[mountainstate] [leadership] changes that BARD and NLS are making

[A. C. McGhee]

 ---- Original Message ------
From: "Ardis Bazyn" <abazyn at bazyncommunications.com
Subject: [leadership] changes that BARD and NLS are making
Date sent: Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:46 -0700

The following article, which appears in this week's edition of 
the Matilda
Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, describes some of the 
enhancements to the
BARD and NLS programs we can expect to see this year:
Feature Writer John Christie - National Library Service Increases 
Reading
Options
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically 
Handicapped is
making some positive changes to the Bard web site that I think 
you might
like.  First and foremost, you will be able to read talking books 
on iPhones,
iPads, and Android based mobile devices.  However, these mobile 
apps will
have to protect Talking Books from unauthorized use.  All of 
their files will
have to be encrypted so that only devices authorized by NLS and 
used by
registered patrons will be able to access books.  This process 
was one of the
biggest hurdles to overcome while they were developing the app.
Plans are also in the works to distribute audio magazines 
including Talking
Book Topics on digital cartridges.  At least three magazines can 
be put on a
single digital cartridge.  Because of the higher cost of these 
cartridges,
though, users will have to mail them back to the library so that 
more
magazines can be put on them.
Web-Braille, which was started in 1999, will be on the Bard 
website as well.
Now, you will be able to download Braille magazines, music 
scores, and
Braille books all from just one website.  Previously, Web-Braille 
had its own
website.
The NLS collection will now also have a broader selection of 
materials with
synthetic-speech narration because they will be joining forces 
with
commercial audiobook producers.  NLS still has to be granted 
permission from
the rights holders to use commercial audiobooks, but they are 
constantly
working on that issue.
In recent years, audiobooks have come from one producer, 
Brilliance Audio.
NLS has only had the money to obtain 200 audiobook titles a year.  
Now, they
are reaching out to other audiobook publishers.  "For the most 
part, people
are pretty happy with BARD: it is simple, it provides a basic 
need, and it
does that well.  [But] it is growing like crazy, and we have to 
plan for
that," said Michael Martys, an NLS automation officer.
It costs $4,500 to produce a talking book from scratch.  However, 
it costs
much less when you have the master files of a commercial 
audiobook.  This
includes the work that NLS has to do with the book which includes
navigational markup and metadata and convert the files into 
digital talking
books.  Because the commercial audiobooks don't cost as much to 
produce, this
could free up funds to produce more books each year.
Working with commercial audiobook producers will also allow NLS 
to "get the
book out much, much faster," said Neil Bernstein, NLS research 
and
development officer.  And patrons will get to hear a wider 
variety of
narrators--perhaps even discovering some new favorites.
In the months ahead, NLS will evaluate the quality of various 
text-to-speech
programs and begin to experiment with producing books using that
technology--not to take the place of live narration, but to 
augment what
they have.  For example, it could be used, by patron request, to 
produce
download-only audio versions of books that are not in the 
collection.
Finally, a remote control unit will be available for those with 
limited
mobility and dexterity issues in early 2012.
It's good that NLS is making an app for mobile apps.  It's also 
good that
they are adding Web-Braille to their site and also adding
commercially-available audiobooks to the Bard website.  These 
changes to the
site, along with adding magazines, will make the site even more 
user
friendly to the blind and visually impaired and will be a one 
stop resource
for reading.
Source:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/newsletters/news/2011/oct-dec.html

Ardis Bazyn
For inspirational speaking, business coaching, writing, or books: 
www.bazyncommunications.com
Read my latest online newsletter and subscribe to received 
newsletter notifications