabe submitted an application for several jobs with the State of Nebraska and received a call to interview for the Library Commission. He does not remember applying specifically for a job at the Library Commission but happily, his application made him a good candidate making Gabe an accidental librarian. When he isn’t busy juggling the many staff shortages his department has been dealt recently, he likes to play basketball and spend time at home with his family listening to music and playing video games.
Gabe is married to Jenny and together they have a 9-year-old daughter, Ella. When I asked Gabe what is the best thing about life in Nebraska, he replied, “Jenny keeps me here.” A perfect day for Gabe is one with lovely weather, no chores, and plenty of time to do whatever he wants. If Gabe won the lottery, travel would be the first priority with the goal of filling all the pages of his passport book with custom stamps. Two trips to Japan to visit his mother’s family has whetted his appetite to see more of the world. Accidental or otherwise, we’re grateful Gabe joined the staff at the Library Commission.
#BookFaceFriday “Let’s Be Reasonable”
This is a #BookFaceFriday to make Grant Wood proud.
Is there anything more iconic Midwestern than American Gothic? We got the chance to create our own with this week’s #BookFace selection “Let’s Be Reasonable” by Joel Sartore (Unversity of Nebraska Press, 2011). That’s the Nebraska photographer/author himself on the book cover with his wife Kathy. If you’re not familiar with this book of short essays and photography, you should really change that. It’s a must read.
“For this collection of essays and images, photojournalist Santore drew on various subjects encountered in his travels on assignment for CBS Sunday Morning and National Geographic magazine. By turns quirky, candid, whimsical and moving, they cover a wide range of topics, including endangered species, the power of laughter, state-fair food, mud, money, conspicuous consumption, and his own life and family at home in Nebraska.”—Neil Pond, American Profile(Neil Pond American Profile 2011-09-05)
We pulled this from our Talking Book & Braille (TBBS) collection. It was recorded by NLC in 2016, and narrated by Alice Timm. It’s a part of our collection of Nebraska books and publications made available to Nebraska TBBS customers. It was recently added to TBBS’s Duplication on Demand service. You can learn all about the new Duplication on Demand service in next week’s episode of NCompass Live: Talking Books and Duplication on Demand!
Imagine if there were no books on your library shelves, and instead books were custom-made for every patron, printed and conveniently bound together during their visit. Something along those lines is being implemented with the digital talking books circulated at the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. Tune in to find out about the technology behind this change, and its advantages and disadvantages for patrons and staff as we begin this adventure together!
Join Scott Scholz, Director of our Talking Book and Braille Service, and Christa Porter next Wednesday, Dec. 26th at 10:00 am Central Time. Register here!
Scott also happens to be one of this week’s #BookFace models!
Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
Free Materials for Nebraska Libraries to Support Great American Read Programming
The Great American Read is the new PBS eight-part television competition and nationwide campaign to discover America’s favorite novel. Everyone can vote for their favorite from a list of 100 novels chosen in a national survey. NET Television is offering Nebraska resources for programming to help community members participate in the Great American Read. Nebraska libraries are invited to request posters and bookmarks (and possibly a local screening) from Marthaellen Florence, Director, Community Engagement, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications – NET, mflorenc@netad.unl.edu, 402-470-6603.
See http://netnebraska.org/greatread or Facebook.com/netNebraska for more information about the program broadcasts on NET. The series is hosted by Meredith Vieira and features conversations with authors, celebrities, and book lovers. The programs are scheduled for the next six weeks, leading up to the last day of voting (October 18, 2018) and announcement of America’s favorite read (October 23, 3018).
Schedule
“Launch Special” (Premiered Tuesday, May 22, 2018) – WATCH NOW
“Fall Kick-off” (Premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“Who Am I?” (Premieres Tuesday, September 18, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“Heroes” (Premieres Tuesday, September 25, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“Villains and Monsters” (Premieres Tuesday, October 2, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“What We Do For Love” (Premieres Tuesday, October 9, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“Other Worlds” (Premieres Tuesday, October 16, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
“Grand Finale” (Premieres Tuesday, October 23, 2018 7:00 p.m. ct)
The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service helps Nebraska librarians serve library customers who can’t use regular print, and all but four of the Great American Read titles are available in the talking book format through this service. For more information, see http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nlcblog/?s=great+american+read. To help serve book clubs that want to read a title from this list, the Nebraska Library Commission Book Club Kit collection contains 59 of the 100 selections. To serve your library customers, search at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub/ or contact Lisa Kelly, Information Services Director, 402-471-4015 for the list of Great American Read titles available in Book Club Kits.
For more information, see the recording of the Sept. 5, 2018 NCompass Live Great American Read broadcast at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventshow.asp?ProgID=17615
#GreatReadPBS
“The Great American Read” Books available to Talking Book and Braille Service readers
This reading list, curated by PBS, shows the diversity of America’s 100 most beloved fiction books. Voting for America’s greatest novel began May 22nd and will end in October 2018. Learn more about The Great American Read and how to vote at http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/about/show/
For library patrons who can’t use regular print, all but four of the Great American Read titles are available in the talking book format. If you know readers who would love to be involved, but their vision is making it hard to use regular print, they can’t hold a book, or turn pages, the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service is here to help! You can use the 5-digit numbers beside the book titles below to order these and many other wonderful books and magazines. Simply give us a call anywhere in Nebraska by dialing 1-800-742-7691, or visit our section of the NLC website.
| DB | Title and Author | |
| 73474 | 1984 by George Orwell | |
| 50482 | A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole | |
| 29012 | A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel by John Irving | |
| 24697 | A Separate Peace by John Knowles | |
| 44769 | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith | |
| 53084 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain | |
| 65599 | The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho | |
| Alex Cross Series by James Patterson | ||
| 50842 | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll | |
| 77188 | Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | |
| 11077 | And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie | |
| (also within DB 53999) | ||
| 56114 | Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery | |
| (also within DB 50475) | ||
| 51074 | Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand | |
| 26026 | Beloved by Toni Morrison | |
| 62431 | The Book Thief by Markus Zusak | |
| 65402 | The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz | |
| 49486 | The Call of the Wild by Jack London | |
| 48063 | Catch-22 by Joseph Heller | |
| 47480 | Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger | |
| 74950 | Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White | |
| 50083 | Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis | |
| 52680 | Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel | |
| 57412 | Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah | |
| 58842 | The Color Purple by Alice Walker | |
| 56946 | Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas | |
| 50147 | Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky | |
| 56893 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon | |
| 55735 | The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown | |
| 24290 | Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes | |
| 26423 | Doña Bárbára by Rómulo Gallegos | |
| 44126 | Dune by Frank Herbert | |
| 74504 | Fifty Shades of Grey series by E.L. James | |
| 36176 | Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews | |
| 80139 | Foundation series by Isaac Asimov | |
| book 1 10365, book 2 80139, book 3 10610 | ||
| 25835 | Frankenstein by Mary Shelley | |
| 45742 | Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin | |
| Prequel Companion 80183, Prequel Anthology 80183 | ||
| book 1 45742, book 2 49913, book 3 51406, | ||
| book 4 62348, book 5 73557 | ||
| 85921 | Ghost by Jason Reynolds | |
| 59561 | Gilead by Marilynne Robinson | |
| 37689 | The Giver by Lois Lowry | |
| 25677 | The Godfather by Mario Puzo | |
| 74888 | Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn | |
| 33082 | Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell | |
| 68308 | The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck | |
| 53991 | Great Expectations by Charles Dickens | |
| 16147 | The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald | |
| 23150 | Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift | |
| 24695 | The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood | |
| Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling | ||
| book 1 47260, book 2 48437, book 3 48772, book 4 50228, | ||
| book 5 56062, book 6 60262, book 7 64495 | ||
| 30535 | Hatchet by Gary Paulsen | |
| 12613 | Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad | |
| 68889 | The Help by Kathryn Stockett | |
| 18339 | Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams | |
| Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins | ||
| book 1 68384, book 2 69689, book 3, 71734 | ||
| 21513 | The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy | |
| 56346 | Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison | |
| 47868 | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | |
| 29021 | The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan | |
| 32018 | Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton | |
| 47462 | Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins | |
| 44071 | The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | |
| 18128 | Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | |
| Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry | ||
| book 1 43928, book 2 45001, book 3 22959, book 4 37323 | ||
| 61873 | Looking for Alaska by John Green | |
| The Lord of the Rings (series) by J.R.R. Tolkien | ||
| prequel 48978, book 1 47486, book 2 47487, book 3 47488 | ||
| 54698 | The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold | |
| 78389 | The Martian by Andy Weir | |
| 45008 | Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden | |
| 34184 | Moby-Dick by Herman Melville | |
| 43180 | The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks | |
| 25181 | One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez | |
| Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon | ||
| book 1 36535, book 2 36536, book 3 38591, book 4 43320 | ||
| book 5 53366, book 6 61201, book 7 70073, book 8 79331 | ||
| 22433 | The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton | |
| 56794 | The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde | |
| 59950 | The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan | |
| 30999 | The Pillars of The Earth by Ken Follett | |
| 50549 | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | |
| 73772 | Ready Player One by Ernest Cline | |
| 11106 | Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier | |
| 67237 | The Shack by William P. Young | |
| 52190 | Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse | |
| 15759 | The Sirens Of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut | |
| 12942 | The Stand by Stephen King | |
| 34114 | The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway | |
| 26498 | Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon | |
| Tales of The City series by Armistead Maupin | ||
| book 1 39531, book 2 39602, book 3 39603, book 4 39604, | ||
| book 5 39605, book 6 39606, book 7 65336, book 8 72107, | ||
| book 9 78276 | ||
| 35745 | Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston | |
| 47510 | Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe | |
| 29252 | This Present Darkness by Frank. E. Peretti | |
| 36414 | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | |
| Twilight Saga series by Stephanie Meyer | ||
| book 1 82750, book 2 64367, book 3 65812, book 4 67238 | ||
| 67136 | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | |
| 25982 | Watchers by Dean Koontz | |
| The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon | ||
| Sanderson | ||
| prequel 57628, book 1 57628, book 2 34701, book 3 34702, | ||
| book 4 36984, book 5 37569, book 6 39661, book 7 43043, | ||
| book 8 47082, book 9 51203, book 10 55506, book 11 62078, | ||
| book 12 70020, book 13 71926, book 14 76085 | ||
| 32449 | Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls | |
| 50261 | White Teeth by Zadie Smith | |
| 25178 | Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë |
Talking Book & Braille Service Volunteer Celebration
The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service celebrated the work of our volunteers at a luncheon on April 18, 2018. Volunteers are indispensable in serving Nebraskans who use Talking Books. Of the 35 active volunteers, many record magazines and books of regional interest. Others prepare national books for check out.
The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service thanks all the volunteers who play an integral part in serving Nebraskans with disabilities. We provide free audio books and magazines and braille reading materials. Nebraskans receive reading selections through the mail or digital download. The service is available to individuals with a visual or physical condition, or a reading disability, which limits the use of regular print.
Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner presented a special recognition to three volunteers:
- Norman Simon started volunteering with Talking Book and Braille Service shortly after 9-11. He began as a narrator, went through training, and became a producer in the recording studios. During the volunteer luncheon on April 18, 2018, Rod Wagner presented Norman an Admiralship in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska in appreciation of 15 years as a volunteer with us.
- Jane Hood was recognized for five years as a volunteer narrator.
- Amy Eidenmiller’s graduation from Doane University was also celebrated. At Talking Books, she prepares a variety of materials for mailing.
For more information, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/. To volunteer, contact Annette Hall, Volunteer Services Coordinator, 402-471-4033, 800-742-7691, email.
NCompass Live: Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) to the Good Life
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) to the Good Life’, on Wednesday, November 22, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Blind and visually impaired people use screen readers and other assistive technology to access computers. This presentation will focus on how free screen readers can be used in the library to help visually impaired patrons gain equal access to information. Learn how screen readers work and how to set up a computer station for the blind. The presenter will also provide an overview of how to make your websites more screen reader friendly. A virtual handout will be available with some helpful information, including resources for both librarians and patrons to learn how to operate screen readers.
Presenter: Amanda Sweet, Reader Services Advisor, Talking Book and Braille Service, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Nov. 29 – Libraries Rock! : Summer Reading Program 2018
- Dec. 6 – Guerrilla Storytime
- Dec. 13 How to Choose Your News: Educating College Students on Identifying Bias
- Dec. 27 – The Next Best Thing to Having Your Own Gigabit Internet
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Talking Books: Helping Patrons All Over Nebraska!
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Talking Books: Helping Patrons All Over Nebraska!’, on Wednesday, October 4, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Join Scott Scholz, Director of the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book & Braille Service, to learn about the free audiobooks, audio magazines, and braille that are available through the TBBS. Scott will also talk about the various services that come together to provide accessibility to different kinds of resources for people with reading disabilities.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Oct. 11 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – Enjoy the 2017 NLA/NSLA Annual Conference!
- Oct. 18 – ALA Book Club Central
- Oct. 25 – Google Forms for Your Library
- Nov. 8 – Using YA Literature to Inspire Teen Girls’ Interests in STEM
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Talking Book and Braille Service Celebrates Volunteers
The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service celebrated the work of our volunteers at a luncheon on April 6, 2017. Pamela Davenport, a consultant from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) in The Library of Congress, thanked the volunteers for their contributions. NLS administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail through a national network of cooperating libraries, including the Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service.
Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner presented a special recognition to three volunteers:
- Marjory Gloe, who has narrated books and magazines for twenty-five years and is known for her infectious enthusiasm.
- John Sposato, who sorts new books into sets and has volunteered for twenty years, starting in audio duplication.
- Jerry Hall, who has volunteered for fifteen years and does a variety of tasks in readers services.
Retiring volunteer narrators Cherie Frederick and Karen Boyer, who are two of the voices behind the talking books recorded here at the Nebraska Library Commission, were also recognized.
The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service thanks all the volunteers who play an integral part in serving Nebraskans with disabilities. We provide free audiobooks and audio magazines and braille through the mail and through digital download to individuals with a visual or physical condition, or a reading disability, which limits the use of regular print. For more information see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/. To volunteer, contact Annette Hall, Volunteer Services Coordinator, 402-471-4033, 800-742-7691, email.
Behind the Scenes: Learn about Recording Talking Books
If you have ever wondered how a book becomes a talking book, you can find out in the most recent edition of the NCB News from the Nebraska Center for the Book. The Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service creates audio versions of print materials for the use of Nebraskans with a visual or physical condition or a reading disability that limits the use of regular print. The activities of staff and volunteers throughout the process of mapping, narration, review, postproduction, markup, and duplication are described in an article in the Spring 2017 NCB News (page 9 at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/docs/publications/NCBNewsSpring2017.pdf). For more information see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/tbbs/. To volunteer as a narrator, contact Annette Hall, Volunteer Services Coordinator, 402-471-4033, 800-742-7691, email.
Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 17, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Scholz
402-471-6553
800-742-7691
Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees
Two vacancies currently exist on the Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. The purpose of the committee is to represent the needs of talking book and Braille borrowers and to make recommendations concerning library policies, services, and programs. Membership consists primarily of library users but may include librarians, educators, health care providers, and others who understand the needs of individuals with disabilities. The committee normally meets twice a year.
The Talking Book and Braille Service provides free talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and Braille to any resident of Nebraska who cannot see regular print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. Books and magazines are received and returned through the mail postage-free or downloaded directly from the Internet. Persons interested in serving on the committee should contact Scott Scholz, Talking Book and Braille Service Director, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Phone: 402-471-6553 or 800-742-7691, fax: 402-471-6244, email: nlc.talkingbook@nebraska.gov. Deadline: March 20, 2017.
As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.”
The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
Scott Scholz: Director of the Talking Book and Braille Service
Congratulations to Scott Scholz, who recently completed his MLS degree from the University of Missouri. Scott joined the Library Commission in 2005 to take what might be described as the perfect job for someone with his interest in reading and qualifications for recording. We are fortunate his wife Heidi found the original job posting for circulation manager that led him to us. In recent years, he has taken a leadership role on a number of NLC projects, including moving lower level operations to a new space on the first floor of the Atrium Building in 2014, helping Nebraska become the first state to convert its magazine recording program to digital format in 2010, and implementing assembly and review procedures in the TBBS studios. Currently, Scott is performing the work of two staff, as both the Acting Director of the Talking Book and Braille Service and the Circulation and Audio Production Coordinator.
Scott’s commitment to books, culture, and community makes the Talking Book and Braille Service hum, and he is a devoted advocate for Nebraskans who are unable to use traditional print. This interest started early, in Columbus, NE, where Scott was raised only two blocks from the Columbus Public Library and served as a volunteer for summer reading programs. As a young reader, he was interested in all kinds of fiction and nonfiction, from Encyclopedia Brown to science books. While working at a bookstore in high school, Scott developed an interest in music and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music composition from the University of Denver. Scott lists authors David Foster Wallace, William S. Burroughs, and Miranda July among his current favorites, along with interests in Surrealist and Dada literature and history.
Outside of library work, Scott hosts a podcast called Words on Sounds, writes for several online publications, and runs a boutique experimental music label. Scott writes about and reviews experimental music to promote artists and connect with others who share the same passion for the underground music scene.
Scott credits Glee Nelson (the former children’s librarian at Columbus Public Library), and Kurt Cylke (former director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) as influences on his career path.
On the home front, Scott has been married to Heidi Uhing for 13 years and they share their residence with two dogs, Olive and Izzy, as well as some backyard chickens. As a Lincolnite, Scott appreciates what is happening in the local arts and culture community, and the ease and beauty of life in Nebraska. As a staff member of the Library Commission, we hope he stays for a very long time, because nobody could ever replace him and what he offers to our staff and to our patrons.
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NLC Staff: Meet Amanda Sweet
Meet Amanda Sweet who joined our staff in August as a Library Reader’s Advisor for our Talking Book and Braille service.
Amanda was born in Milwaukee, WI and was raised in the small town of St. Francis, near Lake Michigan. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with an Emphasis in Publishing from Carleton College. After a brief stint with a literary agency in New York City, she decided to veer away from the making of books and shifted to the circulation of books in the library. As long as she is near a book, she is happy.
It was while working for Beyond Vision, a nonprofit that employs 85% blind and visually impaired individuals, that she began her Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. At Beyond Vision she heard tell of some difficulties in raising awareness for TBBS services and she decided it was time to get more involved with the service as a whole. Here at the Commission, she loves the personal interaction she gets with patrons and will be completing her degree in December. If all else fails with the library career, she will content herself as a professional Dorito taster.
Amanda is a lifelong user of libraries and generally has at least one book in her oversized purse at all times. Some of her favorite authors include Sherman Alexie, Patricia Briggs, Dean Koontz, Richelle Mead, and many others. In her spare time she makes jewelry for the Etsy site she shares with her father- Sweetwater Creations. She lives with her boyfriend Sean and, since their move, they both have a craving for Oakland Gyros Greek Restaurant back in Milwaukee. The silver lining is that Amanda loves the people here in Lincoln as well as the new bead store/ art gallery she stumbled upon. Ideally, she would spend her entire weekend holed up with a gyro while reading, watching movies, making jewelry, and mindlessly surfing the web. We are grateful Amanda has joined us.
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Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 5, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Scholz
402-471-6553
800-742-7691
Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees
Three vacancies currently exist on the Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. The purpose of the committee is to represent the needs of talking book and Braille borrowers and to make recommendations concerning library policies, services, and programs. Membership consists primarily of library users but may include librarians, educators, health care providers, and others who understand the needs of individuals with disabilities. The committee normally meets twice a year.
The Talking Book and Braille Service provides free talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and Braille to any resident of Nebraska who cannot see regular print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. Books and magazines are received and returned through the mail postage-free or downloaded directly from the Internet. Persons interested in serving on the committee should contact Talking Book and Braille Service, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Phone: 402-471-6553 or 800-742-7691, fax: 402-471-6244, email: nlc.talkingbook@nebraska.gov. Deadline: March 15, 2016.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
