Summer 2009

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water...
                                                                                                                                 from Miracles by Walt Whitman

Our summer booklist is a small miracle - five recently recorded books from our own Audio Book Studio. Relax and enjoy this eclectic selection of titles, preferably with a tall glass of something cool by your side.

New from the Audio Book Studio

Adult Books

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apt. 3W by Gabriel Brownstein – RC 5475
Brownstein's collection offers a glimpse into the lives of the tenants of a West 89th Street apartment building in New York City. The stories incorporate elements of works by Auden, Kafka, Hawthorne, Singer, Fitzgerald, and others (the title story, in fact, is a reworking of a Fitzgerald tale of the same name). 2002.

N Judah by Len Jenkins – RC 5474
A San Francisco woman, upon hearing of the death in New Orleans of her son, travels with an old lover to the American South. Violence and some strong language. 2006.

The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine – RC 5470
Neighbors fall in and out of love on one block in New York City, and it is their dogs who act as Cupids. 2007.

Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima – RC 5465
A chronicle of a conspiracy and a novel about the roots and nature of Japanese fanaticism in the early 1930s. Violence. 1973.

When the Spirits Dance Mambo: Growing Up Nuyorican in El Barrio by Marta Moreno Vega –
RC 5463
Moreno Vega calls forth the spirit of Puerto Rican New York, and the music, mysticism, and traditions of an Afro-Puerto Rican girl's upbringing in 1950s Spanish Harlem. 2004.

Citizens Advisory Council

The Council meetings are an opportunity for patrons to give their feedback on library service. All library patrons are welcome to attend. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17 at 6:00 p.m. The Council does not meet during July and August. 

Programs at the Library

Programs for Adults

Digital Media Workshop
Using the New NLS Digital Talking Book Player
Saturday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m.
The new NLS Digital Talking Book players will be coming soon. Are you ready for the change from Talking Books on cassette to the new Digital Talking Book format? If you’d like to see a demonstration of the National Library Service’s new Digital Talking Book Player, get some hands-on experience, and hear feedback from test-users, come to the library for this informative workshop.

Musical Program: Leah2
Saturday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Leah Wells and her partner will sing and perform classic folk and original selections on acoustic guitar, banjo and mandolin.

Art Education for the Blind @ the Andrew Heiskell Library
Introduction to African Musical Instruments
Tuesday, August 11 at 2:00 p.m.
Richard Donald Smith, an expert musician and a scholar whose focus is on the music of sub-Saharan Africa, will introduce, describe and demonstrate African musical instruments. 

Workshop: Making Memory Boxes
Tuesday, September 8 at 2:00 p.m.
Come celebrate your memories, and make your own memory box to bring back home with you. Some suggestions for memories to bring:

• photos
• small objects with special meaning
• favorite recipes
• special pictures, cards or letters

Boxes and art supplies will be provided.

Participatory Dance Program: Argentine Tango
Saturday, August 29 at 2:00 p.m.
Experience the joy of Argentine Tango and receive the benefits of physical activity as you learn the elegant movements of this unique dance.

Book Discussion Group

On Saturday, July 25, Maridos (Husbands) by Angeles Mastretta (RC 65999) will be discussed in Spanish.

On Saturday, August 29, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (RC 66787) will be discussed in English.

On Saturday, September 12, El Oro y la Paz (Gold and Peace) by Juan Bosch (RC 62994) will be discussed in Spanish.

Family Reading Celebration

Technology Update
The Digital Talking Book Players are Coming!

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has begun to replace its cassette-based talking book system with a new system based on digital talking books (DTBs).  For nearly thirty years, the primary format for talking books has been cassette. Before that, they were recorded on phonograph records. Both of these formats are analog.
The new, digital medium will be as easy to use, as durable, and as simple to duplicate as the cassette; it will also hold far more audio, be reusable, and still be of reasonable cost. Besides improved sound quality, a digital format will offer convenience to users, who will no longer need to turn over cassettes or change side-selector switches. Users will be able to jump forward or back by chapter, set bookmarks, and vary playback speed without affecting the pitch of the reader's voice.

The player is about 6 by 9 by 2 inches, in comparison with the cassette book machine, which is 9 by 11 by 3 inches. Weight of the digital talking book player is slightly over two pounds compared to the cassette player’s seven pounds.
The body of the player is dark charcoal grey for maximum visual contrast between the background of the case and the colors of the buttons.

NLS has chosen the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Flash Drive for the circulation of digital talking books.
The use of flash memory as a DTB medium means that book players have no moving parts and thus have far fewer parts to wear out, resulting in a longer-lived machine. Also, the players will generate far less heat than a tape- or disk-based player and can get equivalent battery life from a smaller battery. As a result, flash-based players are smaller, lighter, and faster to recharge.
More information, as well as high-quality photographs of the new DTB player, is available online at the NLS website: http://www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan/playerdescription.html.

The Andrew Heiskell Library will hold a DTB player workshop for patrons who would like to experience using the player, and for new DTB test-users who would like to give feedback on their experience. Please see Programs for Adults at the beginning of this newsletter for event details.

Agency Spotlight

7-Day Conference
Wednesday, July 22 - Tuesday, July 28, 2009
or
Intensive Technology Weekend
Friday, July 24 - Sunday, July 26, 2009

This opportunity for adults (18+ years of age) who are blind or visually impaired, offers workshops and seminars by professionals, a Technology Expo with hands-on demos of the latest in assistive technology, and an opportunity to relax and reflect at VISIONS Vacation Camp for the Blind (VISIONS VCB) in Rockland County.

Reminders