As I explained in my last post, the audiobook program run by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) is called the Talking Book program.
Lindsey Dunn broke the news about how the Digital Talking Books and System is moving forward — in a nutshell, switching from cassette books and players to digital books available on cartridge or via download and listened to on digital players.
I’m happy to share with you the Press Release from NLS which provides more details on the program, available at NLS Flash. It includes a photo of a NLS customer using the new digital player. Once more information becomes available, I’ll post that, also. In the meanwhile, if you have questions about the program or the new player or the download program, let me know!
Also, as a reminder, Talking Books is a free library service that is open to all people whose low vision, blindness, or physical handicap makes it difficult to read a standard printed page. The service includes the loan of the player.
Yesterday the New York Times published the first article, in a series, on the current state of reading. The focus of the first article is on the topic of electronic reading and whether or not reading text messages, blogs, web sites, etc. counts as reading. This is not a new question of course, and it’s a topic that I’ve posted on this blog about before, however, it’s important to pay attention to the New York Times story, and follow-up articles, for a few reasons, including: (more…)

In Pittsburgh, getting teens to rally for a common cause can be tough. Our city’s teens are often affected by intense neighborhood loyalties and splintered social groups. However, if I have learned anything from the last several years of Steelers playoff runs or the Penguins’ most recent trip to the Stanley Cup, it’s that a city-affiliated team can still band teens together like it did when I was a teen, when my dad was a teen, and so on.
Your library can connect with this energy by gaming online, giving teens a chance to face off against other libraries throughout the world. That’s why, for the last few months, Kelly Czarnecki and I have been planning a YALSA first: an online Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament between the teens from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (which will be livecast online). Now that things are finally picking up, we’re going to each blog about the process, highlighting our unique challenges. (more…)