Approaching the Finish Line

Prelaunch testing of the digital talking book system is underway at selected regional library sites across the country. The selected libraries are distributing the new players and book cartridges to their most active readers. Patron and library staff participation during this prelaunch test will identify any serious latent problems. If all goes smoothly, distribution of digital players and books to New Hampshire residents actively participating in the Talking Book Program should commence by the end of summer.

Talking Book Services has received one standard and one advanced player for testing along with a digital book (DB) title, one blank cartridge, and a patch cord for downloading books. Staff is exhibiting this equipment at conferences, wellness fairs, Sight Services for Independent Living (SSIL) support groups, and the New Hampshire Association for the Blind (NHAB).

By law active U.S. Veterans in the Talking Book Program will be offered the use of a new digital book machine first. Then NH centenarians active in the program will be invited to have one. The rest of our readers will be selected based on criteria our staff has determined to be fair and reasonable. You can help us by calling our Concord office at 1-800-491-4200 to have your name placed on a waiting list. Staff will be reviewing each patron's record for information such as date when s/he was first served; activity during the current fiscal year; number of notices sent for overdue items; and care of machines on loan.

Library patrons may choose to keep their four-track cassette players. Analog cassette books will continue to be produced until 2011. It is important for those patrons who subscribe to NLS-produced or non NLS-produced magazines to retain their cassette players because magazines will be available either in that format, or they may be transferred from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) system; more information about BARD will be provided in a future issue.

NLS News Update

NLS will replace the Washington Post Book World with a braille edition of the weekly New York Times Book Review (NYB1). While the New York Times Book Review is already available in an audio edition, we hope this selection will be welcomed by braille readers, too.

The weekly Washington Post Book World has ceased publication as a tabloid supplement to the Sunday edition of the newspaper. As a consequence, NLS can no longer provide Washington Post book reviews in braille format.

Parenting has recently begun publishing as two separate magazines: Parenting: Early Years (PAE1) and Parenting: School Years (PAS1). Subscribers to Parenting will receive both magazines if they take no action; alternatively, they may discontinue their subscription to either publication by notifying their cooperating library.

NLS will no longer provide the popular news weekly U.S. News and World Report in audio format. In its place, the weekly news magazine The Week (TWK3) will be issued. U.S. News and World Report subscribers will receive The Week automatically unless they choose to cancel their subscription by notifying their cooperating library.

U.S. News and World Report has altered its publication and delivery format: the news segments of the magazine will now be published exclusively on the Internet, and a monthly print publication will be devoted solely to consumer guides. We believe NLS readers will be better served by The Week.

Master of Fantasy Series Dies

David Eddings, the man who started the craze for robust fantasy series has died at the age of 77.

A prolific and bestselling author, Eddings wrote more than 25 books. He was best known for his Belgariad and Mallorean series, which follow the adventures of the orphaned farm boy Garion as he fulfils an ancient prophecy. The author turned to fantasy after he found a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in a bookshop. It was in its 73rd printing.

Eddings already had written a thriller about deer hunting, High Hunt. He'd begun drawing a map of an imaginary world while writing another contemporary novel that hadn't been working out. When he realized the fantasy field was under-served but potentially extremely lucrative, he began to use the map to plot the world of Garion, Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter Polgara, and their fellow cast of thousands.
Eddings never thought he would win a Nobel Prize for literature, but he knew he was a good storyteller. His purpose in life was to turn non-readers into readers.

Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington. He studied English in college. After serving two years in the army in Germany he pursued graduate studies in Middle English. He worked for Boeing, eventually settling in Denver, Colorado, where he began his writing career. David Eddings was a great influence on many popular fantasy writers.

NHAB Celebrates 6th Annual Blind Awareness Walk-a-Thon

On May 30th hundreds of people gathered at the headquarters of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind in Concord. Started in 2003 by a group of clients and staff to socialize, the walk-a-thon has evolved into a major fundraising activity to maintain the services the association provides to its clients, 30 percent of whom make an income less than $10,000 and 39 percent between $10,000 and $20,000. The services clients can receive include counseling and referral, rehabilitation teaching, orientation and mobility instruction, low vision services, assistive technology, volunteer services and education services for school-age children.

The route began at 25 Walker Street and extended all the way to the State House and back. It was approximately two miles. At specific locations volunteers were ready to provide water and emergency assistance if needed. Upon returning to the parking lot at NHAB everyone was treated to lunch provided by a local restaurant that is a major sponsor of the event, live entertainment, door prizes, a 50/50 cash raffle and an auction for four pairs of Boston Red Sox tickets.

Funds coming from donors, grants, trusts, and civic and service organizations raised over $60,000 this year.

New Hampshire Supreme Court Issues Decision in Sidewalk Access Case

After almost four years of litigation, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has issued a final order in the case of William Charles Tinker v. Town of Tilton. The court held that the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA) requires the Town of Tilton to ensure that a sidewalk used by an individual with a mobility impairment is kept clear of snow and ice to enable him to use the sidewalk and access stores and other community amenities.

Mr. Tinker has a walking disability and uses a scooter to travel. Because the sidewalks were not cleared of snow and ice during the winter, Mr. Tinker has been forced to ride his scooter in the road on busy Route 3 to get to the store. As there is a curb between the road and the sidewalk, it would be difficult for Mr. Tinker and others with mobility impairments to get off the road in an emergency situation. Nevertheless, the Town of Tilton refused to provide any snow removal efforts for this section of sidewalk and even attempted to close the sidewalk in the winter to avoid its ADA obligations. Mr. Tinker filed an action in the New Hampshire Superior Court in July of 2005 to require the Town of Tilton to clear a sidewalk pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Supreme Court concluded that the "refusal to remove any snow is not a reasonable limit upon the removal of snow, but is an abdication by the town of its obligation altogether." Due to the Town's violation of the ADA, the Town has been ordered to pay Mr. Tinker's legal fees.

Mr. Tinker is happy that he and other individuals with disabilities will be able to travel safely in the community. He is gratified that "justice has prevailed."

The Disabilities Rights Center is pleased with the Supreme Court's recognition that the Town of Tilton cannot avoid the important requirements of the ADA. This case highlights the obligation of all towns and cities to maintain the accessibility of sidewalks and walkways so that individuals with disabilities may participate fully in the community.

The Disabilities Rights Center is New Hampshire's federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency and is located in Concord, NH.

Courteous Reminders to Our Readers

- Say your name clearly when leaving messages on our office telephone answering machine. Provide a phone number or e-mail address where you can be reached by our library staff.
- 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.
- An unused cassette playback machine must be returned to this library in the carton it was shipped in.
- Books and players on loan may not be shared with others.
- Keep players clean and away from food, liquids, and sources of heat. Wipe players occasionally with a clean, dry cloth.
- Items are due back within 2 months of the date that appears in the upper left-hand corner below the return address on the mail card.
- Save yourself postage by writing "FREE MATTER for the Blind or Physically Handicapped" in the upper right-hand corner of an envelope when submitting requests by U.S. Postal Service.
- Call us whenever there is a change to your mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address or contact person.
- Call us if you wish to receive a digital talking book player.
- Call us if your cassette player malfunctions. A replacement may be available.
- Do not use duct or packaging tape on broken book containers.

Sincerely,
Talking Book Services Staff: John, Brenda, Betty, Joanie, Sadie, Jody & William

Many Baby Boomers Face Vision Loss in Future

Dealing with Vision Loss by Fred Olver is a guidebook for people who are experiencing vision loss, family members whose parent, friend or sibling is experiencing vision loss and for parents of children who were born with major vision loss. The book will help family members understand how the person who is losing his or her sight is feeling and perhaps explain some of their own uneasiness with regard to vision loss. Leading readers through the fears and uncertainties, the author provides the person who is experiencing vision loss with hope and answers and a path through this sometimes overwhelming challenge of vision loss. Dealing with Vision Loss offers information on: using computers, how to make use of large print or talking software and why; whether to use large print or Braille; and making a decision as to whether to use a cane or to get a dog guide. An extensive resource list covers everything from where to find large print address books and playing cards, magnifiers, large print and talking watches and Braille greeting cards. Parents will learn what important skills their children who are blind must acquire before beginning school. Dealing with Vision Loss can be used as a classroom aid and can serve as a positive training tool for volunteers and individuals who find themselves working with blind people for the first time as a guide or just assisting an individual with reading, shopping or signing papers and is an excellent resource for social workers, nurses, and other professionals who come in contact with those who are blind from time to time.

Bookshare

Bookshare is an online community that allows people with print disabilities to legally download books and periodicals to be read as Braille, large print or synthetic speech. Bookshare has now made its collection of scanned books and periodicals available to qualifying students of all ages at no cost. Bookshare is free for eligible students who are blind or have low vision, severe dyslexia or a mobility impairment that prevents them from reading a traditional print book. If you are an eligible student with computer access you may wish to take advantage of this online resource. For more information visit: www.bookshare.org.

Recorded Cassette Collection Recommendations

Adult Fiction
RC 64549 Harvey, Michael. The Chicago Way
RC 65209 Russo, Richard. Bridge of Sighs
RC 65226 Delaney, Frank. Tipperary
RC 66237 Price, Richard. Lush Life
RC 66478 Ure, Louise. The Fault Tree
RC 66517 Hill, Grace Livingston. Marigold
RC 66637 Macomber, Debbie. Twenty Wishes
RC 66660 Evanovich, Janet. Naughty Neighbor
RC 66882 Child, Lee. Nothing to Lose
RC 66883 Cussler, Clive. Plague Ship
RC 66998 Steel, Danielle. Rogue
RC 67228 Benioff, David. City of Thieves
RC 67339 Roberts, Nora. Tribute
RC 67427 Liss, David. The Whiskey Rebels
RC 67528 Siddons, Anne Rivers. Off Season
RC 67541 Sparks, Nicholas. The Lucky One
RC 68279 Clark, Mary Higgins. Just Take My Heart

Young Adult Fiction
RC 64497 Weaver, Will. Farm Team
RC 65628 Gaiman, Neil. M Is for Magic
RC 66294 Myers, Walter Dean. What They Found
RC 66351 Clarke, Judith. One Whole and Perfect Day
RC 66918 Shusterman, Neal. Unwind
RC 66933 Mazer, Norma Fox. The Missing Girl
RC 67004 Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother
RC 67620 Staples, Suzanne Fisher. The House of Djinn

Juvenile Fiction
RC 64927 Fleischman, Sid. The White Elephant Gr. 3-6
RC 65325 Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine Gr. 2-4
RC 65341 Stewart, Trenton Lee. The Mysterious Benedict Society Gr. 4-7
RC 66482 Yee, Wong Herbert. Abracadabra! Gr. K-3
RC 67107 Wilson, Diane Lee. Black Storm Comin' Gr. 5-8

Adult Non-fiction
RC 66251 Irwin, Terri. Steve and Me
RC 66325 Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys
RC 66601 Pausch, Randy. The Last Lecture
RC 66822 Penn, Mark J. Microtrends
RC 66850 Bach, David. Go Green, Live Rich
RC 66980 Lane, Charles. The Day Freedom Died
RC 67337 Biden, Joe. Promises to Keep

Young Adult Non-fiction
RC 66138 Casper, Julie Kerr. Energy
RC 66501 Meltzer, Milton. Emily Dickinson
RC 66570 Uschan, Michael V. Life of an American Soldier in Iraq
RC 67083 Parker, Katrina. Living with Diabetes
RC 67212 Behnke, Alison. Kim Jong Il's North Korea

Juvenile Non-fiction
RC 64074 Brown, Charlotte Lewis. The Day the Dinosaurs Died Gr. K-3
RC 65679 Singer, Marilyn. Venom Gr. 4-7
RC 66005 Jordan, Anne Devereaux. Slavery and Resistance Gr. 5-8
RC 67184 Simon, Seymour. Hurricanes Gr. 2-4
RC 67557 Bolen, Tonya. George Washington Carver Gr. 3-6

New Print/Braille (Twin Vision) Books in Our Collection
PBR 17038 Rotner, Shelley. Every Season Preschool-Gr. 2
PBR 17048 Muth, Jon J. Zen Ties Gr. K-3
PBR 17050 Heller, Linda. The Castle on Hester Street Gr. K-3
PBR 18001 Gertstein, Mordicai. Leaving the Nest Preschool-Gr. 2
PBR 18006 Prelutsky, Jack. Good Sports: Rhymes about running, Jumping, Throwing and More Gr. K-3

New to Our Playaway® Collection
DAB 71 Adams, Douglas. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
DAB 72 Truman, Margaret. Murder on K Street
DAB 73 Braun, Lillian Jackson. Cat Who Blew the Whistle
DAB 74 Young, William P. The Shack
DAB 75 Atkins, Ace. White Shadow
DAB 76 Knowles, John. A Separate Peace
DAB 77 Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
DAB 78 Wallis, Michael. Billy the Kid, The Endless Ride
DAB 79 Wharton, Edith. Stories

READING IS FOR EVERYONE

We are fortunate indeed 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 for which we are deeply grateful help us maintain a high level of service to our library users.

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.

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 c/o
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 www.nh.gov/nhsl/talking_books, the Talking Book Services Section website. Library hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. Any mention of a product or service is for the purposes of information only and does not imply endorsement by the NH State Library.