A Glimpse of 2008 Reader Survey Results

Eleven reader surveys were completed online and three were conducted by phone. 308 surveys representing approximately twenty percent of all the printed copies mailed were returned through the United States Postal Service. Among the respondents 17% let library staff select books for them while 50% tell library staff what they like using either Talking Book Topics or Braille Book Review. 7% use the National Library Service (NLS) online catalog to search and select. 28% of all respondents receive reading material from public libraries and 5% download books from either Unabridged or NLS. 26% of respondents would like books about New Hampshire to be recorded and added to the collection. 70% of library users who answered the survey do not have high-speed Internet access. 47% of the respondents own both DVD and VCR players. Classic, Comedy, and Recently Released Films ranked highest in demand. 33% are interested in receiving the new digital machine but can wait till one is available; 25% would like a machine as soon as possible; 23% are content with their current playback machine and not interested in switching to the new equipment. 30% use Talking Book Services for Companionship and Recreation and 22% for Education. 30% liked the convenience of delivery and automatic service of Talking Book Services. 90% of all respondents rated Talking Book Services either Excellent or Very Good. Comments and suggestions that respondents attached to their survey will be shared in the next issue of Granite Bits.

FairPoint Communications Customer Information

If you are a FairPoint Communications customer there is some important information that you should be aware of now. If you dial 555-1212 for telephone directory assistance you will be charged a fee. FairPoint customers who have a disability should be calling 411 for telephone directory assistance. There will be no charge as long as FairPoint has a form signed by your physician. This will exempt you from incurring additional charges on your monthly bill. To learn more about the form requiring your doctor’s signature call 1-800-974-6006.

Latest Additions to Our RC Collection

Adult/Young Adult Fiction
RC 65425  Fortress of Ice by C.J. Cherryh
RC 65697  Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
RC 65819  Warpath of the Mountain Man by William J. Johnstone
RC 65858  Raining Cats and Dogs by Laurien Berenson
RC 66106  Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
RC 66122  A Beautiful Place to Die by Philip R. Craig
RC 66125  L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker
RC 66132  The Chamelon’s Shadow by Minette Walters
RC 66142  Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury
RC 66147  A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
RC 66308  Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
RC 66311  Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
RC 66375  Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels
RC 66376  Winter Study by Nevada Barr
RC 66465  First Shot by Walter Sorrells
RC 66494  On the Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith
RC 66502  The Blight Way by Patrick F. McManus
RC 66536  Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell
RC 66652  Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley
RC 66653  Stone Cold by David Baldacci
RC 66821  Boomsday by Christopher Buckley

Adult/Young Adult Nonfiction
RC 63182  The River’s Tale by Edward A. Gargan
RC 65182  Mellon by David Cannadine
RC 65229  In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
RC 65388  Going Gray by Anne Kreamer
RC 65472  Beyond the Myth by Polly Schoyer Brooks
RC 65734  The Long Embrace by Judith Freeman
RC 65836  The Bible by Karen Armstrong
RC 65857  James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights by Richard Labunski
RC 66172  Out of My Mind by Andy Rooney
RC 66259  The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
RC 66262  Writing Mysteries edited by Sue Grafton
RC 65265  Three Plays by Thornton Wilder
RC 66267  The Great Chicago Fire by Robert Cromie
RC 66273  When a Friend Dies by Marilyn E. Gootman
RC 66331  Why Women Should Rule the World by Dee Dee Myers
RC 66332  Real Change by Newt Gingrich
RC 66534  The Trillion-Dollar Meltdown by Charles R. Morris
RC 67516  Dewey by Vicki Myron

Juvenile Fiction
RC 65328  Edenville Owls by Robert B. Parker
RC 65902  Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
RC 65940  A Perfect Place by Patricia Hermes
RC 66282  The Clue in the Jewel Box by Carolyn Keene
RC 66293  Angel Isle by Peter Dickinson
RC 66423  The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
RC 66479  Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan
RC 66567  Younguncle Comes to Town by Vandana Singh
RC 66751  Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole by Wong Herbert Yee

Juvenile Nonfiction
RC 61994  Cinco de Mayo by James Garcia
RC 64741  Wildfire by Taylor Morrison
RC 65759  American Heroes by Marfé Ferguson Delano
RC 66102  The Reconstruction Era by Bettye Stroud
RC 66178  Nibble, Nibble by Margaret Wise Brown
RC 66421  We Are One by Larry Dane Brimner
RC 66458  From Boneshakers to Choppers by Lisa                                        Smedman

Latest Additions to Our Playaway® Collection
DAB 60     Birthright by Nora Roberts
DAB 61     The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth G. Speare
DAB 62     Double Play by Robert B. Parker
DAB 63     The Fallen by T. Jefferson Parker
DAB 64     Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels
DAB 65     I, Juan de Pareja by E.B. de Trevino
DAB 66     Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
DAB 67     Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
DAB 68     Salt by Mark Kurlansky
DAB 69     Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
DAB 70     The River Knows by Amanda Quick

New Machine Lending Agent Joins
Talking Book Services Staff

Hello. I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Sadie Prunier. I am now the new Equipment Control Officer for Talking Books. I graduated from Keene State College in 2002 with a degree in Sociology. I’ve directly applied my education from my previous job working with individuals with varying disabilities. I assisted them with finding and maintaining employment as well as volunteering at many places including Talking Books. My goal then and now is to do my best to assist people with disabilities and give them the necessary tools to achieve independence.

When I’m not at work, I’m busy keeping up with my two-year-old daughter. Both my husband and I are amazed every day with her ability to communicate with us on a level that seems beyond her years. We love to read to her, and when we’re finished she reads the book back to us!

My goals for my position here at Talking Books are to continue assisting people with visual disabilities by providing them with the latest technology so that they can be as independent as they possibly can! I am looking forward to receiving the new digital machines and teaching our patrons how to use them. I am happy to be in this position and look forward to spending many years doing all I can to better the lives of others.

READING IS FOR EVERYONE

Precautions to Protect Oneself During Extreme Cold

· Monitor weather conditions via broadcast news reports or the Internet.
· Anyone should dress in layers for extreme conditions and limit one’s time outdoors.
· Seek immediate medical attention for signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Indications of frostbite are a loss of sensation and a pale appearance in body extremities. Warning signs of hypothermia are incontrollable shivering, slurred speech, disorientation and exhaustion.
· Exercise caution when using alternative heating sources, such as a fireplace, wood stove or space heater. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
· Never use an outdoor appliance, such as a charcoal or gas grill, for indoor heating or cooking.
· Insulate pipes to keep them from freezing and allow a trickle of water to run from the faucet farthest from the entrance.
· If pipes freeze use a hair dryer or other non-flame heat source.
· Keep an emergency kit in your home that includes flashlights and fresh batteries, a battery-powered radio, bottled water, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.

For Vicente Paratore nothing is impossible. Although he has been legally blind for more than two decades as a result of a stroke he suffered, this native Argentine at the age of 77 can create bright and colorful watercolors.

Paratore constructs a painting using clay, a stencil, paint, and the rich depths of his memory. He prepares a raw canvas with white gesso primer and begins the process by “drawing” on a poster board with pencil-thin strands of clay. He then cuts around the raised pieces of clay with an art knife and ends up with a stencil. He returns to the blank canvas, where he paints the sky, the horizon, and the foreground—all from memory.  After the base painting is dry, he tacks the stencil into place on the canvas and paints in the details, using the stencil windows as guides. He calls it “Painting by Touch.” His technique has been documented on television as well as in newspaper and magazine articles. His work has been exhibited throughout New England.

Recreational therapy is carefully individualized to each person: their past, present, and future interests and lifestyle. It is an   activity that uses treatment, education, and recreation services to help people with illnesses, disabilities, and other conditions to develop and use their leisure time in ways that enhance health, independence, and well-being. Paratore was an inspiration to the residents at the New Hampshire Veterans Home. NHVH is the only long-term care facility in the Granite State that is dedicated exclusively to veterans.

Vicente Paratore wants to inspire others who are faced with adversity and hopes to create a nonprofit foundation that will help children with disabilities to paint, draw, and/or sculpt. He says, “These artistic outlets provide children with opportunities for self-expression that expand their life experiences and to enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem.” More information is available at Paratore’s website, www.vicenteparatore.com/index.html.

(Parts of this article were reprinted with permission from the New Hampshire Veterans Home)

A Ground-Breaking Exhibition

The NH Art Association in collaboration with the NH Association for the Blind will present an exhibition during the month of April at the NHAA's Portsmouth location, the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery. This juried show is open to all artists.

The purpose of this exhibition is to effectively demonstrate the ways art can be presented to the blind and partially sighted, as well as the general public. Multi-sensory means will be used to improve the experience, eliminating barriers and making the art much more accessible. The selection of art will include three-dimensional tactile work and two-dimensional high-contrast work supplemented with descriptions that effectively help a visually impaired person to understand.

Detailed information is available on the N.H. Art Association website, www.nhartassociation.org. Questions can be directed to the NHAA office at 431-4230, or call show co-chairs, Judy Brenner at 603-522-3700 or Valeria Sobel at 603-427-1705.

New Websites

There is a massive amount of information available on the Internet. A new website to stockpile relevant data in one spot for the blind and visually impaired community has been constructed by a visually impaired individual. This website is an amalgam of different information. There is a useful job links page that is constantly being updated. Most of these positions are specifically for the blind or visually impaired. The site also has a discussion board that focuses on topics relevant to the blind and visually impaired community. There is a page which is devoted to interviews with noted blind or visually impaired individuals. There are links to resource and vendor information. The goal of the person who developed this website is to make it a useful tool for the blind and visually impaired. For more information go to www.visuallyimpairedandtheblind.com

The disabilities agenda released by President Obama addresses education, employment, discrimination, and independent living at www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/disabilities

Confidentiality of Reader Records

NH State Law Chapter 91-A: 5, IV states that disclosure of  library user records would constitute invasion of privacy and a violation of confidentiality. Information regarding readers served through the NLS program is considered privileged. It is not released, nor is confirmation or denial made of an individual’s registration in the program when provided a specific name without the written permission from that individual.

Your Cooperation Is Needed

· Say your name clearly and provide a phone number where you can be contacted by library staff when leaving messages on our telephone answering machine. 
· Books received directly through Inter-Library Loan must be returned to the sender’s address that appears on the back side of the mail card.
· Unused cassette playback machines must be returned to this library.
· Books on loan may not be shared with others.
· Replace used AAA batteries for Playaway® titles.

The Edgar Awards

The Mystery Writers of America give these awards to honor the best in mystery fiction and nonfiction produced the previous year. The awards began in 1954 and are named in honor of Edgar Allan Poe, who was born 200 years ago. To find a list of all fiction winners go to www.powells.com/prizes/edgar.htm. The nominees for the 2009 Edgar Award were announced on January 16 and the winners will be announced April 30.

2009 Nominees for Best Adult Fiction:
· Missing by Karin Alvtegen
· Blue Heaven by C.J. Box
· Sins of the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno
· The Prince of Blood by Declan Hughes
· The Night Following by Morag Joss
· Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

2009 Nominees for Best Young Adult Fiction:
· Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
· The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo
· Paper Towns by John Green
· Getting the Girl by Susan Juby
· Torn to Pieces by Margot McDonnell

2009 Nominees for Best Juvenile Fiction:
· The Postcard by Tony Abbott
· Enigma: A Magical Mystery by Graeme Base
· Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
· The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow by Riford McKenzie
· Cemetery Street by Brenda Seabrooke

READING IS FOR EVERYONE

We are very fortunate to receive many generous monetary donations from our readers, their families and friends. These thoughtful gifts are used to supplement our services. We have used donated funds to purchase narrated movies, digital audio books, special assistive technology equipment, program software and other items not covered under our general operating budget. These wonderful contributions help us maintain a high level of service to our library users for which we are deeply grateful.

Please indicate the names and mailing addresses of those to be notified for donations in honor of a special occasion or person, or in memory of a loved one.

If you wish to restrict your contribution to one of our add-on services please specify one of the following choices when making a donation:

• Assistive Technology Hardware
• Assistive Technology Software
• Unabridged Downloadable Digital Audio Books
• PLAYAWAY® Pre-Loaded Digital Player
• Narrated Movies
• Other

Donations may be tax deductible.  Please mail your donation to:

Regional Librarian
NHSL Talking Book Services Section
117 Pleasant Street – Dolloff Building
 Concord, NH 03301.

Please make your check payable to:
NH State Library Talking Book Services

Granite Bits newsletter is available in Braille, large print, on audio cassette, diskette, and the Internet. Call 1-800-491-4200 toll-free in NH, or visit the Talking Book Services Section website, http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/talking_books. Library hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. Any mention of a product or service is for information purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the New Hampshire State Library.