Sound and Touch December 2011

In this issue: 

Digital Talking Book Project

If you haven’t yet heard, the RNZFB is transferring its cassette-based library to a new digital service. By now most of our library borrowers should be using a new digital player and receiving books on CDs.

Library borrowers who previously received magazines on cassette are now receiving them on CD. By mid December library borrowers who receive books on cassette will no longer receive this service.

Letters have been sent to all borrowers explaining the new digital service. These letters included a form to fill out in order to receive the new service. If you haven’t done so, please fill in this form and send it back to the Library as soon as possible. Alternatively you can phone the library on 0800 24 33 33 option 2 or email library@rnzfb.org.nz

Selecting DAISY CD books

Twice a week the library compiles Library Newsline. This enables you to keep up to date with the latest additions to the Library. To access these lists phone your local Telephone Information Service line (the telephone numbers are at the end of this publication) and press 1 9. Alternatively you can subscribe to an email list by sending a blank message (don't add a title or any content) to rnzfb-libnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

The Book Bytes menu on the Telephone Information Service has additional bulletins to help you to select your own books. You can hear short audio extracts of the latest books recorded in our Talking Book Studios as well as listen to staff narrating their own book reviews. To find the Book Bytes menu press 1 7 from the main menu. Please contact the Library if you need any assistance using these bulletins.

DAISY player tips

Each DAISY CD has as many as six books on it. To find out what is on your CD, when your DAISY player has the mask on and is in simple mode, tap the right tip of the title select key lightly. This is the key to the right of the fast forward key. When you want to play the book that you have selected tap the play/stop key.

If you press the title select key in the centre you will activate the media select function on your player. This is where you select different media. This player is able to play audio books on CDs, on a memory stick or books from its internal memory. This is what is meant by different media.

If you hold down the play/stop key this becomes the information key. When you have a CD in the player but have not selected a book, the player will tell you how many titles are on the CD.

When you are part way through a book and you activate the information key the player will tell you how long you have been listening to that particular book as well as information about the player such as how much battery charge is left. To turn off the information key on press the play/stop key.

RNZFB documents

The following RNZFB documents are available on audio CD, in braille and etext.

  • Summary Annual Report for 2010 – 2011
  • Report against the business plan and statement of service performance
  • Financial statements for the year 2010 – 2011
  • Accessible signage guidelines
  • Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and the Special Meeting of Members 2011
  • Live recording of the Annual General Meeting and the Special Meeting of Members

Contact the Library for your copy.

Sport magazines

This year we have been narrating the sports magazine New Zealand Rugby World. Now that the Rugby World Cup is over we are reviewing which sport magazine to narrate next year. We would like to know which one of the following magazines you will like to listen to.

  • New Zealand rugby world
  • New Zealand adventure magazine (outdoor pursuits)
  • New Zealand ski and snow
  • New Zealand triathlon and multi-sport
  • Walking New Zealand
  • New Zealand golf
  • New Zealand guns and hunting
  • New Zealand hunting and wildlife
  • The Cut (golf)
  • Wilderness (tramping, mountain biking, and kayaking)
  • vo2max magazine (athletics, cycling, swimming, triathlon, ironman, multisport and surf lifesaving)
  • New Zealand fishing news
  • New Zealand fishing world
  • Boating New Zealand
  • Sky sport
  • Sea spray

Contact the Library with the magazine option you most would like to listen to.

Themed CDs

Several times a year the Library puts together a special themed CD. This year we had a Royal Wedding CD; a Rugby World Cup CD and we will shortly be sending out a Christmas CD. These CDs have been going to all our borrowers’ and contain short excerpts from library books, poems, short stories and sometimes music.

If you would like to be on the mailing list for next year’s themed CDs please contact the Library.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors

We would like to express our appreciation to the people and organisations that have kindly sponsored books for the Library since the previous issue of Sound and Touch. These funds have helped to make print material accessible to blind and vision-impaired people and without their generous support it would not be possible to add new titles into our Library.

Many thanks to the following sponsors for:

Audio

Netta Shortt Memorial and Jack Shortt Trust for Hokitika town by Charlotte Randall

Penryck Family Trust for Common table: an uncommon tale of friendship and food by Janice Marriott and Virginia Pawsey and Finding the path: awaken your connection to spirit by Kelvin Cruickshank

Welcome Bay Lions Club for All Blacks Don't Cry: a story of hope by John Kirwan with Margie Thomson

Taumaranui Opportunity Shop for Family trusts 101 by Janet Xuccoa

Dunedin Rotary Club for Rebel with a cause by Ray Avery with Paul Little; The mapping of love and death: a Maisie Dobbs mystery by Jacqueline Winspear; A sacrificial pawn: being a memoir of his war experiences, particularly of his time as prisoner of the Japanese, 1942-1945 by Peter R. Jackson and Yates Gardening Guide

Mr Charles Littlejohn of Palmerston North for the magazines Readers Digest and NZ Geographic

Christmas closedown

The magazine studio will be closed for the Christmas break with the last magazine recorded on Friday the 16th December. Recording will start again on Monday 23rd January 2012.

The Library will be closed from midday on Friday 23rd December 2011, with normal service resuming on Monday 9th January 2012.

If you’d like extra reading over the Christmas period, please let us know now, so we can send it to you before the Christmas rush begins!

So on behalf of the Library and accessible format production staff we wish you a very happy Christmas, and look forward to providing you with great reading material in 2012.

 

Next page: New audio books

Latest member news

  • The Miracle Worker fundraising performances

    From Tuesday 19 June to Saturday 23 June, in association with the Howick Lions Club, Howick College will be staging six performances of ‘The Miracle Worker’ at the Howick College Theatre. Proceeds from the performances will be donated to the RNZFB and Deafblind New Zealand. 21 May 2012

  • SEED leadership application deadline extended

    Don't miss your chance to develop your leadership skills! The RNZFB is looking for existing and emerging leaders within the blindness community to take part in our SEED Leadership programme. Apply by 28 May 2012. 02 May 2012

  • Jersey Boys audio described performance

    THE EDGE Centre for Performing Arts in Auckland will present an Audio Described performance of Jersey Boys on 3 June 2012. To book, phone 09 357 3354 or email groups@the-edge.co.nz 15 May 2012

  • Children's book to benefit blind people

    A special children’s picture book, Colour the Stars, is a poignant and uplifting story about two children which explores the question ‘How do you describe a colour to someone who can’t see?’. 09 May 2012