WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.500 (light music) 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:06.330 Welcome to Hadley Presents. 3 00:00:06.330 --> 00:00:10.380 I'm your host, Ricky Enger, inviting you to sit back, 4 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:14.460 relax, and enjoy a conversation with the experts. 5 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:18.180 In this episode, reader advisor, Tonia Bickford, 6 00:00:18.180 --> 00:00:21.840 joins us to discuss the National Library Service 7 00:00:21.840 --> 00:00:24.660 commonly referred to as, NLS. 8 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:26.640 Welcome to the show, Tonia. 9 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:28.950 Hi, Ricky. Thank you for having me. 10 00:00:28.950 --> 00:00:31.050 Thank you for joining us. 11 00:00:31.050 --> 00:00:35.760 And spoiler alert, one of my favorite things is reading, 12 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:38.220 and I suspect we're going to be talking about that 13 00:00:38.220 --> 00:00:40.170 just a little bit today. 14 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:45.170 So I am really excited to chat with you and to ask you 15 00:00:45.750 --> 00:00:49.200 to share with our listeners all about the NLS. 16 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:51.720 But before we do that, why don't you just give us 17 00:00:51.720 --> 00:00:54.150 a quick intro, tell us a bit about yourself. 18 00:00:54.150 --> 00:00:55.350 Sure. Thank you. 19 00:00:55.350 --> 00:00:56.610 My name is Tonia. 20 00:00:56.610 --> 00:00:58.680 I live in Marquette, Michigan, 21 00:00:58.680 --> 00:01:02.130 and I work for Great Lakes Talking Books, 22 00:01:02.130 --> 00:01:05.610 which is an outreach and advisory center 23 00:01:05.610 --> 00:01:08.250 in the upper peninsula of Michigan. 24 00:01:08.250 --> 00:01:12.750 We serve 15 counties in the Upper peninsula and two counties 25 00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:14.910 in Michigan's Lower Peninsula 26 00:01:14.910 --> 00:01:17.460 with talking books and magazines. 27 00:01:17.460 --> 00:01:18.900 I've been a reader advisor 28 00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:22.350 for Great Lakes Talking Books since 2020. 29 00:01:22.350 --> 00:01:23.340 Awesome. 30 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:26.610 And we keep hearing this term reader advisor, 31 00:01:26.610 --> 00:01:28.860 and you've mentioned that you work for a library. 32 00:01:28.860 --> 00:01:31.380 So I think perhaps if you're listening, 33 00:01:31.380 --> 00:01:35.850 you might be putting two and two together about what NLS is. 34 00:01:35.850 --> 00:01:38.580 But I'd love to just get your take on this, Tonia, 35 00:01:38.580 --> 00:01:42.510 because I know that for people who are new to vision loss, 36 00:01:42.510 --> 00:01:43.830 there are all these acronyms 37 00:01:43.830 --> 00:01:45.720 that keep getting thrown around. 38 00:01:45.720 --> 00:01:48.384 And you might hear "NLS, NLS!" 39 00:01:48.384 --> 00:01:51.060 and people are always so excited when they say it. 40 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:55.380 But you as a person who's new to all of this 41 00:01:55.380 --> 00:01:59.400 may have no idea what NLS actually means, 42 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:02.550 or maybe more importantly why you should care. 43 00:02:02.550 --> 00:02:04.980 So what is NLS? 44 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:08.100 Well, NLS to me is a network of people 45 00:02:08.100 --> 00:02:11.040 who want to help connect readers with books. 46 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:16.040 The NLS was established in 1931 by the Pratt-Smoot Act, 47 00:02:16.140 --> 00:02:19.200 with the purpose of connecting the Library of Congress 48 00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:21.434 with libraries all over the country 49 00:02:21.434 --> 00:02:25.350 to provide books to blind adults. 50 00:02:25.350 --> 00:02:28.830 Well, since that time, the service has grown greatly 51 00:02:28.830 --> 00:02:32.250 to provide audio and braille books 52 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:36.840 and magazines and music appreciation materials 53 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:40.500 to folks of all ages, not just blind adults, 54 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:45.330 but to anyone who is unable to read standard print, 55 00:02:45.330 --> 00:02:47.880 which includes people who have low vision 56 00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:51.060 or a reading or physical disability. 57 00:02:51.060 --> 00:02:53.400 That's perfect because that's a question 58 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:55.710 that we get a lot. 59 00:02:55.710 --> 00:03:00.710 People think that because we have this word blind 60 00:03:01.350 --> 00:03:04.410 as a part of the name for NLS, 61 00:03:04.410 --> 00:03:08.550 it means that you shouldn't be able to see anything 62 00:03:08.550 --> 00:03:12.120 in order to qualify for services from NLS. 63 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:14.730 So could you just go through again, 64 00:03:14.730 --> 00:03:19.500 let's say you can read with magnification 65 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:22.380 but you're kind of struggling still, 66 00:03:22.380 --> 00:03:26.010 would you be able to qualify for services for NLS? 67 00:03:26.010 --> 00:03:26.843 Yes, the service 68 00:03:26.843 --> 00:03:29.550 is available for people who are unable 69 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:32.400 to read standard print, which means 70 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.060 if you require large print in order to read the book, 71 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:38.430 then you're eligible for our services. 72 00:03:38.430 --> 00:03:41.520 If you require a magnifying class to read a book, 73 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.920 then you're eligible for our services. 74 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:48.630 So yes, that is something that people think 75 00:03:48.630 --> 00:03:53.070 and we work really hard, and thank you by the way, 76 00:03:53.070 --> 00:03:58.070 for having us on your program today as one more effort 77 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:00.120 to get the word out to the community 78 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:03.450 that it's for anyone unable to read standard print, 79 00:04:03.450 --> 00:04:05.340 whether they can fix that problem 80 00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:07.830 or not using a magnifying glass. 81 00:04:07.830 --> 00:04:10.200 That's so important to know because again, 82 00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:12.930 that's one of the questions we get most often at Hadley. 83 00:04:12.930 --> 00:04:16.950 So I imagine you do as well. 84 00:04:16.950 --> 00:04:21.360 Now once somebody gets signed up for services, 85 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:24.930 because you do have an application that you fill out... 86 00:04:24.930 --> 00:04:29.820 And by the way, we can help you with that process at Hadley, 87 00:04:29.820 --> 00:04:34.691 but once someone does go through that application process, 88 00:04:34.691 --> 00:04:38.490 the next step is to do the fun stuff 89 00:04:38.490 --> 00:04:43.020 to start enjoying those books and magazines. 90 00:04:43.020 --> 00:04:47.400 So what are the ways that people can do that? 91 00:04:47.400 --> 00:04:50.850 Because I know everybody is at a different point 92 00:04:50.850 --> 00:04:54.990 in their journey with technology or how familiar they are 93 00:04:54.990 --> 00:04:56.580 with various things. 94 00:04:56.580 --> 00:04:59.790 So yeah, just curious, what are the ways 95 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:03.570 people can access these books and magazines? 96 00:05:03.570 --> 00:05:06.090 I like to call people and talk with them. 97 00:05:06.090 --> 00:05:08.220 If they're unable to speak with me, 98 00:05:08.220 --> 00:05:11.880 I love to talk to their caregivers or their family members 99 00:05:11.880 --> 00:05:15.240 that support them because I want to know 100 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.530 what are they reading or what were they at the time 101 00:05:19.530 --> 00:05:22.170 that they experienced some vision loss 102 00:05:22.170 --> 00:05:25.650 or disability that's preventing them to read 103 00:05:25.650 --> 00:05:27.150 like they used to? 104 00:05:27.150 --> 00:05:29.940 What's their passion? Is it science fiction? 105 00:05:29.940 --> 00:05:30.960 What is it? 106 00:05:30.960 --> 00:05:34.650 And then we talk about the kinds of situations 107 00:05:34.650 --> 00:05:37.950 that they have and where they're reading 108 00:05:37.950 --> 00:05:40.410 and what they're using to read 109 00:05:40.410 --> 00:05:45.060 and the internet access and technology access they have. 110 00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:48.600 Whatever they're comfortable with is what we do. 111 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:52.710 So if they think, "Oh yes, I have wireless, 112 00:05:52.710 --> 00:05:55.860 yes, I have a phone," or "yes, I have a tablet, 113 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:57.840 but I don't want to do any of that, 114 00:05:57.840 --> 00:06:00.570 I really just want to listen to some books," 115 00:06:00.570 --> 00:06:03.540 well, then the by mail service is perfect for them. 116 00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:06.420 We send them a digital talking book machine 117 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:10.320 and it has a user guide built into it. 118 00:06:10.320 --> 00:06:13.170 What that means is that when they turn it on, 119 00:06:13.170 --> 00:06:17.250 any button they press describes itself to them 120 00:06:17.250 --> 00:06:19.650 and it tells you how to use the button 121 00:06:19.650 --> 00:06:21.630 and what it does in response. 122 00:06:21.630 --> 00:06:23.280 So it's kind of neat. 123 00:06:23.280 --> 00:06:27.090 And then we talk about the kinds of books they like to read 124 00:06:27.090 --> 00:06:30.390 and how the service works with cartridges 125 00:06:30.390 --> 00:06:32.610 working on a turnaround service, 126 00:06:32.610 --> 00:06:35.400 which means you never run out of books to read, 127 00:06:35.400 --> 00:06:38.400 the books are automatically mailed to you, 128 00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:40.657 and then when you return them, we say, 129 00:06:40.657 --> 00:06:43.260 "Oh, this is a cartridge from so and so." 130 00:06:43.260 --> 00:06:45.390 We're going to look at their account, 131 00:06:45.390 --> 00:06:48.480 see their favorite subjects, their favorite authors. 132 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.340 And by the way, if their favorite author 133 00:06:50.340 --> 00:06:53.220 has just released a new book and it's available, 134 00:06:53.220 --> 00:06:54.720 that's going to be on the cartridge, 135 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:57.540 it's going to be a high priority on their list, 136 00:06:57.540 --> 00:06:58.940 and we'll make a new cartridge for them 137 00:06:58.940 --> 00:07:01.620 and send it to them in the mail. 138 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:04.770 For other patrons who have internet access 139 00:07:04.770 --> 00:07:07.440 and have a device, they may be interested 140 00:07:07.440 --> 00:07:12.440 to either listen to audiobooks on the BARD Mobile app. 141 00:07:13.080 --> 00:07:15.330 If they have a refreshable braille display, 142 00:07:15.330 --> 00:07:18.390 they may want to download electronic braille 143 00:07:18.390 --> 00:07:20.250 onto their braille display. 144 00:07:20.250 --> 00:07:23.550 Or if they don't have a refreshable braille display 145 00:07:23.550 --> 00:07:26.460 and have been looking for one, the National Library Service 146 00:07:26.460 --> 00:07:29.700 also has a refreshable braille display 147 00:07:29.700 --> 00:07:31.920 to share with that individual. 148 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:34.950 So we talk about what they're comfortable with 149 00:07:34.950 --> 00:07:37.980 first and foremost, and then we decide 150 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:39.510 what's the best plan. 151 00:07:39.510 --> 00:07:41.700 You don't have to choose just one. 152 00:07:41.700 --> 00:07:44.160 You can use the BARD Mobile app 153 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.160 to download books and magazines on demand 154 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:51.540 when you want them, or you can use the by mail service 155 00:07:51.540 --> 00:07:54.300 right along with it, and some people do that. 156 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:56.730 So there's lots of options and we start 157 00:07:56.730 --> 00:07:58.740 with what you're comfortable with. 158 00:07:58.740 --> 00:07:59.820 That's wonderful. 159 00:07:59.820 --> 00:08:04.820 And I have such great memories of growing up 160 00:08:05.190 --> 00:08:09.150 and looking forward to hearing the mail truck outside, 161 00:08:09.150 --> 00:08:13.260 because at that time it was cassettes, 162 00:08:13.260 --> 00:08:16.980 but now things arrive on cartridges 163 00:08:16.980 --> 00:08:21.980 or in braille or there is BARD Mobile, which is amazing. 164 00:08:22.080 --> 00:08:26.280 Just getting people connected with that reading material. 165 00:08:26.280 --> 00:08:29.250 By the way, yet another plug for Hadley. 166 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:30.900 I love when I can do this. 167 00:08:30.900 --> 00:08:35.550 We do have workshops on how to use 168 00:08:35.550 --> 00:08:37.890 that NLS talking book player. 169 00:08:37.890 --> 00:08:42.890 We also have workshops on how to check out the BARD website, 170 00:08:43.560 --> 00:08:45.390 so a lot of great stuff there. 171 00:08:45.390 --> 00:08:49.530 But as I'm thinking about what it was like 172 00:08:49.530 --> 00:08:54.530 when I was younger, I always had the assistance 173 00:08:55.710 --> 00:08:59.130 of a reader advisor showing me 174 00:08:59.130 --> 00:09:00.690 what books might be available, 175 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:02.310 what things I might be interested in. 176 00:09:02.310 --> 00:09:04.500 But for a lot of people, 177 00:09:04.500 --> 00:09:07.980 they are accustomed to strolling into the bookstore 178 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:10.920 and seeing something that catches their eye on the shelf, 179 00:09:10.920 --> 00:09:15.300 or maybe they were not a reader traditionally 180 00:09:15.300 --> 00:09:18.750 before vision loss and they're looking to get into that. 181 00:09:18.750 --> 00:09:23.750 But the act of discovering books is something 182 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:27.060 that people might be struggling with. 183 00:09:27.060 --> 00:09:31.230 So how do you do that as a reader advisor 184 00:09:31.230 --> 00:09:35.160 and just connect with people to let them know 185 00:09:35.160 --> 00:09:36.540 what's available and make sure 186 00:09:36.540 --> 00:09:38.700 that they don't end up getting something 187 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:41.580 that they really just don't like much? 188 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:42.413 Right. 189 00:09:42.413 --> 00:09:44.191 Well, we set expectations 190 00:09:44.191 --> 00:09:48.120 that we might have to weed through some things 191 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:49.590 till we get it right. 192 00:09:49.590 --> 00:09:52.740 If they're using Barb Mobile and downloading books, 193 00:09:52.740 --> 00:09:55.800 it's really intimidating because when you go to search, 194 00:09:55.800 --> 00:09:58.177 your mind blanks and you think, 195 00:09:58.177 --> 00:09:59.396 "What do I want? 196 00:09:59.396 --> 00:10:02.824 Who do I like? What do I want to read? 197 00:10:02.824 --> 00:10:04.950 I'm tired of the authors I love." 198 00:10:04.950 --> 00:10:09.270 So we can help connect people to books by, 199 00:10:09.270 --> 00:10:12.570 if they're using BARD Mobile, we have some tips and tricks 200 00:10:12.570 --> 00:10:14.880 and we can say, hey, by the way, 201 00:10:14.880 --> 00:10:18.600 I know you loved "Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett, 202 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:22.200 why don't you click on the dot, dot, dot button 203 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:23.970 in your BARD Mobile app to see 204 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:27.090 what other books are available for download by Ann 205 00:10:27.090 --> 00:10:30.510 or other books in that same subject area? 206 00:10:30.510 --> 00:10:35.100 So the read alike is something that we often help with. 207 00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:37.380 New patrons we talk about what they like. 208 00:10:37.380 --> 00:10:40.147 Sometimes you're right, the answer is, 209 00:10:40.147 --> 00:10:43.470 "Well, I haven't been reading because I couldn't see, 210 00:10:43.470 --> 00:10:46.170 so I don't know what I want to read anymore." 211 00:10:46.170 --> 00:10:49.050 And so I talk about, well, this is what other patrons 212 00:10:49.050 --> 00:10:50.490 are reading right now. 213 00:10:50.490 --> 00:10:54.183 A gentleman just asked for Jonas Jonasson, 214 00:10:54.183 --> 00:10:57.900 "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Jumped Out the Window." 215 00:10:57.900 --> 00:11:00.630 And we talked about that book 216 00:11:00.630 --> 00:11:02.947 and about how much he liked it, and he said, 217 00:11:02.947 --> 00:11:05.160 "This is a laugh out loud book. 218 00:11:05.160 --> 00:11:07.020 I suggest it to anyone." 219 00:11:07.020 --> 00:11:08.460 Well, then I do. 220 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:12.150 So I share not only things that I've learned about, 221 00:11:12.150 --> 00:11:15.600 but I share tips from other patrons. 222 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:19.800 If it's made someone happy, that's what I start with. 223 00:11:19.800 --> 00:11:22.770 Hey, this is something that might make you laugh, 224 00:11:22.770 --> 00:11:24.990 might help pass the time. 225 00:11:24.990 --> 00:11:29.100 Other times we talk about some of the features 226 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:32.557 of our service is that, for example, if someone says, 227 00:11:32.557 --> 00:11:36.120 "Well, I usually like the books that Oprah recommends, 228 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:37.470 do you have those?" 229 00:11:37.470 --> 00:11:40.410 Well, we do. We have series of books. 230 00:11:40.410 --> 00:11:43.620 So if you say, I want an Oprah book, well, 231 00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:46.200 I can look at the long list of Oprah books. 232 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:48.630 When we talk we can talk about things 233 00:11:48.630 --> 00:11:50.460 that they're worried about or the things 234 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:51.990 that are on their mind. 235 00:11:51.990 --> 00:11:55.680 And more recently, I've had many people ask me 236 00:11:55.680 --> 00:11:58.470 for the United States Constitution, 237 00:11:58.470 --> 00:12:00.540 I've had people ask me for the Bible. 238 00:12:00.540 --> 00:12:04.020 So it's just kind of a starting point 239 00:12:04.020 --> 00:12:07.410 and letting them know that there are resources. 240 00:12:07.410 --> 00:12:09.570 If they're comfortable using the internet, 241 00:12:09.570 --> 00:12:14.570 there is an online catalog where they can browse the books. 242 00:12:14.640 --> 00:12:17.970 We can also talk about the newsletter that comes out 243 00:12:17.970 --> 00:12:21.810 from our regional library and it comes through email, 244 00:12:21.810 --> 00:12:24.300 and they also include the information 245 00:12:24.300 --> 00:12:28.110 in they're printed circulation twice a year, 246 00:12:28.110 --> 00:12:31.020 but it's called Book Buzz and they recommend books, 247 00:12:31.020 --> 00:12:34.830 and they also include staff and patron recommendations, 248 00:12:34.830 --> 00:12:36.090 which is really neat. 249 00:12:36.090 --> 00:12:38.370 So we just go to the resources 250 00:12:38.370 --> 00:12:40.920 that seem right for the individual, 251 00:12:40.920 --> 00:12:45.090 but we also try to equip them with the tools 252 00:12:45.090 --> 00:12:49.770 if they're open to the idea of how they can discover 253 00:12:49.770 --> 00:12:54.270 and find books that are interesting to them on their own. 254 00:12:54.270 --> 00:12:58.740 BARD Mobile has that great Recently Added list of books 255 00:12:58.740 --> 00:13:00.810 that have just, they're hot off the press. 256 00:13:00.810 --> 00:13:03.060 They're recently added to BARD. 257 00:13:03.060 --> 00:13:05.880 BARD also has the What's Popular list. 258 00:13:05.880 --> 00:13:08.460 Now I've had some people say, "I never like 259 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:10.261 what everybody else is reading." 260 00:13:10.261 --> 00:13:15.261 Well, we can talk about that and how we can find some books. 261 00:13:15.870 --> 00:13:19.320 It seems like patrons are in three categories. 262 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:22.080 I have the patron that knows exactly what they want 263 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:23.730 and they call me or they email me 264 00:13:23.730 --> 00:13:26.530 and they give me a list of books that they want to read. 265 00:13:27.630 --> 00:13:29.220 I have patrons that ask me 266 00:13:29.220 --> 00:13:31.680 to send them those books on cartridges. 267 00:13:31.680 --> 00:13:35.970 I also sometimes can add wishlist items to patrons 268 00:13:35.970 --> 00:13:38.430 using BARD, so I can remote in 269 00:13:38.430 --> 00:13:41.490 and I can just fill up their wishlist. 270 00:13:41.490 --> 00:13:43.860 So it makes it easy for them to find the book 271 00:13:43.860 --> 00:13:45.780 because it's simply in their wishlist 272 00:13:45.780 --> 00:13:47.910 and they just click to download. 273 00:13:47.910 --> 00:13:49.500 The third group of patrons, 274 00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:52.830 they're open to just trying everything I have in mystery, 275 00:13:52.830 --> 00:13:55.470 short stories, and then we'll go from there. 276 00:13:55.470 --> 00:13:56.940 What I like about all of this, 277 00:13:56.940 --> 00:13:58.920 I think if you were to sum it up, 278 00:13:58.920 --> 00:14:03.030 it's essentially you're meeting people where they are. 279 00:14:03.030 --> 00:14:08.030 So if they are very tech-savvy, then here are your tools, 280 00:14:08.790 --> 00:14:10.890 go enjoy finding things on your own 281 00:14:10.890 --> 00:14:13.860 and of course you can call us if you have questions 282 00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:15.960 about what to read next. 283 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:19.260 And then I love kind of the community aspect too, 284 00:14:19.260 --> 00:14:22.707 where you are taking information from other people 285 00:14:22.707 --> 00:14:26.610 and that informs what you may recommend 286 00:14:26.610 --> 00:14:29.490 to someone else who calls. 287 00:14:29.490 --> 00:14:33.120 One question that we get a lot, it's a subject 288 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:38.120 that comes up over and over again, is that reading, 289 00:14:38.880 --> 00:14:43.880 using audio is such an unfamiliar thing for many people. 290 00:14:45.450 --> 00:14:48.810 They're not accustomed to listening 291 00:14:48.810 --> 00:14:51.960 in order to get their information. 292 00:14:51.960 --> 00:14:56.430 And then on top of that, you have the technology 293 00:14:56.430 --> 00:14:59.400 to access some of this maybe brand new as well, 294 00:14:59.400 --> 00:15:04.110 whether it's the app or the talking book player. 295 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:07.500 And people get just a little bit overwhelmed 296 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:10.590 by finding this new way to read 297 00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:13.080 and then trying to figure out the technology too. 298 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:18.080 Do you have tips for someone who is making that transition 299 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:22.860 from reading in print to this other method? 300 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:24.480 I do. 301 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.940 Not everybody's an auditory learner, 302 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:31.940 and right off the bat I do mention that they're not alone. 303 00:15:32.430 --> 00:15:37.430 And I think it helps to set expectations about the fact 304 00:15:37.650 --> 00:15:42.650 that it may not be easy to transition to listening to books. 305 00:15:42.900 --> 00:15:46.230 But here's where we can equip people with the tools 306 00:15:46.230 --> 00:15:49.680 they need to have success. 307 00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:53.850 First of all, some people prefer a male voice 308 00:15:53.850 --> 00:15:58.850 or they prefer a female voice with the tone changed 309 00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:00.687 and the players allow you to do that, 310 00:16:00.687 --> 00:16:03.090 and so does the app and mobile. 311 00:16:03.090 --> 00:16:04.710 So there's some things we can do. 312 00:16:04.710 --> 00:16:07.410 Sometimes we suggest wearing headphones. 313 00:16:07.410 --> 00:16:10.320 I'm in a assisted living center 314 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:14.490 and I have a roommate and I'm not tracking my book 315 00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:18.120 because there's so much activity with people 316 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:22.020 walking in and out of my room and my roommate talking to me 317 00:16:22.020 --> 00:16:23.580 and the TV going. 318 00:16:23.580 --> 00:16:27.360 So we talk about using headphones at times. 319 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:32.280 And then reducing the stress about the whole process 320 00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:37.280 by saying, well, you know, you can reverse 15 seconds, 321 00:16:37.530 --> 00:16:41.190 a minute, five minutes and start again. 322 00:16:41.190 --> 00:16:45.300 If you've lost the pace of the book and the storyline, 323 00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:46.740 you can go back. 324 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:50.610 But just knowing, I think just telling people, 325 00:16:50.610 --> 00:16:51.960 yeah, this is natural. 326 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.250 You're not alone. 327 00:16:53.250 --> 00:16:55.440 A lot of people struggle with this 328 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.770 because they're just not auditory learners. 329 00:16:58.770 --> 00:17:00.630 They were visual learners, 330 00:17:00.630 --> 00:17:05.630 and it takes time to adjust to auditory. 331 00:17:05.790 --> 00:17:10.260 What my example is, when you asked for directions, 332 00:17:10.260 --> 00:17:13.020 when someone told you what you needed to do, 333 00:17:13.020 --> 00:17:15.720 did you walk away from that person thinking 334 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.180 I have no idea what they just said to me? 335 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:21.660 Or did you go back and say, we need to write this down 336 00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:23.550 because I'll never remember this 337 00:17:23.550 --> 00:17:25.920 if we don't write this down? 338 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.720 Well, there's a tip for you that you're a visual person. 339 00:17:29.850 --> 00:17:31.770 It's going to take you some time 340 00:17:31.770 --> 00:17:35.910 to adjust to listening to the audiobook 341 00:17:35.910 --> 00:17:38.610 and focusing on the words that are being said 342 00:17:38.610 --> 00:17:40.290 and the storyline. 343 00:17:40.290 --> 00:17:44.310 And some people find a very happy balance between cooking 344 00:17:44.310 --> 00:17:48.780 and listening or between crocheting and listening 345 00:17:48.780 --> 00:17:52.110 or sewing and listening or whatever it is 346 00:17:52.110 --> 00:17:53.310 that they're doing. 347 00:17:53.310 --> 00:17:55.110 They are actively listening 348 00:17:55.110 --> 00:17:58.140 while also not necessarily shutting out 349 00:17:58.140 --> 00:18:01.511 the world around them, but they find a balance. 350 00:18:01.511 --> 00:18:03.840 I think a lot of people are afraid to admit 351 00:18:03.840 --> 00:18:07.410 that the audiobooks are hard for them to listen to. 352 00:18:07.410 --> 00:18:11.670 We have the way to exclude accents. 353 00:18:11.670 --> 00:18:15.030 So if someone says, well, I loved that mystery series 354 00:18:15.030 --> 00:18:19.950 but I had a really hard time understanding the narrator. 355 00:18:19.950 --> 00:18:21.960 Well, we can work to make sure 356 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:26.730 that the narrators that narrate the books they want to read 357 00:18:26.730 --> 00:18:28.590 do not have an accent. 358 00:18:28.590 --> 00:18:32.370 If they say to us that they were really upset 359 00:18:32.370 --> 00:18:36.000 by something they heard in a book, well then we can switch 360 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.670 and only provide them with rated books. 361 00:18:38.670 --> 00:18:42.600 The National Library Service has unrated and rated books, 362 00:18:42.600 --> 00:18:44.610 and it's just what's happening, 363 00:18:44.610 --> 00:18:46.702 but a lot of commercial publishers 364 00:18:46.702 --> 00:18:50.490 are providing audiobooks that are not rated. 365 00:18:50.490 --> 00:18:52.800 And so we don't really know what's in them. 366 00:18:52.800 --> 00:18:54.750 Sometimes you can guess what's in them 367 00:18:54.750 --> 00:18:57.240 based on the author who's written the book, 368 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:59.280 but if someone is really sensitive 369 00:18:59.280 --> 00:19:01.020 to what they hear in the books, 370 00:19:01.020 --> 00:19:03.210 then we can just limit the list of books 371 00:19:03.210 --> 00:19:05.610 that we send them to rated books, 372 00:19:05.610 --> 00:19:09.360 and we can then exclude books with strong language 373 00:19:09.360 --> 00:19:12.150 or strong violence in that kind of content. 374 00:19:12.150 --> 00:19:14.610 So that they know when they receive the books 375 00:19:14.610 --> 00:19:16.950 that it's something they want to listen to. 376 00:19:16.950 --> 00:19:19.380 Another strategy to help with folks 377 00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:21.600 who are new to listening to books is 378 00:19:21.600 --> 00:19:25.920 not to send them "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, 379 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:28.470 but to send them something shorter, 380 00:19:28.470 --> 00:19:32.130 like perhaps a series of short stories. 381 00:19:32.130 --> 00:19:34.770 And then some people when they don't know what to read, 382 00:19:34.770 --> 00:19:37.020 sometimes we talk about what they liked to read 383 00:19:37.020 --> 00:19:38.340 when they were young. 384 00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:41.980 And a lot of times people say, "Yeah, I would really love 385 00:19:42.889 --> 00:19:44.490 to reread 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' 386 00:19:44.490 --> 00:19:48.420 or 'The Red Pony' by John Steinbeck," you name it. 387 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:51.360 Sometimes we just start with something they know 388 00:19:51.360 --> 00:19:53.760 and that really helps them sort of adjust 389 00:19:53.760 --> 00:19:56.700 because they have a timeline 390 00:19:56.700 --> 00:20:00.990 and they have a visual in their mind for that story already. 391 00:20:00.990 --> 00:20:02.700 So that's a really good way 392 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:06.210 to acclimate someone to audiobooks. 393 00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:09.390 Wow, that's such a great tip for transitioning. 394 00:20:09.390 --> 00:20:12.060 To take something that you're already familiar with 395 00:20:12.060 --> 00:20:14.340 or to just break it into chunks. 396 00:20:14.340 --> 00:20:18.060 I find that I do this when I'm traveling 397 00:20:18.060 --> 00:20:20.460 and the world is a little bit frenetic 398 00:20:20.460 --> 00:20:23.823 and I know that I am going to keep getting interrupted with, 399 00:20:24.660 --> 00:20:28.560 I have to change planes or whatever, short stories are great 400 00:20:28.560 --> 00:20:31.050 because you can come back to them 401 00:20:31.050 --> 00:20:33.630 and you haven't lost a lot of time, 402 00:20:33.630 --> 00:20:37.560 or it's a little easier to pick up than like you said, 403 00:20:37.560 --> 00:20:39.480 something like "War and Peace." 404 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:43.260 So it really does sound like there are so many options 405 00:20:43.260 --> 00:20:47.910 for people to jump back into reading 406 00:20:47.910 --> 00:20:50.670 if it's something that they are missing. 407 00:20:50.670 --> 00:20:54.097 It's so heartbreaking when we hear people say, 408 00:20:54.097 --> 00:20:58.740 "I am losing my vision and I loved to read, 409 00:20:58.740 --> 00:21:01.500 but I guess this is something that I just am not going 410 00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:04.110 to be able to do anymore." 411 00:21:04.110 --> 00:21:05.850 Thankfully, we can tell them, 412 00:21:05.850 --> 00:21:09.510 no, that is not something you have to give up. 413 00:21:09.510 --> 00:21:14.490 If you didn't read before and you want to, now you can. 414 00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:19.490 So I think it's evident that both of us are so very thankful 415 00:21:20.100 --> 00:21:24.540 and passionate about NLS and what it can provide to people. 416 00:21:24.540 --> 00:21:27.330 I feel like we've just really scratched the surface though, 417 00:21:27.330 --> 00:21:31.560 about what NLS does have to offer, 418 00:21:31.560 --> 00:21:34.680 so I'm wondering if you have any final thoughts, 419 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.580 any things that you want to leave people with 420 00:21:38.580 --> 00:21:41.421 that they should know about this service? 421 00:21:41.421 --> 00:21:43.290 You have a person you can call 422 00:21:43.290 --> 00:21:47.850 and talk to at your advisory and Outreach Center, 423 00:21:47.850 --> 00:21:52.850 but you also have NLS directly has programs with patrons 424 00:21:53.070 --> 00:21:56.460 and they have a quarterly and monthly program 425 00:21:56.460 --> 00:21:59.970 and LISTSERV that are available for their patrons. 426 00:21:59.970 --> 00:22:03.510 The quarterly program is called The Patron Corner, 427 00:22:03.510 --> 00:22:06.240 and it's a virtual meeting and it's an opportunity 428 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:10.500 for patrons to ask NLS staff directly questions 429 00:22:10.500 --> 00:22:13.470 and listen to other questions other people have. 430 00:22:13.470 --> 00:22:18.470 They also have the monthly Many Faces of BARD meeting 431 00:22:18.660 --> 00:22:23.660 that allows folks to learn about BARD topics in BARD, 432 00:22:24.030 --> 00:22:27.030 the future of BARD, and ask questions 433 00:22:27.030 --> 00:22:30.300 directly from the NLS staff. 434 00:22:30.300 --> 00:22:33.930 As a referral institution the public libraries 435 00:22:33.930 --> 00:22:37.080 across the country should be thanked. 436 00:22:37.080 --> 00:22:38.850 We appreciate them so much. 437 00:22:38.850 --> 00:22:43.350 They are the primary referring agencies for people 438 00:22:43.350 --> 00:22:47.100 who walk up to the circulation desk at their local library 439 00:22:47.100 --> 00:22:50.647 because that's where they used to read and say, 440 00:22:50.647 --> 00:22:54.090 "Where's your large print? Or where are your audiobooks?" 441 00:22:54.090 --> 00:22:56.068 And the public libraries, 442 00:22:56.068 --> 00:23:00.720 they often mention their collections of audiobooks, 443 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:03.870 which are usually on CD, and they usually mention 444 00:23:03.870 --> 00:23:05.220 their large print books, 445 00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:09.153 but most times they suggest their Libby app. 446 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:13.890 All across the country there might be a variety of ebook 447 00:23:13.890 --> 00:23:15.360 and audiobook providers 448 00:23:15.360 --> 00:23:19.507 working with your local public library, but they mention, 449 00:23:19.507 --> 00:23:20.730 "We've got this." 450 00:23:20.730 --> 00:23:23.463 So they've got some great tools themselves. 451 00:23:24.360 --> 00:23:26.040 But the public libraries, I don't know 452 00:23:26.040 --> 00:23:29.280 what we would do without them because they are the ones 453 00:23:29.280 --> 00:23:32.490 that connect us to people who are struggling. 454 00:23:32.490 --> 00:23:36.780 And you asked earlier about people who are unable to read 455 00:23:36.780 --> 00:23:38.557 like they used to and think, 456 00:23:38.557 --> 00:23:41.640 "Well, I can read with a magnifying glass, 457 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:43.110 I don't need the service." 458 00:23:43.110 --> 00:23:45.157 But if you ask that person the question of, 459 00:23:45.157 --> 00:23:47.850 "Can you read as long as you used to read? 460 00:23:47.850 --> 00:23:51.570 Are you able to get as far as you used to read?" 461 00:23:51.570 --> 00:23:53.640 And usually I get the answer of, "No. 462 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:56.103 I used to read all night long and now, 463 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:00.510 oh, I can only read for an hour. 464 00:24:00.510 --> 00:24:02.820 But that's okay, I can still read." 465 00:24:02.820 --> 00:24:06.720 But the key point is can you read like you used to? 466 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:08.670 Even if you have a magnifying glass, 467 00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:10.590 and even if you're using large print, 468 00:24:10.590 --> 00:24:13.770 can you really read like you used to read? 469 00:24:13.770 --> 00:24:17.040 If the answer's no, well then please call us. 470 00:24:17.040 --> 00:24:17.873 I love that. 471 00:24:17.873 --> 00:24:22.260 Just putting people in touch with that material in a way 472 00:24:22.260 --> 00:24:25.260 that again, becomes comfortable. 473 00:24:25.260 --> 00:24:27.540 You don't want reading to be a struggle. 474 00:24:27.540 --> 00:24:29.040 Reading is a joy. 475 00:24:29.040 --> 00:24:32.160 And anything that we can do to put people in touch 476 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:36.780 with resources that let them do that, we are all about that. 477 00:24:36.780 --> 00:24:41.190 Tonia, thank you so much for sharing about NLS 478 00:24:41.190 --> 00:24:44.730 and what you do to help your patrons 479 00:24:44.730 --> 00:24:47.520 and just the things that are available. 480 00:24:47.520 --> 00:24:51.450 Hadley does have a monthly discussion group called Book Nook 481 00:24:51.450 --> 00:24:56.010 where bookworms get together and talk about various topics 482 00:24:56.010 --> 00:25:01.010 related to reading, and if you have questions about NLS 483 00:25:02.370 --> 00:25:05.400 or if you'd like help filling out that application, 484 00:25:05.400 --> 00:25:06.900 please do call us at Hadley. 485 00:25:06.900 --> 00:25:08.400 We're happy to help. 486 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:12.270 And if you happen to be in Tonia's neck of the woods 487 00:25:12.270 --> 00:25:15.030 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 488 00:25:15.030 --> 00:25:17.130 then contact that library. 489 00:25:17.130 --> 00:25:21.150 If not, we'll help you get in touch with your local branch. 490 00:25:21.150 --> 00:25:23.280 Thank you again, Tonia, for stopping by. 491 00:25:23.280 --> 00:25:26.640 It's been such a pleasure and so informative. 492 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.140 Thank you for having me, Ricky. 493 00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:30.150 I really appreciate the opportunity to talk 494 00:25:30.150 --> 00:25:31.323 about this service. 495 00:25:32.430 --> 00:25:34.110 Got something to say? 496 00:25:34.110 --> 00:25:37.560 Share your thoughts about this episode of "Hadley Presents," 497 00:25:37.560 --> 00:25:40.170 or make suggestions for future episodes. 498 00:25:40.170 --> 00:25:41.880 We'd love to hear from you. 499 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:46.860 Send us an email at podcast@hadleyhelps.org. 500 00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:51.860 That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T@hadleyhelps.O-R-G 501 00:25:53.370 --> 00:25:58.110 or leave us a message at 847-784-2870. 502 00:26:00.300 --> 00:26:01.413 Thanks for listening.