[nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
Mike Freeman
k7uij at panix.com
Mon Jun 4 22:52:05 CDT 2007
Hope:
CDs are more delicate than one might imagine. They can be broken fairly
easily and are subject to fingerprints and other smudges. Moreover, the
mechanism to play them is surprisingly delicate and complex; there are
several motors in them controlled by microprocessor. NLS judged
(rightly, I believe) that the mechanisms would not be easily serviced
nor would they stand up to hard use -- both requirements for talking
book technology. And CDs themselves may be past their prime -- which is
too bad in that I like the broad bandwidth they offer. But there it is.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Hope Hein
To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 9:24 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
CD's would work!
Hope
-----Original Message-----
.From: "Kenneth Chrane"<kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
.Sent: 6/3/07 5:45:18 PM
.To: "NFB Talk Mailing List"<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.Hello The problem is the GAO, The General Accounting Office when they
.suggested using CDS.
.I too, have written to both my Senators and Congressman about this
matter.
.I did this last Wednesday.
.I live in Maryland's 7th Congressional District.
.I let him know how I felt, and I sent the Article from The Washington
Post
.for May 30, 2007, Page a 12.
.You can always write to your two senators and Representative in
Congress
.again, as many times as you wish.
.It is very important that we all as Federationists keep on top of
.everything.
.This is why I sent the article again to get people to write their
members of
.Congress in the House and Senate.
.We can also put the pressure on the General Accounting Office, GAO.
.I Hope this answers your question.
.If you want anything more, please email me at:
.
.kenneth.chrane at verizon.net.
.
.Thank you.
.
.Kenneth Chrane
.----- Original Message -----
.From: <angeldn3 at aol.com>
.To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
.Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 4:37 PM
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.
.I have to say I just got the new catalogue from talking books
yesterday, and
.it seems they are on track for everything am I missing something
also. I
.e-mailed all those people in Washington last month. so what is the
problem.
.
.
.Cheryl and Maxx (Guide Dog)
.
.skype: angeldn38
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.-----Original Message-----
.From: Hope Hein <hmhein at verizon.net>
.To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 3:58 pm
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.
.
.Why can't they allow people to download books on to their Notetaker's
and
.computers digitally? They could have an authorization key or a
password and
.statement like Bookshare has to ensure that only the intended
recipient is
.able
.o access the material? For people who do not use computers they could
have a
.layer. The books could be in the plastic containers which would fit
into the
.layers.
.I do not understand what the fuss is about. I thought NLS was in the
process
.of
.reating these players and that they would be created by 2008. I do
not
.remember
.here I read the creation of these players. What is happening? Have
they
.decided
.ot to create the players?
.ope
.----Original Message-----
.From: "Kenneth Chrane"<kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
.Sent: 6/3/07 5:26:32 AM
.To: "kenneth at myfreedombox.com"<kenneth at myfreedombox.com>,
."pmsinc at juno.com"<pmsinc at juno.com>
.Cc: "Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing
.List"<NFB-Talk at nfbnet.org>,
.CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com"<CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com>,
.peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com"<peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com>
.Subject: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.Name: Kenneth Chrane
.Your email address - a copy will be sent here:
kenneth.chrane at verizon.net -
.Reply
.Phone: (410) 486-1569 Baltimore, Maryland USA
.
.Editorial:
.
.
.The Washington Post
.
.Wednesday, May 30, 2007
.
.Page A12
.
.Keep the Books Talking
.
.Congress should fund the digitization of a vital audio library for
the
.blind.
.
.A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public
library.
.They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books,
through
.which
.the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
of the
.Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio
.recordings
.of about as many books. Unlike the "books on tape" that are sold at
retail
.bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse --
and
.are
.designed for people who have no other way of reading print.
.
.Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its
maker.
.The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen
to on
.special
.devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players
that
.preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being
manufactured. To
.bring
.the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its
entire
.library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching,
building
.and
.testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully
accessible
.flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to
.appropriate about
.$76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more
books.
.
.A forthcoming Government Accountability Office report, however, may
derail
.the NLS's plans. In a draft version of the report completed several
weeks
.ago,
.the GAO faulted the NLS for not considering existing commercial
products
.such as CD players and iPods instead of creating a new device. This
sounds
.like
.a reasonable concern, given tales of exorbitant government spending
on $792
.doormats and $400 hammers. But creating special, noncommercial
players is
.crucial
.to the continued existence of Talking Books. Commercially available
.products, which often use visual screens and are not labeled in
Braille, are
.not accessible
.to the visually impaired. More important, to comply with U.S.
copyright law,
.Talking Books can record and distribute only audio books that cannot
be
.played
.by commercial devices.
.
.Should the GAO keep this misguided criticism in its final report,
lawmakers
.should not be swayed by it. Instead, Congress should fully fund
Talking
.Books'
.digital upgrade, a project that will grant many disabled Americans
the same
.literary access afforded to the sighted.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
.
.
.
.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
._______________________________________________
.fb-talk mailing list
.fb-talk at nfbnet.org
.ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
.
.________________________________________________________________________
.AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's
free from
.AOL at AOL.com.
.
.
.
.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
.
.> _______________________________________________
.> nfb-talk mailing list
.> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.>
.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
-------------- next part --------------
Hope:
CDs are more delicate than one might imagine. They can be broken fairly easily and are subject to fingerprints and other smudges. Moreover, the mechanism to play them is surprisingly delicate and complex; there are several motors in them controlled by microprocessor. NLS judged (rightly, I believe) that the mechanisms would not be easily serviced nor would they stand up to hard use -- both requirements for talking book technology. And CDs themselves may be past their prime -- which is too bad in that I like the broad bandwidth they offer. But there it is.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:hmhein at verizon.net Hope Hein
To:
mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent:
Monday, June 04, 2007 9:24 AM
Subject:
Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
CD's would work!
Hope
-----Original Message-----
.From: "Kenneth Chrane"< mailto:kenneth.chrane at verizon.net kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
>
.Sent: 6/3/07 5:45:18 PM
.To: "NFB Talk Mailing List"< mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.Hello The problem is the GAO, The General Accounting Office when they
.suggested using CDS.
.I too, have written to both my Senators and Congressman about this matter.
.I did this last Wednesday.
.I live in Maryland's 7th Congressional District.
.I let him know how I felt, and I sent the Article from The Washington Post
.for May 30, 2007, Page a 12.
.You can always write to your two senators and Representative in Congress
.again, as many times as you wish.
.It is very important that we all as Federationists keep on top of
.everything.
.This is why I sent the article again to get people to write their members of
.Congress in the House and Senate.
.We can also put the pressure on the General Accounting Office, GAO.
.I Hope this answers your question.
.If you want anything more, please email me at:
.
mailto:.kenneth.chrane at verizon.net .kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
.
.
.Thank you.
.
.Kenneth Chrane
.----- Original Message -----
.From: < mailto:angeldn3 at aol.com angeldn3 at aol.com
>
.To: < mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>
.Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 4:37 PM
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.
.I have to say I just got the new catalogue from talking books yesterday, and
.it seems they are on track for everything am I missing something also. I
.e-mailed all those people in Washington last month. so what is the problem.
.
.
.Cheryl and Maxx (Guide Dog)
.
.skype: angeldn38
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.-----Original Message-----
.From: Hope Hein < mailto:hmhein at verizon.net hmhein at verizon.net
>
.To: mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 3:58 pm
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.
.
.Why can't they allow people to download books on to their Notetaker's and
.computers digitally? They could have an authorization key or a password and
.statement like Bookshare has to ensure that only the intended recipient is
.able
.o access the material? For people who do not use computers they could have a
.layer. The books could be in the plastic containers which would fit into the
.layers.
.I do not understand what the fuss is about. I thought NLS was in the process
.of
.reating these players and that they would be created by 2008. I do not
.remember
.here I read the creation of these players. What is happening? Have they
.decided
.ot to create the players?
.ope
.----Original Message-----
.From: "Kenneth Chrane"< mailto:kenneth.chrane at verizon.net kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
>
.Sent: 6/3/07 5:26:32 AM
.To: " mailto:kenneth at myfreedombox.com"<kenneth at myfreedombox.com kenneth at myfreedombox.com"<kenneth at myfreedombox.com
>,
." mailto:pmsinc at juno.com"<pmsinc at juno.com pmsinc at juno.com"<pmsinc at juno.com
>
.Cc: "Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing
.List"< mailto:NFB-Talk at nfbnet.org NFB-Talk at nfbnet.org
>,
mailto:.CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com"<CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com .CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com"<CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com
>,
mailto:.peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com"<peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com .peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com"<peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com
>
.Subject: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.Name: Kenneth Chrane
.Your email address - a copy will be sent here: mailto:kenneth.chrane at verizon.net kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
-
.Reply
.Phone: (410) 486-1569 Baltimore, Maryland USA
.
.Editorial:
.
.
.The Washington Post
.
.Wednesday, May 30, 2007
.
.Page A12
.
.Keep the Books Talking
.
.Congress should fund the digitization of a vital audio library for the
.blind.
.
.A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public library.
.They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books, through
.which
.the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the
.Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio
.recordings
.of about as many books. Unlike the "books on tape" that are sold at retail
.bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse -- and
.are
.designed for people who have no other way of reading print.
.
.Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its maker.
.The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen to on
.special
.devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players that
.preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being manufactured. To
.bring
.the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its entire
.library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching, building
.and
.testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully accessible
.flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to
.appropriate about
.$76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more books.
.
.A forthcoming Government Accountability Office report, however, may derail
.the NLS's plans. In a draft version of the report completed several weeks
.ago,
.the GAO faulted the NLS for not considering existing commercial products
.such as CD players and iPods instead of creating a new device. This sounds
.like
.a reasonable concern, given tales of exorbitant government spending on $792
.doormats and $400 hammers. But creating special, noncommercial players is
.crucial
.to the continued existence of Talking Books. Commercially available
.products, which often use visual screens and are not labeled in Braille, are
.not accessible
.to the visually impaired. More important, to comply with U.S. copyright law,
.Talking Books can record and distribute only audio books that cannot be
.played
.by commercial devices.
.
.Should the GAO keep this misguided criticism in its final report, lawmakers
.should not be swayed by it. Instead, Congress should fully fund Talking
.Books'
.digital upgrade, a project that will grant many disabled Americans the same
.literary access afforded to the sighted.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
mailto:.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org .nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
.
.
.
.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
mailto:.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org .nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
._______________________________________________
.fb-talk mailing list
mailto:.fb-talk at nfbnet.org .fb-talk at nfbnet.org
.ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
.
.________________________________________________________________________
.AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from
.AOL at AOL.com.
.
.
.
.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
.
.> _______________________________________________
.> nfb-talk mailing list
.> mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.>
.
.
._______________________________________________
.nfb-talk mailing list
mailto:.nfb-talk at nfbnet.org .nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
.http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
.
_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
mailto:nfb-talk at nfbnet.org nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
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