Director's Corner: NLS Starting New Patron Corner Program

 

Director's Corner: 

NLS Starting New Patron Corner Program

Contributed by John Owen, Director

NLS is starting a new Patron Corner program.  The first one is on June 13 at 7 PM on Zoom.  Here's an excerpt with the relevant info from the Library of Congress Daily Digest Bulletin:   The program will be interactive, last for one hour, and have a designated topic of discussion. The topic for the June 13 session is Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Collection Selection, but Did Not Have the Vehicle to Ask. Our guests will be members of the Collections Division at NLS who are responsible for selecting the books in the NLS collection. Bring your questions and your thoughts about the NLS collection and join us at https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1600983343?pwd=VW9tRWtwY3BsdHRac0s2MmJkN0RCZz09. Meeting ID:     160 098 3343  and Passcode:   164674

You can subscribe to this bulletin and other Library of Congress content at https://loc.gov/subscribe/.  

Director's Corner: Postal Delays and Postal Visits

 

Director's Corner: 

Postal Delays and Postal Visits

Contributed by John Owen, Director

To all of our patrons, families and stakeholders, 

The staff of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) thank you for using our service and we thank you for letting us know how it impacts your lives each day, both what is working well and the challenges you face.  We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you. 

 

Over the last two months, we have heard from many of you about delays in delivery of the materials you borrow from the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD).  Our staff have shared your frustration and have worked to resolve the issue by sending extra materials, following up with postal carriers, and listening and documenting your experiences to get a better picture of this latest challenge. 

Recently, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the United States Postal Service began an investigation into the treatment of Free Matter for the Blind.  They spoke with staff from our LBPD as well as members and staff of the National Federation of the Blind.  On March 16, a team from the OIG visited our library, looked at our processes and the mail delivery, and went to the postal facility to observe how mail is sorted from there.  The OIG will produce a report based on their investigation.  

Although it is early in the process, we were encouraged by the team's diligence as well as a larger number of materials returned to us than we have seen in several weeks.  This means that the materials you return are getting back to us.  We also have heard from some of you that books that you have waited for a long time are starting to arrive.  

Please continue to contact the library if you continue to have issues with mail delivery so that we can continue to give the OIG the best information about where problems are occurring.  Also feel free to let us know that you are getting materials, especially if you had previously contacted us about delays.  You can reach us at 410-230-2443 or reference.desk@maryland.gov.  

Also, please return materials that you have finished reading.  Returning materials in a timely way ensures that new books are sent to you.  We hope that this challenge with mail delays is moving into the past as the OIG sheds light on this issue, but LBPD will continue to keep consistent mail delivery for all people at the forefront of our work.  

Free Matter for the Blind

Free Matter for the Blind or other Physically Handicapped Persons (Free Matter) is a program provided under Title 39 of the US Code § 3403. By law, the Postal Service is required to offer free mailing to people who are blind and cannot read or use conventional printed material because of a physical impairment. The Postal Service is reimbursed for the cost of Free Matter through congressional appropriations every year. The objective of the audit is to review Postal Service procedures for the acceptance, handling, and delivery of Free Matter.

Director's Corner: Wrapping up 2021

Director's Corner: 

Wrapping up 2021

Contributed by John Owen, Director

This has been a tough year.  Let's just put that upfront.  More than most years, any successes were truly earned through flexibility, resilience, and creativity.  But I don't put the metaphorical pen to paper here to give difficulties any more space than needed.  I want to share what we have overcome together.  

At the beginning of 2021, we were just launching Books on Demand with a handful of patrons on a pilot.  Here at the beginning of 2022, 70% of the books we sent out in December 2021 alone were through Books on Demand.  Overall Books on Demand and BARD accounted for over 60% of our total circulation.   Along with the increase in digital content in both audio and braille, we continue to circulate printed braille and large print materials, and we've seen more books in all formats circulated in 2021 than in the five years.   In addition, we have over 70 patrons using Bookshare memberships through our library.  You, our patrons, have taken advantage of new ways to get the materials you need through our library and open access for yourselves.  Our staff has been working to make sure that you get the books you need, answering your calls for requests, questions, troubleshooting, and sometimes just talking about books and life.  We are optimizing our cataloging and your preferences to make sure that you get the books you want.  

You may have also enjoyed a Technology User Group program or a healthy living program through the University of Maryland Extension.  You may have connected with through programs sponsored by the International Spy Museum or Peabody Conservatory or learned about the marimba through a program for Hispanic Heritage Month.  You may have completed the Summer Reading Challenge and attended online events by the Aquarium or Turtle Dance Music.  You may have talked with or heard our staff speak at conferences or outreach events, both in-person and online.  If you missed any of these and wished you'd been there, please keep checking our website and subscribe to our listserv to find out what new and innovative programming we'll be doing in 2022.  

Are you a college student here in the state of Maryland?  I hope that you are connecting with your Disability Student Services staff on campus and asking them about the Maryland Accessible Textbook Program.  Our MAT team has been fulfilling textbook conversion requests throughout the year, working to help you succeed as students.

The Clyde Shallenberger Recording Studio has resumed safe in-person recording of Marylandia books, and also expanded to volunteers recording in home studios.  We have over 200 books uploaded to BARD which are available to you and to people all over the country.

There is so much to tell, but I'll end this message with this:  we will continue to overcome barriers.   Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Call us at 410-230-2443 or email us at reference.desk@maryland.gov.   We will continue to listen to you, respond to your needs and draw alongside you as we walk through 2022. 
--

John W. Owen III Director Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled Maryland State Library Agency 415 Park Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3603  john.owen@maryland.gov  www.lbph.maryland.gov 410-230-2452  (office) 667-209-1560 (cell) Click here to complete a three question customer experience survey.

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

Director's Corner: A Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2021

 

Director's Corner: 

Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Contributed by John Owen, Director

Shared from the WhiteHouse.gov

A Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2021
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
When we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 31 years ago, our Nation moved closer to fulfilling its foundational promise of liberty, justice, dignity, and equality for all.  I was enormously proud to co-sponsor the ADA as a member of the United States Senate — a truly bipartisan effort that was personal to millions of families.  For more than 60 million disabled Americans, the ADA is much more than just a law.  It provides a vital source of opportunity and self-sufficiency, allows for increased economic participation, and serves as a powerful shield against discrimination in the workplace.  National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a chance for us to celebrate workers with disabilities and recommit ourselves to dismantling barriers to access and inclusion in the workplace. 

This year, the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the Department of Labor celebrates 20 years of helping advance opportunity for workers with disabilities across the Nation.  As part of its mission, the agency remains at the forefront of emerging challenges in the workplace, such as developing comprehensive resources to ensure that workers grappling with the long-term effects of COVID-19 have access to the rights and resources they are due under disability law — including flexibilities, tools, and accommodations in the workplace.  

Despite the progress our Nation has made in recent decades, people with disabilities are still too often marginalized and denied access to the American dream.  Americans with disabilities — particularly women and people of color — have faced long-standing gaps in employment, advancement, and income.  The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these inequities, as people with disabilities have faced heightened risks — particularly the disproportionate share of people with disabilities employed in the hardest-hit industries.  Our Nation will never fully recover and rebuild unless every single community — including disabled Americans — is fully included.

My Administration remains focused on ensuring that every single American has the chance to thrive, succeed, and contribute their talents.  That is why I have issued Executive Orders to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to bolster career paths and promote economic stability for Americans with disabilities.  I have proposed eliminating outdated, discriminatory provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act that allow employers to pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage.  Young people with disabilities in particular must be part of an inclusive economic recovery so that they can find the fulfilling careers, apprenticeships, and futures they deserve in every industry; to that end, we must promote the technologies and tools, as well as the attitudes, that foster welcoming work environments for young Americans.  Our Nation’s future will be brighter and more secure when everyone is dealt into the economy we build together. 

All Americans should be proud that we have made substantial progress since the days before the ADA — when an employer could refuse to hire you because of a disability, when a person using a wheelchair could not take a bus or a train to work, and when a person with a disability could be denied service in a restaurant or grocery store.  Now, 31 years later, it is the shared responsibility of all of us to tear down the barriers that remain for people with disabilities and to ensure that all Americans have the chance to find good jobs and build good lives — for themselves and for the good of our entire Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2021 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  I urge all Americans to embrace the talents and skills that workers with disabilities bring to the national recovery and to promote the right to equal employment opportunity for all people. 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

 

Director's Corner: Notice of Public Hearing

Contributed by John Owen, Director

The Maryland State Library Agency's Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 23 at 4:00 PM to review the Internet Filtering Policy for the library.  LBPD provides computer and Internet access for eligible patrons at the library facility located at 415 Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201.

The hearing will be conducted via teleconference. Please call 319-527-4994 to join the hearing.  

The policy is available for review:

1) in full text after the signature block in this post.

3) on the website at marylandlibraries.org

Thank you.

Internet Filtering Policy for LBPD

The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled utilizes third-party filtering software on all Library workstations and devices using the Library’s Wi-Fi network. The Library receives federal funding in support of public Internet access. Federal law requires libraries receiving such funding to install filters (software that blocks access
to Internet material containing visual depictions that are obscene, contain child pornography or are harmful to minors) on its Internet computers. Maryland law 23-506.1 requires that a library adopt and implement policies and procedures to prevent minors from access to obscene materials or child pornography. The law requires that a filter protects against access to material that is:

● Obscene
● Child Pornography
● Harmful to Minors 

Internet sites that pose a threat to the library’s networks or computers are also
blocked, including:
● Malware
● Malicious Software and Actions
● Phishing
● Spyware

The policy of the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled is to provide access to materials available through the Internet while providing reasonable measures to protect minors from exposure to material that may be deemed "obscene" and to protect children from online forums where personal information may be transmitted. Further, the policy of the library is to filter any software that may compromise the security of the network. The Library uses third-party filtering software and firewall protection to accomplish these goals. This policy and the filtering tools are reviewed annually. 

There may be circumstances where a customer is unable to access legitimate resources. At the discretion of the person in charge, filters may be limited (for minors) or disabled (for adults with proper identification). Any concerns or questions about this policy should be directed to the Library Director.

Director's Corner: Update from the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

 Director's Corner

Contributed by John Owen, Director

To all of our patrons, families, and stakeholders,

Governor Hogan has lifted the state of Emergency across the state of Maryland as of July 1.

What does that mean for the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled?

1)  The whole of our staff will be returning to the library building as of July 1.  As you know, we've had a core group of staff members at the library on a daily basis throughout the pandemic making sure books and materials were sent out and returns processed, and we handled our reference desk, programming and other functions remotely.  Now staff that were working remotely will be returning to the library building on a regular schedule.

2)  We are covering our reference desk live once again.  A librarian will be available by phone between 9 AM and 4 PM to take your calls.  If your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message.  Our librarians are on other calls and will get back to you as soon as they can, usually the same day.  And you can continue to email us also.

3)  We anticipate opening for patron visits around July 8.  We have arranged the common areas to allow for safe distancing as necessary.  Computer use will be available, as well as walk-in service for materials.  Please wait for an announcement from us.  

4)  Library hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.  For the next few months, the library building will remain closed on the second Saturday of the month. Look for further news on that scheduling in the future.   

 

4)  If you still prefer, you can use our curbside service to pick up or drop off materials during library hours.  

5)  Technology User Group will continue to meet by teleconference only at the pre-scheduled dates and times.  The format has proved quite successful over the last year with the opportunity for larger attendance of patrons from a wide geographical range. 

6)  Downloads of audiobooks and electronic books are available through BARD any time of day as usual. Bookshare subscribers through our library also have access to that collection too.

You can contact us by calling the reference desk at 410-230-2443 or emailing reference.desk@maryland.gov.  

Please let us know if you have any questions and concerns as we move forward to the next stage of our service.  

Thank you.

John Owen

Director's Corner: New Year!

 

Director's Corner: New Year!

Contributed by John Owen, Director

We hope the new year has started well for you.  LBPD welcomes 2021 with a continuing effort to overcome the peculiar challenges we faced in the past year and deliver excellent customer service to you:  our patrons, your families, and our stakeholders.  Together we’ve weathered these challenges, and we’ve appreciated the opportunity to create and innovate to make sure we are still serving your reading and information needs.  

In the new year, look for:

• An expanded pilot of the Humanware braille e-reader provided to us by NLS.  This compact refreshable braille device provides access to braille books through BARD via a WiFi connection or through files on an NLS digital USB cartridge.  We have already distributed over 110 devices to our patrons.  Those patrons have been testing out the device and offering feedback about the functionality of the braille e-reader.  And in the process, we’ve seen the download of braille materials increase from 219 in July before the pilot to 4,500 book and magazine downloads in November.  Now we want more patrons to take advantage of this increased access to braille.  Contact our reference desk if you are interested in reading braille on one of these devices.  
• Expanding service through Books on Demand (BOD) cartridges.  Assistant Director Mary Ramos talked about this new service in a blog post earlier this month.  We’re working on the ability to customize cartridges with multiple digital audiobooks on them.  With Books on Demand, you will not have to wait for a book you want to become available, and you will be able to read the books in most series on a single cartridge.  Books on Demand makes it easier for you to receive and return materials, too.  We are currently in a pilot phase, but LBPD will eventually be moving all our patrons to this process.  If you would like to be among the first to transition to Books on Demand, please contact our reference desk.  
• A new monthly series of Technology User Group topics.  It starts on Saturday, January 9, at 10 AM as Jerry Price leads you through accessibility in the Microsoft Edge browser and new updates to Windows Narrator and continues on the second Saturday of each month via teleconference.  In the meantime, you can catch up on all the informative TUG programs that you may have missed or want to hear again by listening here. 
• A new monthly series of programs in partnership with the University of Maryland Extension.  After a very successful series of virtual programs in 2020, UME agreed to extend the partnership for 2021.  The first program will be held on January 12.  Read about the whole series and register for these teleconferences here. 
• The fourth annual Beanstack Winter Reading Challenge to kick off the new year.  Join with your fellow patrons and LBPD staff to read 100,000 community minutes between January 1 and January 31.  Register and track your reading at https://marylandlbph.beanstack.org. 

There is more programming in store throughout the year for all of our patrons. 

And we will continue to respond to your telephone and email messages while sending out audiobooks, braille books, and large print materials as we have every day throughout the pandemic.  We are even adding more books to our Marylandia collection, converting textbooks for college students, and teaching our patrons how to navigate their assistive technology and mobile devices as we do in “normal” times.  

Our LBPD building remains closed to the public, following the guidance of the state of Maryland and our concerns for your safety.  We continue to handle materials in a safe and efficient manner.  We have weathered issues with mail service but are confident that, finding ourselves on the other side of some of the busiest seasons for our USPS partners, this situation will improve. 

Yes, we do look forward to being able to open our doors to have you come for events, browse the collection, and attend classes, but in the meantime, keep communicating with us and we will keep reaching out to you.

How to reach us:

• Reference desk by phone at 410-230-2443 or email at reference.desk@maryland.gov
• Website:  www.lbph.maryland.gov
• Blog:  https://mdlbpd.blogspot.com/​​
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPD/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mdlbpd    
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mdlbpd/  

Together we will build communities that flourish through the power of information and literacy so that ALL MAY READ!

Director's Corner: Our New Name!

 

Director's Corner: Library Update, Our New Name

To all of our patrons, caregivers, and stakeholders,

Today is the official day that our library becomes the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD).  We have put aside the phrase "physically handicapped" so that we can better reflect the people and communities we serve in a more inclusive way.   Our new name aligns with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (https://www.loc.gov/nls/) and with the Marrakesh Treaty's language (https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/marrakesh/summary_marrakesh.html).  Our commitment to excellent and creative customer service continues. 

You will notice that the address of this email is different:  lbpd@sailor.lib.md.us (the old email address will no longer be used)

Also, direct access to our library catalog is now at mdlbpd.klas.com.  If you have our catalog directly bookmarked, please update your bookmarks.  You can also access it from the Library Catalog link on our website.

Our website now contains the full new name of our library: https://www.marylandlibraries.org/Pages/Maryland-Library-for-the-Blind-and-Print-Disabled.aspx 

If you had this page bookmarked, you'll need to update the bookmark.  You can still get to this website by typing the shorter https://lbph.maryland.gov into your browser.  It is the old URL for now and continues to redirect.

Here's a reminder of our other communication tools:

 Blog at https://mdlbpd.blogspot.com/

• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPD (@MDLBPD) 
• Twitter at https://twitter.com/MDLBPD  (t@MDLBPD)
• Reference Desk:  410-230-2443 or reference.desk@maryland.gov

Director's Corner: Our New Name!

 

Director's Corner: Library Update, Mail

Contributed by John Owen, Director

Hello to all of our patrons, families, and partners,

On October 1, 2020, our library will change its name to the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD).  The name change is the result of legislation passed in the General Assembly earlier this year to help us better reflect the patrons we serve.  We'll be sharing more information about the name change in the month of October, but we wanted to let you know some of the changes that are in effect even now or over the next week.  

Facebook:  You can access our page at https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPD and use the handle @MDLBPD when referring to us.  This change has been made.

Twitter:  You can access our page at https://twitter.com/MDLBPD  and use the handle  @MDLBPD when referring to us.  This change has been made.

Blog:  You can access our blog at  https://mdlbpd.blogspot.com/ .  This change has been made. 

Listserv:  After October 1, messages from this listserv will be sent from lbpd@lists.sailor.lib.md.us. 

Website:  Continue to use lbph.maryland.gov to get the library's website.  While the main page URL for the website will change on or around October 1, the shorter URL  lbph.maryland.gov will continue to redirect to that main page.

Contacting us by phone or email remains the same:

Email at reference.desk@maryland.gov

Phone at 410-230-2443

Our name is changing but our mission is still excellent customer service and creative services to our patrons. 

Thank you.

John Owen 

Director

LBPD

Director's Corner: Library Update, Mail

 

Director's Corner: Library Update, Mail

Contributed by John Owen, Director

To our LBPH patrons, caregivers, and stakeholders,

The coronavirus pandemic has presented all of us with an unprecedented situation.  At this time LBPH wants to update you on our service and the challenges we are all facing during this time.  We understand how important reading and information is to you, and we are committed to providing you with excellent customer service. 

Many of you are experiencing delays in receiving your materials, and you have called to let us know that.  We share your frustration, and we are looking at the factors that contribute to this. Especially in recent weeks, the United States Postal Service has experienced challenges with policy changes as well as coronavirus cases impacting their staffing and delivery schedules of mail, including LBPH materials.  Also, LBPH has been quarantining materials throughout the pandemic, and even now we are adjusting that quarantine period to reflect new information.   On August 18, the REALM Project released a study that indicated that the virus can be viable on hard plastic surfaces like our Digital Talking Book cases for up to 5 days.  We are adjusting accordingly for our staff’s and your safety.  

Despite these factors, LBPH continues to do its part to maintain service to you in a timely manner.  Our staff sends out materials daily and process returns promptly after the quarantine period.  We are also adjusting capacities for your library account to allow books to continue to flow to you, mitigating delays in the return process.  We have been fortunate here at our library that mail service has been consistent daily also, so at least here at the hub, there is a steady flow of materials.  We have been able to do this throughout the pandemic and will continue to safely do so. 

Please understand also that the library continues to be closed to the public and working with limited staff on site.  Staff are checking voicemail throughout the day to respond to your requests and questions. 

For you, our patrons, here are some tips for dealing with these delays:

• Send back books as soon as you have read them.   This helps generate new books to be sent to you. 

• Fill your request lists either by going to our catalog online at https://mdlbph.klas.com/ or calling us at the reference desk at 410-230-2443 or emailing us at reference.desk@maryland.gov

• Register for the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service https://nlsbard.loc.gov/.    And if you are already a BARD user, take advantage of the always-available books in the catalog at nlsbard.loc.gov.

• Tell us your concerns and your joys, so we can get a good picture of where the biggest challenges are and where things are going well.  Please contact your local post office to see if they are experiencing delays.  Let them know you appreciate them, but that you’d really like to get your books.  Together we can advocate for the importance of this service to the blind and print disabled citizens of Maryland.

• Listen in on a virtual program or get assistive technology instruction as another means of getting information from our library.  If you are a blind or print disabled college student in Maryland, ask about our Maryland Accessible Textbook program.  Find out all that’s happening at lbph.maryland.gov.  

Stay safe and well.  

John Owen

Director

Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Director's Corner: Library Update

Director's Corner: Library Update

Contributed by John Owen, Director

In accordance with directives from Governor Larry Hogan, all state buildings were closed to the public as of March 13.  Also, the staff of state agencies were instructed to work remotely as much as possible to practice social distancing.   In compliance with these directives, only a core staff are on-site at the library to provide service.

We move into this new phase of operations with goals of keeping our patrons and staff safe, and of continuing to provide service to our patrons, as best we can.  We are trying new ways of serving you and there will be bumps, but as we have always been committed to you, our patrons, we will persevere to make sure your requests for service are met.

The library will continue to send out materials to patrons on a daily basis.  With limited staffing, it may take us longer to get materials out to you.  We ask for your patience during this time.  Over the next week, we will be making an effort to send you more books than you normally would get, as we anticipate a time when further closings may occur.   You don’t have to immediately return them.  We are taking steps to make sure you don’t max out on materials and that we continue to maintain a flow of materials to you. 

When you call us at the reference desk, please leave a voicemail.  Our staff are able to check messages both onsite and remotely throughout the day and give you a call back.  If you can leave a full message of what books you want or the book numbers, we’ll fill that request for you.  There may be a delay in returning your call, but we are making every effort to connect with you.   We will also be checking email on a regular basis, and in many ways that’s the best way to reach us for giving requests, submitting applications or asking questions.  

Our reference desk email is reference.desk@maryland.gov and our reference desk phone number is 410-230-2443.

For uninterrupted service, the library strongly encourages patrons and caregivers to download books and magazines from the Braille and Audio Reading Download service (BARD).  BARD allows patrons to download materials directly to their mobile device via app, or onto a flash drive for use with the Digital Talking Book Machine. Patrons are also encouraged to explore our Bookshare collection, which is available for FREE to LBPH patrons. If you do not have an account, need assistance, or have questions about BARD or Bookshare, please reach out to reference.desk@maryland.gov.

Our onsite programming is canceled until further notice, but in some cases, we have been able to switch these to teleconferences or other remote programs.  You can find out about our programming changes in these ways:

Website at www.lbph.maryland.gov
Blog at https://mdlbph.blogspot.com/
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPH

Announcements will also be made via listserv and Newsline as well. 

Please continue to reach out to us with your questions and concerns.  Stay safe and healthy.  And if books can be a bright spot in these times, we are happy to send them to you.

Happy reading!

John Owen

Director's Corner: Library Updates

Director's Corner: Library Update

Contributed by John Owen, Director

This update was given at the National Federation for the Blind - Maryland Chapter's annual meeting on November 9, 2019.

On behalf of Irene Padilla, the State Librarian, the Maryland State Library Agency, the Maryland State Library Board and the Staff of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and (for now) Physically Handicapped, I thank you for the opportunity to address this convention about Our Library, Our Story and our Future.

But first, a seemingly unrelated story:  Fifty years ago in 1969, a Saturn V Rocket launched carrying three astronauts to the moon.  Their names were . . . Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon Jr., and Alan Bean.

Those weren’t the names you were expecting me to say, were they?  You were expecting Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin.

But in 1969 the United States successfully sent two ships to the moon – one in July and one in November.  In fact, all told, we landed on the moon six times (it would have seven if things had turned out differently for Apollo 13).  Each time we took new technology like cameras and land rovers, we explored new landscapes and we brought back more moon rock to study.  Each mission built on the last.  Each mission taught us something new.

One year ago, the Maryland State LBPH celebrated its 50th Anniversary.  We told our story, celebrated our legacy, acknowledged patrons who’d been with us since the beginning and we looked ahead.  Since that celebration we have:

• Put 147 Marylandia books on BARD that have been downloaded over 8000 times by patrons both here in Maryland and across the country.
• We re-opened our recording studio and are working with 11 weekly volunteers to record new projects.
• Hosted a Center Stage Mobile Theater Unit performance of Antigone with audio description and a touch tour followed by a thoughtful and lively discussion.
• Took our Technology User Group on the road to Hagerstown, Frederick, Greenbelt, Leisure World, Elkton, Bel Air, and Broadneck.
• Sponsored an accessible tour of the Goddard Space Flight Center
• Partnered with maker space group Full Blast STEAM and Baltimore YouthWorks to begin the Build a Better Book project to create multi-modal tactile storybooks
• Presented at multiple public libraries on the Build a Better Book project to encourage more maker spaces to create new tactile, multi-modal storybooks
• Sent Braille Bettie across the state to promote Read Braille across Maryland, a program in cooperation with the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and Governor Hogan to Read Across Maryland.  Braille Bettie appeared with many of our Braille readers and partners through social media posts.
• Encouraged reading through the summer for both youth and adults with the Summer Reading Program theme “A Universe of Stories”
• Assisted with making NASA learning kits accessible.  These kits are being used by public libraries for programming across the state.
• Visited all three NFB Bell Academies
• Provided service to 13 inmates at the Roxbury Correctional Institute in cooperation with librarians there
• Began planning for a transition to creating customized cartridges for patrons in the coming year
• Began offering Bookshare accounts to patrons of our library who are new to Bookshare
• Hosted Teleconferences on Microagressions, One Maryland One Book, and Weather and Disaster Preparedness
• Created a program and curriculum for accessible STEM programs through a grant from the Rural Maryland Council.
• Served alongside 36 dedicated volunteers who gave over 1970 hours of service
• Served over 50 students at 11 colleges and universities with accessible textbooks through the Maryland Accessible Textbook program
• Added more than 800 new patrons and circulated over 220,000 items including digital cartridges, Braille books, large print, downloadable content, DVDs and equipment.
• Served 6700 active patrons in every county across the State of Maryland
• Connected with Nonprofits, Social Workers, TVIs, and other professionals to help them connect their clients to us
• Welcomed new staff:  Kevin Middleton (IT), Taryn Tranby (Secretary/Patron Services), Brittney Lee (MAT program associate), William Jones (Maintenance)
• Said goodbye to Leslie Bowman, a fierce advocate for our library and the blind community, as she moved to Missouri to lead the Wolfner Talking Book Library (and be closer to her granddaughter).  She led many new initiatives in the few years she was here.
• Announced a new director – that’d be me.

So perhaps we’ll call this our Apollo 12 . . . or our Apollo 17 . . . or even our Apollo 13 but whatever happens in or out of our control, we will listen, we will learn, we will ask questions, we will solve problems, we will turn difficulties into successes and grow in our service to our patrons – you all -- across Maryland. 

This next voyage is already in progress:

By this time next year but much sooner, we will be the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled.  This will line us up with the language of the Marrakesh Treaty, ratified by the US in February 2019, and with the NLS which changed its name on October 1.  It will reflect our commitment to making information and reading material accessible for all.

By this time next year but much sooner, we will have implemented the Duplication on Demand service model which will enable the efficient creation of custom cartridges with multiple titles for patrons.  Patrons who get cartridges from us will see more books available more readily.  These changes benefit you the patron because we can focus on our energy on serving your information needs.

By this time next year but much sooner, we will have hosted a fourth Center Stage Mobile Theater production, offered more creative tactile tours, presented a series of teleconferences in cooperation with the University of Maryland Extension, experimented with hosting TUG through Zoom or other online remote meeting applications, encouraged readers to “Imagine Your Story” through the Summer Reading Program, and recorded more books and completed another phase of our Analog-to-Digital conversion of retrospective Marylandia books.

By this time next year and much sooner, we will be connecting with our blind and print disabled veterans, and people seeking job readiness skills.

By this time next year and much sooner (meaning right now), we will offer our patrons accounts with Bookshare.

By this time next year and much sooner, we will have discovered more of the informal networks that bring our patrons together so that we can connect you to services, information, resources and reading materials as information providers across the state.

We are grateful to our partners in NFB, MSDE, BISM, DoRS, MDTAP, our Advisory Council and our Friends group for serving our shared patrons alongside each other.

So talk to us.  Let us hear from you.  We will walk alongside you.  It took people from all walks of life bringing their pieces to the puzzle to get to the moon again and again.  It will take the same philosophy to continue the mission of serving the blind and print disabled community in the State of Maryland.