Join Us for the 2013 Indiana Vision Expo

The 8th Annual Indiana Vision Expo will be held on Saturday, September 28th, from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Indiana State Library. This year’s Expo will focus on the world of art. Our keynote speaker will be award winning blind artist and author John Bramblitt.

The Expo will also feature visually-impaired artists from around the state who will be exhibiting their work, some of which will be available for purchase. Artist Pete Brown will be exhibiting his interactive tactile art. Additionally, our usual wide variety of vendors and non-profit agencies will be on hand providing the latest in adaptive technology, independent living aids, and other resources for all ages.

In addition to our keynote speaker, Dr. Laura Windsor from Eye Associates will be speaking at the morning session on the latest advancements in the treatment of eye disease. CJ’s Sweet Creations will again be selling lunch items and desserts. Admission is free, but there will be special event parking for a $5 charge in the Senate Street parking garage, accessible from New York Street.

This year’s event will again be held in conjunction with the annual Foundation Fighting Blindness Indy VisionWalk, which will be held on the downtown canal adjoining the State Library prior to the start of the Expo.

Visit www.indianavisionexpo.org for additional information and an updated list of our vendors and artists. We hope to see you there!

UPDATE: NLS Magazine on Cartridge Program

By now, the NLS digital magazine transition should be complete and your magazines should be arriving on digital cartridge only, with the exceptions of Newsweek and Reader’s Digest. This is a reminder that the magazines coming from NLS have a very strict circulation period; weekly magazines should only be kept for one week while monthly magazines (including Talking Book Topics) can be kept for one month. NLS has a limited number of cartridges for this program so in order to keep receiving magazines you must return them in a timely manner. When returning your magazines, please make sure the magazine cartridge makes it back in the magazine box, which has a distinct color (red) as well as a distinct embossed logo. If there are magazines you are no longer interested in or if you prefer to download the magazines you want from BARD, please contact the Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library.

The order form for Talking Book Topics will be arriving separately from the digital cartridge. These items may arrive days apart in the mail, so just be patient and wait for both parts to arrive. Completed order forms will be returned to your library while the cartridge will be returned out of state to the magazine producer.

NLS No Longer Requires Original Signatures on Applications

NLS is no longer requiring us to collect original signatures on applications for library service. This means that we can now accept applications that have been faxed, emailed, scanned, stamped, or photocopied, which will hopefully make it more convenient for some people to complete the application process. Faxed applications can be sent to 317-232-3728, emailed applications can be sent to tbbl@library.in.gov. Please help us spread the word about this new, easier application process!

DYK: Selection Process for Indiana Voices Titles

The Indiana Voices program is funded by a generous grant from the Ruth Lilly Foundation. Through the grant the program is able to record books and magazines with a local connection. This means that Indiana Voices is able to record works that are written by a Hoosier author, about an Indiana subject, or set in Indiana.

The books selected to be recorded by Indiana Voices come from a few sources. First, Indiana Voices has frequently recorded the yearly Indiana Best Books winners and finalists from the Indiana Center for the Book. The Center for the Book selects three to four books in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and young adult, and their selections have proven to be popular with our patrons. Second, Indiana Voices currently produces two local magazines; Outdoor Indiana and Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. Since the switch to digital magazine circulation the Indiana Talking Books Library has been exploring adding another local magazine to collection. Finally, additional books are selected by the Indiana Talking Book Library staff based on circulation and past readership figures. Popular genres with patrons continue to be mysteries, westerns, and biographies.

How can you aid the selection process? As a patron, books are chosen not only based on your past readership, but also upon your suggestions. If there are Indiana related books that you cannot find in a digital format and wish that you could, call your reader advisor and let them know. Our goal at the Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library is to provide our patrons with the best reading experience possible, which means we need input to make sure we are recording material of interest to our patrons. If your suggestion seems like one that would be popular with our client base it may just be the next book recorded by Indiana Voices.

Visit Talking Books at ACBI

Come see Talking Books at the ACBI convention on Saturday, November 2nd at the Canyon Inn at McCormick Creek State Park. The convention will run from Friday—Sunday with various events happening each day. For more information visit their website at acb-indiana.org or call Mike Bowman at 1-317-726-0745.

Talking Books Survey: Share Your Thoughts

Please take a few minutes to fill out our user survey. You can print the survey and send it to us by mail or fill it out online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tbbl

Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library Calendar

Saturday, August 31 Library Closed

Monday, September 2 Library Closed

Saturday, September 28 Vision Expo

Monday, October 14 Library Closed

Monday, November 11 Library Closed

Thursday, November 28 Library Closed

Friday, November 29 Library Closed

Saturday, November 30 Library Closed

Tuesday, December 24 Library Closed

Wednesday, December 25 Library Closed

Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library Hours
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Indiana Insights is a publication of the Talking Book and Braille Library, Indiana State Library. Indiana Insights is also available online, in Braille, or on a digital cartridge upon request. Any mention of products and services in the Indiana Insights is for information only and does not imply endorsement. This project is funded in part with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services which administers the Library Services Technology act.