Technology User Group Meeting: December 11

 On Saturday, December 11, the Technology User Group will showcase the five best new apps to debut in 2021, as well as look forward into 2022 to highlight upcoming trends and the tech that will be disappearing. Have you discovered a smartphone app that you enjoy? Feel free to share information about the app with all of us.

The presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling 319- 527-4994. You do not have to RSVP for this event. The presentation will begin at 10 AM and last about 60 minutes.

We look forward to meeting with you virtually on Saturday, December 11, and hope that you will join us for other exciting events we have planned for 2022 and beyond.

If you would like to listen to previous TUG recordings, please click here:

https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Technology%20User%2

0Group.aspx

Upcoming TUG Programs:

• Saturday, January 8, 10 AM, AudioJack
• Saturday, February 12, 10 AM, Getting the Most from your NLS E-Reader.

Follow the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

(LBPD) on:

• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPD/
• On Twitter at https://twitter.com/MDLBPD
• On our blog at https://mdlbpd.blogspot.com/

And our website at www.lbph.maryland.gov For more information about the Technology User Group, please contact Jerry Price at (410) 230-2446 or via email at assistive.technology@maryland.gov.

Survey: Adutl Events at Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

Survey: Adult Event @ LBPD

Contributed by: Ashley Biggs, Marketing & Outreach Librarian

Please excuse any cross-posting; please feel free to share with your community. 

I would like to thank you for participating in the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled Adult events in 2021. 

We would appreciate your feedback. If you would, please fill out this survey (https://forms.gle/qf2TbFTjqFje4tsL6) by December 10th. 

If you have any questions, please email me directly.

Ashley

 Marylandia: November 2021

Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian

Look no further for your family’s new favorite bedtime story!

Growing Up

DBC 12513 – How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, narrated by Gavin Bahmani

Substituting children for dinosaurs, Jane Yolen explores a world where dinosaurs are animated and with nightly routines.  These anthropomorphized reptilians (a cast of 10) run the spectrum of different species, from the Pteranodon to the Stegosaurus.  Composed of familiar bedtime scenes, it’s the perfect book to read and share with your child right before they go to sleep.  With delightfully and humorously drawn illustrations that never grow tiresome or ordinary, it will instantly become one of your child’s favorites on its way to becoming a classic.

MAT Program: Program Information

 

MAT Program: Program Information

Contributed by Joseph Beckett, Program Coordinator for MAT

After an uncertain 2020 academic year, from which the Maryland Accessible Textbook program (MAT) experienced its lowest student count in nearly eight years, 2021 was a welcomed relief. At the start of the 2021 fall semester, there was a predicted increase in the number of print-disabled students receiving MAT services. This is exciting, and the MAT team appreciates Johns Hopkins, Morgan State University, University of Maryland, PGCC, BCCC, Stevenson, and CCBC for leading the charge. As we approach the second semester we look forward to serving even more colleges and their print-disabled students. 

To provide your college students a more level playing field, please consider using the free textbook accessibility services offered by the Maryland Accessible Textbook program. 

If interested in learning more about the MAT program see the Maryland State Library website or email: joseph.beckett@maryland.gov.  

The Night Kitchen Podcast: Compliments from the Chef

The Night Kitchen PodCast: 

Contributed by Josh Urban, Host

Hey there, folks!  Josh Urban here, host of The Night Kitchen Podcast.  I hope you enjoyed Season One as much as I did!  (In case you missed it, check it out here.)  Nothing winds me up like presenting the entire universe!  For most of us, though, space is easy to overlook.  If we’re reasonable, we’re asleep when the stars are shining bright, and if you’re like many in the audience, perhaps you’re blind.  I wanted to talk to you about that for a minute.  

 I went for a walk to the river today.  The leaves blew in a warm November breeze, and a clear blue sky smiled down.  It was beautiful...and absolutely useless for visual astronomy.  No stars could be seen, no planets to study, and the distant galaxies we talk about on the show would have to wait many hours till dark to appear (if the clouds cooperate.)  Yet there I was, thinking about Space, imagining faraway worlds, mysterious planets still undiscovered, glittering starfields, and strange places where clocks tick so slowly, time itself seems to have stopped.  

 When I tell people about our show and the fun we have thinking about Space, they seem puzzled at first.  “Blind astronomy?” they ask.  Then I tell them stories about radio astronomy, sonification, and most importantly, how we use our minds.  Plus, much of the stuff studied can’t be seen anyway.  (The same goes for electricity, right?)  So, this beautiful autumn day when I can’t see any stars is an excellent example of how anyone can let their imaginations travel to the most distant corners of the cosmos.  All that’s left for us to do is...use it!  (But, I suspect you already knew that.  Right on.)  

I hope this show's season has not only been fun to listen to but has made you want to learn more about space.  There are entire worlds out there and some of the most puzzling mysteries to unravel.  We could use your help.  Not only can you be part of this, but your unique perspective is also welcomed and valued.  Put on that thinking cap, and let’s go exploring!  

Until next time,

• Josh  

Say hello!  Write Josh at JoshUrban@ProtonMail.com, and listen in at The Night Kitchen show page.  

 

Guest Post: History's Mysteries: The Americas Before Europeans

History’s Mysteries: The Americas Before Europeans

Join us on Zoom: Wednesday, November 17, 2021,

1:00-2:30 pm

Were the Cultures of Native Americans really without cities, science,

religion, or innovation? This program will help dispel misconceptions

about the Americas before Europeans arrived.

Companion reading from BARD:

1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus DB61198

Mann, Charles C. Reading time: 16 hours, 28 minutes.

Register Here or call 1-888-388-2460 to register

Director's Corner: Listserv Upgrade on November 15

Director's Corner: 

Listserv Upgrade on November 15

Contributed by John Owen, Director

 

On behalf of the LBPD listserv manager:

As a Sailor mailing listserv (@lists.sailor.lib.md.us) subscriber, you are receiving this email as notification that the Sailor mailing listserv server will be upgraded on Monday, November 15, 2021. The upgrade will start at 8 am, the process will take approximately less than 1 hour, and there is no downtime expected during the upgrade.

After the upgrade is complete you can expect to see some new features, including:

• Keep listserv emails out of junk and spam folders through additional validation and safety checks.
• Improved system security and quality. The upgrade will bring the server and mailing platform to the latest version.

Please note the following changes:

The name of the listserv group will no longer be listed as a prefix on the email subject line. 

Current email subject line:

[Listserv Name] + <email subject line>

After upgrade the email subject line will be:

Email subject line only

For example, if an email is posted to the LBPD listserv with the subject line “Upcoming Program”, the current subject line is “[LBPD] Upcoming Program”. After the upgrade, the subject line will be “Upcoming Program”.

A confirmation email will be sent out once the upgrade is complete. This email address is not monitored, please do not respond to this email.

Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Sailor Operations Center

 Guest Post: The Blind History Lady
Before it was NLS

Hello Blind History Lady Fans:

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the National Library Service for the Blind. But how did national library services for the blind get started years before? 

November 1, 1897, the first Reading Room for the Blind was opened in the Northwest corner on the first floor of what is today called the Thomas Jefferson Building. The woman credited for putting the idea into the Librarians mind is Helen Marr Campbell. Here is how Helen convinced the librarian to include the blind.   

After leaving the Maryland School for the Blind, Helen moved to Washington D. C., and taught music. She took rooms with Catherine Keith and her father.

Catherine Keith edited a newsletter for the blind called the “Scrap Basket”. Catherine collected articles, then Helen and other blind women transcribed by hand, several copies into braille and New York Point. The newsletter was circulated among the blind, passed from one to another. 

Helen met Alice Underwood-Hunt, the second wife of the Governor of Colorado, the late Alexander Cameron Hunt. Mrs. Hunt asked the blind pianist to come stay with her during the summer of 1897. 

A new building was being erected to hold the library of Congress, scheduled to open in late fall of 1897. While talking with Mrs. Hunt about the new building in the news, Helen told of the difficulty the blind had in the country to obtain any reading material as an adult, and  there was no place to quietly read.

“The deaf and the dumb have their college. There are hospitals for the sick and insane, and a home for the district’s paupers. But no provision of any kind has been made by anybody for the betterment of the condition of the blind.” Helen explained.

“One of our great sources of sorrow, has been that we have had no chance of others of equal education. Of course, we have a right to go to the Congressional Library and sit down in the public rooms with our books. But fingers reading naturally calls around us a crowd of spectators who ask idle and curious questions that – hurt. We are always grateful for sympathy, but only the blind can know how many hours of sadness are inflicted by thoughtless people who see.”  

Mrs. Hunt listened to what Helen said. Sighted people read every day, either a newspaper, signage in a business, letters from friends, their bible or devotional material. Those such as Helen, taught to read in school, with access to reading material that brought the world to them, found themselves, after leaving the schools for the blind, starved for literacy.

Alice Hunt called in-person the next day to the Librarian, and asked Mr. Young to talk with Helen. Mr. Young exchanged several letters with Helen excited to start a reading room for the blind, and asking to learn more about the needs of the blind.

In her letters she said: “We go out into the world with little or rather no opportunity for reading since our books are very expensive and most of us are not able to procure them.” The letter went on, “Now I ask you, in the name of humanity, only to think for one moment, what your conditions would be were you deprived of the blessed delight of reading-and remember the blind in the forming of your great library.” 

The two met in the middle of September in person. Helen brought several prominent blind citizens along with her to his offices to discuss plans. They thanked him for making the literacy of the blind just as important as the sighted in the country. 

On November1, 1897, the library had its grand opening.  The Reading Room for the blind, in the basement was ready for its patrons. Special shelves were built to house the oversized books and materials. A screen allowed for private reading, away from the curious sighted patrons. Tables and chairs were spaciously placed around the room to allow for quiet reading as well as a volunteer reading to a group. Thicker paper and writing devices such as a slate and stylus were placed in the reading room for blind persons to write letters to other blind persons. It also meant that if a blind patron or volunteer who knew one of the raised codes, could also write a letter or card from the sighted guest to a blind person. Later, typewriters were added.

Originally, the library was to be on the main floor. However, many stairs led up to the main floor from the street. Fewer stairs led to the basement and officials felt that fewer stairs would be preferable to the blind. 

The library opened with several books in Braille, Moon Type, and New York Point, about 500 volumes. The books included an eight-volume Bible, books by Dickens, an encyclopedia, the Eneid, Books in Latin, poetry and musical scores. 

Just as she had before November of 1897 at other libraries around the district, Helen spent a lot of time at the Reading Room for the Blind in the Library of Congress. She read what there was, but also assisted newly blinded patrons in learning how to read and write in one of the raised formats available. Many believed that Helen was one of the “elite” blind in D. C. as she had an education, was literate and conducted her music teaching business enough to support herself with comfort. 

Visitors from across the country and around the world came to visit the reading room. Some were curious sighted individuals. Others were the well-educated blind with no library services in their community.

Helen got to know Col. Edward F. Jones, a former Lieutenant Governor of New York who lost his sight later in life. He came to the Reading Room and learned to read and write in New York Point. The Blind Chaplin of the House of Representatives, Rev. Henry N. Couden came to read from the religious material. 

One blind man, a piano tuner by trade many times visited the library, just to warm up in the winter. The blind patrons and the librarian took him under their wing. They taught him to read and write, dress better and built up his self-respect. After many visits to the library, his piano tuning business grew. 

Helen not only contributed her own New York Point material to the library, but helped raise funds for the purchase of additional material for the reading room such as magazine subscriptions in alternative formats, raised line maps and books. 

Often Helen performed for the one-hour concerts on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 at the Reading Room. Her technique on the piano was considered to be superb. Her voice was strong, sweet and conveyed much emotion, bringing in not just blind patrons of the library, but sighted ones as well. When the performance began, the doors to the reading room were closed and no one was allowed to enter or leave until the end of the performance.  

If you would like to schedule a presentation contact me at theblindhistorylady@gmail.com

You can read more of my Books at  https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24325

Collection Highlights: November 2021

 

Collection Highlights: Foreign Language Materials

Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian

November 2021

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, check out some of our holiday titles, available for all ages!

Grades P-2

DB 61432 – Thanksgiving Day, by Anne F. Rockwell

After their teacher, Mrs. Madoff, reads a story about the first Thanksgiving,

the class acts out the story in a play.

DB 101004 – How to Catch a Turkey : How to Catch, Book 7, by Adam Wallace

Chaos ensues as students turn their school upside down trying to

catch the turkey that is running loose in the halls right before their Thanksgiving play. 

Grades K-3

BR 18965 – Fluffy's Thanksgiving : Fluffy, the Classroom Guinea Pig, by Kate McMullan

After starring as an ear of corn in his school's Thanksgiving play,

the classroom guinea pig enjoys his holiday at Maxwell's home, where he scares

Grammy and battles a monster.

DB 75815 – Balloons over Broadway : The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, by Melissa Sweet

Recounts the history of the giant helium-filled character balloons that float

every year since 1928 in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Discusses Tony Sarg's love for puppets, which set the stage for his creations.

DBC 06028 – Thank you, Sarah : The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Relates how Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, persuaded President

Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday.

Grades 2-4

BR 13495 ; DB 21685 – Molly's Pilgrim, by Barbara Cohen

Molly is an immigrant Jewish girl from Russia. Molly's mother helps her make a Pilgrim doll for a Thanksgiving school assignment, but dresses it as she dressed in Russia before fleeing religious persecution. Molly is at first embarrassed about the doll, but learns there are many kinds of pilgrims.

DB 61393 – Lenny and Mel, by Erik Kraft

Twin brothers Lenny and Mel celebrate holidays in some unusual ways.

After eating Thanksgiving turkey for a week, the boys put the remains under

Mel's pillow for the Leftover Fairy to exchange for money. 

DB 77710 – The Turkeys' Side of It : Adam Joshua's Thanksgiving : Adam Joshua Capers,

Book 7, by Janice Lee Smith

Disappointed at being cast as a turkey in the school Thanksgiving play with his friend Nelson,

Adam Joshua and the rest of the kids cast as food figure out a way to make the best of it.

Grades 3-6

DB 09773 – An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, by Louisa May Alcott

A warm Thanksgiving tale with a surprise ending. The seven Bassett children decide to prepare

Thanksgiving dinner themselves after their parents leave suddenly to care for an ailing grandmother.

Includes recipes from the dinner.

DB 34496 – Wild Turkey, Tame Turkey, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

The turkey that has become a symbol of Thanksgiving is a big, dumb creature, but only as a result of domestication. The wild turkey is an intelligent, cunning, powerful bird whom Benjamin Franklin preferred over the bald eagle as a symbol of our nation. The author examines the history of the native North American turkey and compares it with its domesticated cousin. She also discusses the welfare of both populations.

Adult

BR 18840 ; DB 70312 – A Quilter's Holiday : Elm Creek Quilts, Book 15, by Jennifer Chiaverini

The quilters of Elm Creek begin a Thanksgiving project to represent appreciation and

gratitude for all of life's blessings. Meanwhile, Sarah waits for the birth of her twins,

newcomer Anna hopes her friendship with Jeremy evolves, and a blizzard blankets the area.

BR 20557 ; DB 66731 – Still Life : Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1, by Louise Penny

Shortly after elderly Jane Neal finally agrees to participate in the art show to

be held in her small village outside of Montreal, she is killed by an arrow through the heart.

As Chief Inspector Gamache investigates, he wonders if her unusual artwork provides a clue

to her murder.

DB 63690 – Thanksgiving, by Janet Evanovich

Williamsburg, Virginia. A chance encounter with a wayward pet rabbit introduces

potter Megan Murphy to the animal's owner, pediatrician Patrick Hunter. Megan and

Patrick become unlikely guardians of an abandoned infant, and as Thanksgiving approaches,

the pair contemplates making their makeshift family legitimate.

Collection Highlights: Native American Heritage Month

 

Collection Highlights: Native American Heritage Month

Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian

Join us in celebrating Native American Heritage Month by checking out some of the books below!

Children’s

BR 22441 ; DB 101829 – We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, by Traci Sorell

Citizen of the Cherokee Nation provides a glimpse of modern Native American life through a Cherokee family and their tribal nation. They express thanks for celebrations big and small throughout the year as seasons change.

DB 102650 – Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, by Cynthia Leitich Smith

An award-winning author compiles an anthology of intersecting Indigenous stories and poems written by Joseph Bruchac, Christine Day, Eric Gansworth, Carole Lindstrom, Rebecca Roanhorse, Traci Sorell, Tim Tingle, and more.

Young Adult

DB 102762 – Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley

Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug.

Contemporary

DB 102680 – The Removed, by Brandon Hobson

As National Cherokee Day approaches, the Echota family still grieves their teenage son, Ray-Ray, who was killed in a police shooting fifteen years ago. The mother, Maria, is dealing with the onset of Alzheimer's in her husband, Ernest. Meanwhile both surviving children face struggles of their own.

Horror

DB 104847 – My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones

In a quickly gentrifying rural town, tourists begin to die, and the tension between the community and the celebrity newcomers heads to a tipping point. Protected by her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films, Jade, of Blackfoot descent, hopes it is enough to help her survive.

Fantasy

DB 92041 – Trail of Lightning, by Rebecca Roanhorse

In the wake of climate disaster, much of the world is underwater, but the Navajo reservation, or Dinétah, still stands thanks to their magic. Maggie Hoskie is a monster hunter looking for a supernatural killer who gets help from Kai, an unconventional medicine man.

Non-Fiction

BR 23447 ; DB 101203 – Iwígara : American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science, by Enrique Salmón

Ethnobotanist profiles plants used by Native Americans to illustrate the concept of iwígara which is that all life--spiritual and physical--interconnects in a cyclical nature and everything and everyone is related. Profiles include where to find the plants, which parts to use, common uses, and health benefits and warnings. 

DB 93988 – The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee : Native America from 1890 to the Present, by David Treuer

A history of Native Americans, beginning with the 1890 massacre of Sioux at Wounded Knee and continuing up through the early twenty-first century. An Ojibwe Indian himself, the author discusses the treatment of Native Americans by the government.

Historical Fiction

BR 23078 ; DB 98896 – The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich

1953. Chippewa Council member Thomas Wazhashk tries to balance the demands of his job as a night watchman at the new jewel bearing plant outside the Turtle Mountain reservation and monitoring the consequences of the bill purporting emancipation for Native American tribes wending its way through Congress.