Sound and Touch March 2011
In this issue:
- Digital Talking Book project
- DAISY Player tips
- Civil Defence resource for blind community
- Christchurch earthquake
- DAISY Christian material now available
- The library staff are stepping up and walking for players
- Many thanks to our generous sponsors
- Cassettes needed
Digital Talking Book project
Players have now been rolled out to over 830 borrowers who are using them to play DAISY books on CD. We hope to order our next shipment soon so we can provide more borrowers with a digital library service. Our ability to order new players is dependent on raising funds and we have been working hard to achieve this in these challenging times.
DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System and this is the special structuring we include in our audio books so that they can be navigated by chapters, pages and headings in a similar way to how a sighted person would use a print book.
The new digital library continues to expand and we have over 4400 titles available. We also plan to add a further 700 books over the next six months.
For borrowers who have a new player and are receiving CDs, information on a selection of the books that are now available is being published in the last section of Sound and Touch and on the Telephone Information Service (TIS) menu 1 9. Alternatively you can order a list of books on a particular subject which can be sent to you via email.
As more borrowers are moving on to this new service we would like to remind members that the books and magazines on these CDs are still protected by copyright and each CD is for that borrower only. They should not be lent to anyone else and should always be returned to the Library after you have listened to them.
Thank you for helping to make this move to the new digital library service as smooth as possible.
DAISY Player tips
To keep the CD clean and scratch free it is best to pick it up by either putting your finger in the hole in the middle of the CD and your thumb on the outer edge, or carefully by its outer edges.
It is not advisable to put it on a flat surface and slide it to the edge as this may cause scratches and affect the sound quality. You can clean a CD by using a soft clean cloth and wipe across it gently, or wipe from the centre hole of the CD outwards.
Remember most of the CDs you receive will have more than one book or title on it and to check what is on your CD just tap the point of the title select key which is the second key along to the right of the play/stop button.
Civil Defence resource for blind community
A new Civil Defence resource that will make it easier for people who are blind or partially sighted to access civil defence emergency information was launched on Monday 7th February 2011.
The brochure was produced in partnership between the RNZFB and the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. It is a significant achievement which will assist blind and partially sighted New Zealanders to be prepared in a disaster.
The information in the new resource is aimed at improving understanding of the types of hazards that can happen in New Zealand, with civil defence advice on what to do to be better prepared.
RNZFB Chief Executive, Sandra Budd, said the RNZFB’s aim is to empower its members and help them take responsibility for themselves. "It is our dream for blind and partially sighted people to have access to the same literature and information as their sighted peers. Through working with the Ministry on this project, we are removing barriers for our members to very important information.”
The Get Ready Get Thru brochure has been produced in braille, audio CD, cassette, electronic text and on TIS. The resource is available from the member resource area of the Foundation’s website http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/members/useful-resources, the RNZFB Library and as audio files on the Ministry’s public education website, www.getthru.govt.nz.
Christchurch earthquake
The devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch on 22nd February 2011 affected both Foundation staff and members. Many homes and belongings have been destroyed and the residents of Christchurch, including guide dogs, are coping with these losses as they restore order to their lives. Postal services have been interrupted and we have been fortunate that our wonderful Christchurch staff and volunteers have ferried library books and players to borrowers in the worst affected regions.
A number of our Christchurch borrowers have moved elsewhere in the country and for those unable to take their talking book machines with them we have been providing new machines. Along with other loss of property several new DAISY players were destroyed in the earthquake. However many players were not damaged and could even qualify to proudly carry a quake proof sticker.
DAISY Christian material now available
Any RNZFB member who wishes to receive Christian material in DAISY format can do so by becoming a member of the CBM Audio Library (formally Christian Blind Mission).
The CBM Audio Library is based in Melbourne Australia and operates a free service to anyone in Australia and New Zealand with a print disability. The work of the CBM Audio Library within New Zealand is also supported by CBM New Zealand. It is a non-denominational organisation providing a wide range of subject material within the Christian Literature category. Currently CBM has over 850 DAISY titles with approximately 75 new titles and 250 remastered analogue titles being added each year.
CBM in Australia have offered their free books, magazines and devotionals to registered members of the Foundation of the Blind who have a DAISY audio CD player.
To join this service RNZFB members ring a toll free number 0800 400 544 to talk directly with CBM staff who can provide more information and subscribe them to this service. CBM’s phones are answered from 11am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, New Zealand time.
The library staff are stepping up and walking for players
The library staff combined exercise, team building and fundraising for the new DAISY digital players by hiking up Mt Ruapehu to the Crater Lake on 19th March.
At the time of going to print they were in training by walking in their lunch breaks, after work and on weekends. They hope to have it completed the hike in five hours. To find out how they got on and to support their adventure, go to the website http://www.everydayhero.co.nz/digital_players
Many thanks to our generous sponsors
We would like to express our appreciation to the people and organisations who 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
- Mr Charles Littlejohn for Promised New Zealand: fleeing Nazi persecution by Freya Klier
- New Zealand Community Trust for Under African skies: Jo and Gareth Morgan's epic ride from Cape Town to London by Jo and Gareth Morgan
Cassettes needed
Our cassette stocks are low. If you have any magazine cassettes that you have finished listening to, please return them to the Library.