BULLETIN BOARD

A Newsletter of the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Autumn 2007
Volume 25, Number 2

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS HELP PUBLICIZE TALKING BOOK SERVICE

For the past several years students from Milwaukee's Bay View High School have come in on Tuesday mornings to label and package public relations materials. The Wisconsin Regional Library would like to thank Carol Lerand and her special needs students of Bay View High School for another wonderful year! As part of a pre-vocational training program, the students volunteer at various job sites. Not only do they get to sample different kinds of workplaces, but by being in a real-life setting, they practice valuable work skills. According to Carol, the Regional Library is a favorite place to volunteer for many of her students. This year, two students have graduated to employment out in the wide world. Congratulations!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, recently began a program to honor Talking Books readers who have passed their 100th birthdays. On May 18, 2007, the first ceremony in Wisconsin was held at the Menomonie Public Library to honor long-time Talking Book user Anne Cherrier, age 101. Sally Drew from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is shown giving Mrs. Cherrier her certificate and pin.

The Regional Library has added additional magazines on cassette for patron enjoyment, "Diabetes Self-Management" and "Women's Day." Some cassette magazines, including the cassette version of the Bulletin Board, circulate in green plastic containers. Please return the containers by turning over the mailing label when done with the magazine. Patrons are always welcome to keep the magazine - just return the empty green container-or the full container, if the magazine is not wanted after reading.

The risk of low vision and blindness increases significantly with age, particularly in those over age 65 (2004 National Eye Institute Study), and in less than five years the first wave of the 78 million baby boom generation turns 65. By 2030, the number of people over the age of 65 will comprise 20 percent of the population. AFB Senior Site, a new, fully accessible web site from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), is equipped with simple solutions to keep this demographic living in their homes, cooking for their families, reading their favorite books, and maybe even taking up a new hobby. This interactive resource is complete with multimedia components that showcase instructional videos, easy "how to" tips, and testimonials to help the growing population living with vision loss maintain an independent and fulfilling lifestyle. In addition to providing resources on adapting daily living routines, the Site serves as a bridge-connecting users with networks of vision rehabilitation centers, orientation & mobility specialists, and a variety of aging and social services. The Site also plays host to message boards and lists of support groups enabling seniors with vision loss and their caretakers to connect with communities of people who share their same everyday life situations. Check out AFB Senior Site at http://www.afb.org/seniorsite and introduce yourself to this new, exciting tool.

RESOURCES

The National Federation of the Blind now offers an online mentoring program, NFB-LINK, which pairs individuals seeking information about blindness with successful blind people. A college student can learn how to conduct experiments in a biology class; meanwhile, a newly blind person can learn how to continue gardening after vision loss. Answers to questions like "Can a blind person be a social worker" to "How can I participate in a yoga class" are all found on the NFB-LINK site. NFB-Link is a resource for not only blind and visually impaired people, but also for parents, teachers, rehabilitation professionals and others who have an interest in blindness. To access this one-of-a-kind service, visit www.nfblink.org.

Brian Hagenau of Waukesha has formed a company, BH Productions, to offer audio versions of Braille books and magazines. To learn more about this fee-based service, please phone Brian at 262-522-0278.

The Regional Library wants to remind everyone that we offer OverDrive Audiobooks as part of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium. OverDrive Audiobooks allow patrons to select and download audiobook titles to play directly on a computer, play on an MP3 player or burn to a CD. In the first 6 months of 2007, 95 books were borrowed via OverDrive by Regional Library patrons. If patrons are having difficulty using Overdrive, staff will be happy to mail or email an instruction sheet. Just phone 1-800-242-8822 to request it.

The Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, the general-interest monthly that Helen Keller called a "God send," began its second century of publication in March 2007 with a special anniversary issue. Every issue of the Ziegler features a Readers Forum, which usually covers a variety of topics. But the March 2007 Readers Forum letters were about just one thing: appreciation for the magazine from its subscribers throughout the world. (Today the Ziegler goes to 91 countries). In the years since its founding, the Ziegler Magazine has become an institution in the blindness field, having touched the lives of tens of thousands of blind and visually impaired people. Thanks to the foresight and kindness of Mrs. William Ziegler, who established and endowed a foundation before her death in 1932, any legally blind person can receive--at no charge--the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, published in contracted braille, on four-track/half-speed cassette, by e-mail, and online at www.matildaziegler.org.

Bibliography: To Ensure Domestic Tranquility -- The 2007-8 Wisconsin Humanities Council Books for Discussion.

The WHC's A More Perfect Union discussion series offers quality literature to the people of Wisconsin to promote conversation about American ideals, realities, and policies. "Domestic Tranquility" books and discussion guides are available from the Wisconsin Humanities Council and many local libraries. To start or join a discussion group, contact Jessica Becker at the Wisconsin Humanities Council. 608-262-0706.

The Milagro Beanfield War: New Mexico trilogy; book 1, by John Nichols. A feisty Chicano hustler with a talent for trouble sets off the great beanfield war by illegally irrigating an arid patch in which to grow beans. A ribald novel about injustice endured and assaulted. Strong language. RC 14897

Prodigal Summer: a novel, by Barbara Kingsolver. At Zebulon Mountain in southern Appalachia, reclusive ranger Deanna Wolfe allows young hunter Eddie Bondo into her cabin and private space. In the valley two other women redefine their roles while championing ecological issues. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2000. BR 15136 / RC 51048

The Tortilla Curtain, by T. Coraghessan Boyle. Los Angeles liberals Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher lead an ordered sushi-and-recycling existence in a newly gated hilltop community: he a sensitive nature writer, she an obsessive realtor. Mexican illegals Candido and America Rincon desperately cling to their vision of the American Dream as they fight off starvation in a makeshift camp deep on the ravine. And from the moment a freak accident brings Candido and Delaney into intimate contact, these four and their opposing worlds gradually intersect in what becomes a tragicomedy of error and misunderstanding. RCW 21

The Devil's Highway: a true story, by Luis Alberto Urrea. In May 2001, a group of men attempted to cross the border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadliest region of the continent, a place called the Devil's Highway. Fathers and sons, brothers and strangers, entered a desert so harsh and desolate that even the Border Patrol is afraid to travel through it. Twelve came back out. Pulitzer Prize nominee. Taped by VSVH, Inc. RCW 41

BULLETIN BOARD is published four times a year by the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It is available in large print, Braille, and audio-cassette editions. The Wisconsin Regional Library makes no recommendations or endorsements concerning any products or services which may appear in this publication.

Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
813 West Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233-1436
1-414-286-3045 (in Milwaukee)
1-800-242-8822 (in Wisconsin)
1-414-286-3102 (FAX)
lbph@milwaukee.gov (e-mail)
http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/lbphinfo.html (website)
http://wmbph.mpl.org/opac (on-line public access catalog)

For questions about this information, contact Shiela A. Pollock (608) 224-5395

Last updated on 2/28/2008 8:52:00 AM