Talking Times, Fall 2018

Talking Books Library Staffing Changes

It's been a while since the last Talking Books Library Newsletter, because we've been undergoing some changes. Andrew Egan, better known as Andy, Regional Librarian for the Talking Books Library, retired in February after 38 years of service to the State of Rhode Island, the last 17 years spent working with the Talking Books program. Many of you came to know Andy well, and his dedication and commitment to the service of TBL members will long be remembered. We wish Andy an enjoyable and long retirement.

Alicia Waters, who re-joined the Talking Books Library staff in January 2017, has been appointed as the new Regional Librarian. Alicia has worked at the Office of Library and Information Services for 32 years, and worked in the Talking Books Library first in the 1990's. In the interim, she has worked at OLIS as the Delivery Services Coordinator and Reference Librarian for the OLIS Library. Alicia has jumped into her new role as Library Services Coordinator at OLIS, and will continue the tradition of great customer service for Talking Books users while upgrading Talking Books service with the latest developments from the National Library Service. Alicia is a lifelong Rhode Islander; and earned her bachelor's degree and Master of Library Science from the University of Rhode Island.

Kelley Lima is the newest member of the Talking Books team, and has been serving members since March. Kelley also has over 30 years' experience at OLIS, where she has worked in the OLIS Library and provided service to Rhode Island libraries through the OLIS interlibrary delivery system, which moves books between Rhode Island libraries. Kelley will continue working in the Talking Books Library part time, answering member phone calls.

Neshmayda ("Maydi") Calderon will continue to work full time in the Talking Books Library, where she has worked for the past 10 years. Prior to that, she worked at the Department of Environmental Management (DEM). Maydi serves as a reader's advisor in addition to keeping the Talking Books office running smoothly with her vast knowledge of Talking Books operations. Originally from Puerto Rico, she is fluent in Spanish and English, allowing Talking Books to serve Rhode Islanders for whom English is not their first language.

Karen Mellor is the Chief of Library Services at OLIS, and worked in the Talking Books Library early in her career at OLIS. Talking Books is a unit of the Office of Library and Information Services, the state agency that provides services, programs, and funding to Rhode Island's libraries. Our mission is to strengthen, connect and empower libraries to advance knowledge, connect communities and enrich the lives of all Rhode Islanders.

The Talking Books Library has completed its reorganization and looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellent service to its members. Please feel free to contact the TBL staff at any time with your book orders or questions, and be sure to tell others who may benefit from this service about us!

The New Talking Books Library Website

In the fall 2017 newsletter, we announced the coming of our new website after the New Year. Well it's here! Please let your family and friends know about it, too. The site is now located at www.olis.ri.gov/tbl. Our phone number has remained the same (401)574-9310, but our email address has changed to talking.books@olis.ri.gov.

IN-SIGHT Book Club

IN-SIGHT hosts a Talking Books discussion group that meets monthly at IN-SIGHT, located at 43 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. The book club is open to anyone who is blind or visually impaired and who is registered with the Talking Books Library. IN-SIGHT provides book club members with a copy of the current book for discussion on a digital cartridge - or members can download them on their own digital cartridge from their home computer if they prefer. Members meet to discuss book themes, plot, characters, and overall message. New members are always welcomed! For more information, contact Carla Ferreira at (401) 941-3322.

BARD Error Message: "You are not authorized"

Have you seen this message? Patrons are allowed up to 100 authorization counts (downloads) to mobile devices in a 30-day period. Each time a book or magazine is downloaded into the BARD Mobile application, an encryption file called an Authorization Object accompanies the download and permits the book or magazine to be played securely. If a patron tries to download more than 100 books and magazines in a 30-day period, the book will not download, and the patron will receive the unauthorized message. Also note, patrons may have no more than five mobile devices registered to a BARD account in a 365-day period. You may contact the Talking Books Library staff to have registered devices removed from your account to make room for other devices to be added. A mobile device is defined as any device that runs BARD Mobile. If you have questions or need assistance, please call the Talking Books Library at (401)574-9310, TTY 711 or email talking.books@olis.ri.gov.

Continue to Part 2