[nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
David Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Mon Jun 4 23:11:52 CDT 2007
Better yet, you could threaten to drive! That would certainly quiet me down!
Dave
At 10:57 PM 6/4/2007, you wrote:
>Children! Children! Enough! Or I'll have to put you *both* out of the
>car! <g>
>
>Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ray Foret Jr.
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 10:10 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
>
>
> Let me also remind you that you did ask what all the fuss was about.
>IF you
> really checked your facts, as you say you did, you would not need to
>ask
> that question.
>
> Sincerely yours,
> The Constantly Barefooted,
> Ray
> Home phone and fax:
> (985)853-0139
> E-mail:
> rforetjr at bellsouth.net
> Skype Name:
> barefootedray
> Blog:
> www.raysworld.blogs.com
> Podcast .rss Feed:
> http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
>
> God bless President George W. Bush!
> God bless our troops!
> and God bless America
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hope Hein" <hmhein at verizon.net>
> To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 11:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
>
>
> Hi Ray!
> Maybe you did not read my message clearly. I acknowledge that players
>are
> being made. I simply stated that as far as I know from the
>information that
> I have read NLS is still working on the transition to digital.
>Honestly I am
> a little annoyed with the tone of your message to me. I do check my
>facts. I
> called Ruth nuwsbaum reference librarian and she stated that they are
>still
> going forward with the program to produce the players. She said that
>the GAO
> is questioning weather commercially available players can be used. I
>asked
> her about the use of digital Software that can be downloaded from NLS
>for
> those who could use it and she said that it would be difficult for the
> senior blind to use. I agree with her observation that the players
>need to
> be manufactured for the senior blind or people who are not able to use
> computers. However, she then stated that the CD players and digital
>books
> from Recordings for the Blind are difficult for totally blind persons
>to
> use. I am totally !
> blind and
> I use DAISY, and have used the Bookport and TELEX Scholar with out
> difficulty. I have been using the CD's and the authorization from
>Recordings
> for the blind for the past several years.
> Hope
>
> -----Original Message-----
> .From: "Ray Foret Jr."<rforetjr at bellsouth.net>
> .Sent: 6/3/07 5:10:13 PM
> .To: "NFB Talk Mailing List"<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> .Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
> .
> .Hope, first of all, let's acknowledge a few simple facts here.
> .
> .1. You and I and others on this list may possess technological know
>how;
> .but, as a matter of fact, many talking book readers are senior
>citizens who
> . a. don't have computers.
> . b. can't be much bothered with them even if they had the chance
>to get
> .one.
> .
> .2. Most of the digital players on the market today are very menu
>driven.
> .The so-called "memorize and press" routine just won't work for many
>talking
> .book readers; though it may work okay for you and me.
> .
> .3. Even on a player which is not menu driven, the physical controls
>are or
> .can be extremely delicate. Such is the delicacy of some of the
>controls
> .that a firm press on one could cause the electronics involved to
>misbehave.
> .I know, I went through at least two Sony Minidisc recorders; and, on
>each
> .one, the controls tended to give out after a while. Blind and other
>people
> .who have difficulty with light touch controls will have trouble with
>a
> .commercial player such as we have today.
> .
> .4. You are wrong about no players being developed. A working
>prototype is
> .indeed in existence even now. It's a matter now of finding and
>contracting
> .with a firm to actually make the player; and, this is not an
>overnight
> .proposition.
> .
> . May I respectfully suggest you check your facts before making
>such
> .assumptions as you have made in your message?
> .
> .thank you.
> .
> .Sincerely yours,
> .The Constantly Barefooted,
> .Ray
> .Home phone and fax:
> .(985)853-0139
> .E-mail:
> .rforetjr at bellsouth.net
> .Skype Name:
> .barefootedray
> .Blog:
> .www.raysworld.blogs.com
> .Podcast .rss Feed:
> .http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
> .
> .God bless President George W. Bush!
> .God bless our troops!
> .and God bless America
> .----- Original Message -----
> .From: "Hope Hein" <hmhein at verizon.net>
> .To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> .Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 2:58 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 to access the material? For people who do not use computers they
>could
> .have a player. The books could be in the plastic containers which
>would fit
> .into the players.
> .
> .I do not understand what the fuss is about. I thought NLS was in the
> process
> .of creating these players and that they would be created by 2008. I
>do not
> .remember where I read the creation of these players. What is
>happening?
> Have
> .they decided not to create the players?
> .Hope
> .-----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.
> ..
> .._______________________________________________
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> ..
> ..
> ..
> ..
> ..
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