ASCLA’s President’s Program features Duct Tape Marketing author John Jantsch

The 2012 ASCLA President’s Program in Anaheim at ALA’s Annual Conference is not to be missed! We have a fantastic speaker lined up for the program and a free gift for the first 200 people who attend.

Our speaker, John Jantsch, is the best-selling author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine. John will be taking his theories and applying them specifically to libraries for this special presentation.  Don’t miss this opportunity to build a marketing strategy that will help your library realize its full marketing potential.

In celebration of the release of John’s newly revised and updated version of Duct Tape Marketing, LibraryAware is donating books to the first 200 people to attend the program. John will sign the books after he speaks. LibraryAware is NoveList’s new marketing software designed to help libraries easily create, deliver and measure their promotional campaigns.

John Jantsch is currently involved in a number of marketing projects with Intuit, Microsoft, Sage Software, HP, AT&T and American Express. His very popular blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite for marketing and small business. His podcast, a top-ten marketing show on iTunes, was called a “must listen” by Fast Company.

In today’s marketing-savvy world, everyone wants to know the one thing they can do or the magic pill they can take that will make their marketing efforts successful. John gives sage and practical advice, and tips for how to uncover what works.

Please join me for this very informative and entertaining program in Ballroom B of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday, June 24, 2012, 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. in Anaheim.

ASCLA in Ireland: Reserve your spot!

The deadline to reserve your spot on ASCLA’s next trip abroad–to Ireland–is this week! This tour is hosted by Lyceum Tours and benefits ASCLA, a division of ALA. The trip itinerary includes the castles, libraries, and important historic sites of Ireland. Deposits for this upcoming adventure are due by June 1, 2012. Check out the itinerary below, then reserve your spot by contacting Lyceum Tours at 856-795-9044.

Here’s the link to more information:  http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2012/03/ireland-2012/

We hope you’ll join us!

The trip will take place October 4-12, 2012

7 nights for $1,799 plus airfare

Price includes:

●             Hotels and transportation to Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Cobh, and Killarney

●             Dinners with the tour group

●             Tours of the National Library and the Killarney Library, Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Powerscourt Gardens, Kilkenny and Blarney Castles and the Ring of Kerry

●             A tour of Waterford Crystal

●             A visit to the heritage center in Cobh to learn more about important Irish historical events such as the mass migration of Irish to America

●             The opportunity to throw back a pint at a pub established in 1703.

Participants are responsible for their own airfare.

A portion of the trip’s proceeds benefit ASCLA, a division of ALA. All those interested in coming along on this exciting trip are welcome to attend regardless of membership status. An informational brochure is available for download at the ASCLA website.

To reserve your spot:

Deposit of $1,000 due by June 1, 2012

Balance payment due by Aug. 15, 2012.

Checks payable to Lyceum Tours and sent to Lyceum Tours, 11 Haddon Avenue, Haddonfield, N.J., 08033.

Questions about the trip? Contact the ASCLA office at ascla@ala.org or 312-280-4395, or Lyceum Tours at 856-795-9044.

Sara Gaar Laughlin, director of the Monroe County Indiana Public Library and longtime member of ALA and ASCLA, will serve as the next vice-president/president-elect of ASCLA. In her new leadership role, Laughlin hopes to provide strong and creative leadership that will tap into ASCLA members’ deep commitment to the library mission, as well as their strong expertise and broad professional networks—three unique attributes of ASCLA members that will help the division evolve in the face of rapid changes in publishing, technology and funding.

Laughlin joined ASCLA more than three decades ago when she took on a coordinator position at the Stone Hills Library Network. She has served both the library profession and the division in a broad variety of capacities: as a member of the Independent Librarians’ Exchange (ILEX) Executive Committee—now Library Consultants Interest Group; as section chair for the Interlibrary Cooperation and Networking (ICAN) Section; and as longtime editor of Interface (2001-08), ASCLA’s newsletter. She has also presented many programs and preconferences, including partnering with ASCLA consulting colleagues to produce the sold-out “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” preconference which was offered in 2010 and 2011. For her service, she received the 2004 ASCLA Service Award.  She has also served as president of the Indiana Library Federation and the Friends of Indiana Libraries.

Laughlin received the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. She co-authored two books with ALA: “Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-driver Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers” (2008) and “Library’s Continuous Improvement Fieldbook: 29 Ready-to-Use Tools” (2003).

Prior to her current position at Monroe County Public Library, she served on the library’s Board of Trustees. Her prior professional experience includes serving as President of Sara Laughlin & Associates, Inc. from 1997-2007.  She earned both an MLS and MA in Art History from Indiana University and a BA in History from the University of Cincinnati.

Congratulations to the new ASCLA leaders. Come see them in action in Anaheim!

Vice-President/President-Elect: Sara G. Laughlin, Monroe County (Ind.) Public Library

Director-at-Large: Martha L. Goddard, San Francisco Public Library

Director-at-Large: Lisa Ann Priebe, Colorado Library Consortium

Director-at-Large: Hulen E. Bivins, North Dakota State Library

Division Councilor: Liz Bishoff, The Bishoff Group

Designated Director, Special Populations Constituency: Lori Allen Guenthner, Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Secretary: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, New Jersey State Library

Have you heard? Author John Jantsch will be speaking at this year’s ASCLA President’s Program!

John Jantsch is the author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and “The Referral Engine.” More information about John and his presentation, which will be tailored specifically to libraries, can be found at the ASCLA blog: http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2012/04/asclaprezprog2012-johnjantsch/

It pays to arrive early! We’ll have a limited number of free copies of “Duct Tape Marketing” on hand thanks to generous sponsorship support from LibraryAware (www.libraryaware.com). John will sign books at the conclusion of the program.

Make sure to save the date for this exciting ALA Annual Conference program, which will prepare you to revolutionize the marketing strategy for your library, your department, or your particular area of library services.

ASCLA President’s Program: Duct Tape Marketing and Advocacy

10:30 a.m. -12:00 noon.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Ballroom B, Anaheim Convention Center

Register for conference now: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

We have an outstanding lineup of workshops awaiting you in Anaheim! Hear from experts in the field about how to cultivate marketing and fundraising activities at your library, including creating a library champions campaign; how to bring online services to your library for people unable to read traditional print books and how to effectively promote those services; and step-by-step guidance for building partnerships between public libraries and correctional facilities, including literacy and reading programs for incarcerated adults and youth. These events are open to all interested participants! Conference registration is not required. Read more about each event below, then reserve your seat at the ALA Annual Conference website.

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A Marriage Made in Heaven: Combining Marketing and Development to Ensure the Future of Your Library

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

Develop a fundraising strategy and raise the awareness of the value your library with a library champions campaign! Learn how the New Jersey State Library launched a public awareness campaign designed to attract famous athletes and authors to serve as Library Champions, and with the help of marketing and development teams, leveraged those champions into an effective fundraising vehicle. We’ll cover how to recruit celebrity champions and local heroes; how to raise big money for your library; how to build a donor development strategy; and the essential publications your library must produce to secure funders. Registration is $129 for ASCLA members.

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The Outspoken Library: A Gateway for Public Libraries to Services for the Visually and Physically Impaired

Friday, June 22, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

Looking for inventive ideas for promoting library services? The New Jersey State Library developed “The Outspoken Library” to promote free online services that are available for print-disabled people. This program allows library customers to access services administered through the State Library’s Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC), including audio newspapers (TBBC’s Audiovision and NFB’s Newsline) and the Library of Congress’s Braille and Audio Reading Download service. Attend this preconference, and find out how to establish and market these valuable resources. Registration is $129 for ASCLA members.

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The Nuts & Bolts of Building a Public Library/Jail/Prison Partnership

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0  

Hear from speakers who’ve successfully built public library/correctional setting partnerships, and learn how to build these kinds of relationships step-by-step. Public librarians and correctional librarians interested in creating literacy and reading program partnerships for youth in detention centers and adults in jails or prisons will not want to miss this half-day workshop that will cover such difficult issues as collection development, security, and staff interactions. Registration is $129 for ASCLA members.

Would you like to learn more about the management of ASCLA? You are invited to attend the Board meetings held during the ALA Annual Conference.  The following is the schedule for the ASCLA board meetings in Anaheim:

 ASCLA Board I: Saturday, June 23, 2012, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT

ASCLA Board II: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT

(Please note that Board II will be listed in the program book as 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., however it will not actually start until 9:00 a.m.)

The Library Consultants Interest Group will be sponsoring two programs at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.

Essential Facilitation:  Practical Tools for Guiding Groups is on Monday, June 25th from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon. The featured speaker, Patty McManus from Interaction Associates, will speak on Decision Making without Pain: Tips and tools for Leading Groups to Success. She writes: “Everyone knows the agony of endless efforts to reach decisions in groups. Join LCIP and Interaction Associates to learn some practical tools for leaders and consultants. In this session, we’ll cover: Setting up decision making for success; Choosing a decision-making process that fits the situation; Structuring group discussions that make progress; Finally, hear how a state library and a library consultant have implemented this material for greater effectiveness in their groups.

Interaction Associates supposes global leadership development through training, consulting, and facilitation. As a Senior Consultant to Interaction Associates, Patty McManus works to develop leaders who are equipped to embrace both the responsibilities and the potential of their roles. She works at the levels of values, skills, and commitment to support leaders’ organizational and personal success. Ms. McManus has worked in the fields of organization development and leadership development for twenty years. Before joining Interaction Associates, she was an internal organization development consultant at Apple Inc., Kaiser Permanente, and the University of California. Her coaching enabled successful management transitions and assimilation of new leaders. Accomplished in team building, she helped develop management, technical, cross-functional, globally dispersed teams.  

Sharing the podium with Ms McManus will be Ann Joslin, Director of the Idaho Commission for Libraries and Nancy Bolt, President of Nancy Bolt & Associates. Both Ms Joslin and Ms Bolt have had extensive Interaction Associates training and use it in their daily work.

The second program is Consultants Giving Back on Sunday, June 24, from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. 

ASCLA and the Public Library Association (PLA) are teaming up to offer “Consultants Give Back” at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.  This is an opportunity for libraries to receive free 30-minute consultation sessions from professional library consultants.  Consultants interested in offering their services as a part of this event can now register online.

This event features consultants with expertise in a wide variety of topics like RFID, marketing and communications, executive searches, buildings and facilities, strategic planning and library trends, among many others. Participating consultants will be available during the “Consultants Give Back” office hours, 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in Room 203B of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday, June 24 or at other times throughout the conference. Registration for consultants wishing to offer services as a part of this exciting event can be accessed online.

For those seeking consulting services, a list of participating consultants and their availability can be found on the ASCLA website. Those interested in booking a session should contact the consultant of their choice no later than Monday, June 20.

Questions about the consultation sessions should be directed to Nancy Bolt at nancybolt@earthlink.net or Paula Singer pmsinger@singergrp.com.  Consultants interested in engaging and networking with library consulting peers for the benefit of all independent library professionals should join ASCLA’s Library Consultants Interest Group.

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award will be presented to two organizations that produced noteworthy services and programming for library users with disabilities: the Port Washington (N.Y.) Public Library for its “Books for Dessert” Program, and the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library Digital Access Project.

The award is supported by ASCLA, home to accessibility issues and advocacy within ALA, Keystone Library Automation Systems (KLAS) and the National Organization for Disabilities (NOD), with the $1,000 prize donated by KLAS. The award recognizes an institution for an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities and has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Faced with an overwhelming number of outstanding award applications for 2012, the committee chose two recipients for this year’s honor. Each winner will receive a citation and split the award money, receiving $500 each.

The Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Launched as a pilot program in 2003 with initial funding support from New York State, “Books for Dessert” has expanded from one group with eight participants to three groups, two evening and one morning, with about 50 participants. Program participants range in age from their early-20s to mid-60s. The club gathers once a week between September and June to read aloud from books like “The Pearl” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” learn vocabulary and enjoy refreshments and good conversation. At the completion of the book, a video of the same title may be shown. The group compares the book and the video, stimulating discussion and reinforcing comprehension of the material. In addition to these educational benefits, library usage has increased among registered Book Club members, as well as their friends, housemates and the agency staff driving club members to the meetings.

The “Books for Dessert” program receives support from community partners, including Community Mainstreaming Associates, Inc. and the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC), an advisory board of parents, library staff, experts in the field and certified special education teachers to bring a reading and discussion experience to adults with ID/DD. High school students also support the teachers during each session by answering questions and helping participants follow along in the book while someone else is reading. The Advisory Board has created a manual that will allow other libraries to replicate this program—more information is available by accessing “Books for Dessert” at www.pwpl.org. 

“The Port Washington Public Library’s ‘Books for Dessert’ program has championed the idea that literacy for individuals over the age of 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities is important and achievable,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “’Books for Dessert’ is an outstanding example of local public library innovation and ingenuity, and the library is to be commended not only for developing this highly successful program, but also for developing a program guide to help other public libraries across the nation to replicate the program in their local communities.”

The “Digital Access Project” is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library, with additional involvement from the Internet Archive of San Francisco. Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who are unable to read traditional printed text can quickly access print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is made possible by the digital scanning of the print text in the scanning lab of the Internet Archive at the Boston Public Library, where a six-person staff uses semi-automated equipment to scan the requested book, page by page.

The file is subsequently converted into a copyright-protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file that can only be accessed by eligible users of the NLSBPH (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key and authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, the BookSense and the Bookport Plus. Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a Web link to Boston Public Library and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of the book can be downloaded. Perkins staff download the book files from the provided link, and the Library then forwards the .zip file to the patron. The patron can then listen to it on their adaptive technology utilizing text-to-speech synthetic voice technology. In most cases, this process of converting a print book to an accessible DAISY file moves so efficiently that patrons receive access to the requested book within 24 hours.

“Using existing resources, the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library, along with the Internet Archive, are successfully demonstrating both the power of collaboration and the power of technology in making print library collections accessible to people with disabilities,” said Tom Blake, digital projects manager at the Boston Public Library.

“The technology used in this innovative project not only removes barriers to print access for patrons with disabilities, it delivers the final accessible product with great speed! This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where ready access to information is vital for success in a 21st century world,” states Kim Charlson, director of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.

This year’s awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information is available at www.ala.org/asclain.  

More information on each of these award-winning programs can be found in full articles in this issue of Interface.

This year’s ASCLA Awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the ALA Annual Conference.

This year’s winners are:

ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award: Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program and the “Digital Access Project”.

Francis Joseph Campbell Award: Includes a citation and a medal, and is presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people. ASCLA, Keystone Automated Systems (KLAS) and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped co-sponsor this award. This year’s winner is Carole Rose, who recently retired as a librarian at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library.

Cathleen Bourdon Service Award: The award, which is named for former ASCLA Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon, is a citation presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or government agencies. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, associate state librarian, New Jersey State Library, is this year’s winner.

ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award: An annual award presented to an ASCLA member who exemplifies leadership and achievement in consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide service and programs and/or state library development. The 2012 winner is Laura Sherbo, branch library services program manager at the Washington State Library.

ASCLA Exceptional Service Award: A citation presented to recognize exceptional service to patients, to the homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research of experimental projects. This year’s award is presented to Kathleen Hegarty, who passed away in January 2012. “Kathleen’s pioneering efforts at the Boston Public Library and her dedication to improving services for older adults and persons with disabilities has insured continued leadership, professional growth and sustainability within the profession,” said Norma Blake, ASCLA president. “She also worked tirelessly to enhance the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, and we are so grateful for her investment in our organization.”

Program proposals are now being accepted for ASCLA programs at the 2013 Annual Conference. Please access the program planning page, where you’ll find the proposal form link and more information about programming: http://www.ala.org/ascla/accessascla/programplanning

Here’s a direct link to the online proposal form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ascla2013programprecon_proposals

There is one form for all types of offerings (preconferences, programs, institutes). All proposals must be submitted via the online form.

There have been some major changes to Annual Conference, including the elimination of 2 hour programming time blocks. We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact Liz Markel, lmarkel@ala.org, if you have any questions.

The ASCLA staff have been updated the website for us!  There was an update to the About ASCLA page here: http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaourassoc/aboutascla. The page better spells out the benefits of being an ASCLA member, as well as who we are and why we are such an important division. You can also find the vision and mission statements to the page. The page not only looks better, it is easier to read and grasp what ASCLA is all about. We also emphasize the voice of ASCLA in representing special needs populations and accessibility. The Communications and Publications page on the ASCLA website has also been update: http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclapubs/communications. It now includes all our avenues of communication. Special thanks to the staff for the updates!

Two new ASCLA interest groups are now welcoming members: the Future of Libraries Interest Group and the Tribal Librarians Interest Group.

Descriptions for these new groups, as well as all of ASCLA’s existing interest groups, are below. You can join the group by logging into ALA Connect, accessing the group page, then clicking “join” on the right side of the page. You do not need to be a member of ASCLA for the first year of your interest group membership, however we encourage you to join this amazing community of members at your earliest convenience.

New Interest Groups:

ASCLA Future of Libraries Interest Group—–This group is open to anyone with an interest in the future of libraries.  Changes in the world around us, different service models, new technologies, determining what our customers value and what our non-customers are finding elsewhere will be examined.  This group will submit an annual recommendation to the ASCLA President for two areas that we think libraries should focus on to increase their value and insure their viability in the future.

ASCLA Tribal Librarians Interest Group—–The purpose of this new interest group is to increase knowledge and networking among library leaders with tribal libraries. The goal is to foster new relations and begin lifelong partnerships with community library leaders and Tribal Librarians. This interest group is not just for “Tribal.” Tribal librarians and employees of tribal libraries as well as librarians and library leaders interested in knowing more about tribal libraries are welcome.

Other ASCLA Interest Groups:

ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group supports professional development by providing programs, information exchange and networking opportunities of interest to independent librarians, library consultants, state library and regional library consultants, and anyone who wants to push the boundaries of librarianship.

ASCLA LSSP Universal Access Interest Group promotes inclusive library services – sharing information and resources.

ASCLA ICAN Consortium Management Discussion is focused on consortial funding, advocacy, services, etc., plus discussion group on topics of interest to library cooperatives statewide, multi-state, national cooperatives, and multitype library systems.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Collaborative Digitization Interest Group is for library cooperatives which are combinations, mergers, or contractual associations of one or more types of libraries (academic, public, special, or school) crossing jurisdictional, institutional, or political boundaries, working together to achieve maximum effective use of funds to provide library and information services to all citizens above and beyond those which can be provided through one institution. Such cooperative organizations or agencies may be designated to serve a community, a metropolitan area, a region within a region, or may serve a statewide or multi-state area.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Interlibrary Cooperation Interest Group provides a forum for discussion of interests in interlibrary cooperation and the statewide development of library service, emphasizing the interdependence of all types of libraries.

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Physical Delivery Interest Group covers the physical delivery of library materials for resource sharing and related issues.

ASCLA Library Services for Youth in Custody (LSSP) has as its purpose to advocate, promote, and improve library services for youth who have been detained in correctional facilities of various kinds.

ASCLA LSSP Bridging Deaf Cultures @ your library Interest Group primary focus is building support for the nation’s libraries to work with organizations serving the deaf (OSD) in forming a Deaf Cultural Digital Library.

ASCLA LSSP (Libraries Serving Special Populations) LSSP Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent Them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group focuses on assistive technology and accessibility services for people with visual or physical disabilities.

ASCLA LSSP Library Services to the Incarcerated and Detained supports ALA members who serve patrons of any age who are held in jail, prison, detention or immigration facility.

ASCLA SLA State Library Agencies – Library Development Interest Group is for State Library Agency staff to network and discussion matters relating to library development services, activities, and needs.

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies)/LSTA Coordinators Interest Group is for staff responsible for procuring and administering LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funds and programs. LSTA is a federally funded state based program generally administered by the state library of each state.

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies) Youth Services Consultants Interest Group has as its purpose to allow each state’s Youth Services Consultant or staff member responsible for working with youth services to keep abreast of topics of interest to the group and the constituents they serve in their states through listservs, and in-person networking meetings at ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences.

Would you like additional information on any of the ASCLA Interest Groups?  Here is a list of the current leaders. 

ASCLA Future of Libraries Interest Group

Leader: Peggy Cadigan, pcadigan@njstatelib.org

ASCLA ICAN Consortium Management Discussion Interest Group

Leader: Sheryl Knab, sknab@wnylrc.org

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Collaborative Digitization Interest Group

Co-Leader: Jason P. Kucsma, jkucsma@metro.org

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Interlibrary Cooperation Interest Group

Leader: Scherelene L. Schatz, slschatzie@aol.com

ASCLA ICAN (InterLibrary Cooperation & Networking) Physical Delivery Interest Group

Co-Leader: Gregory Pronevitz, greg@masslibsystem.org

Co-Leader: Mr. James E. Pletz, jpletz1968@hotmail.com

ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group

Leader: Carol Desch, cdesch@mail.nysed.gov

ASCLA Library Services for Youth in Custody (LSSP)

Leader: Kathleen Kerr Houlihan, kathleen.houlihan@austintexas.gov

ASCLA LSSP Bridging Deaf Cultures @ your library Interest Group

Leader: Alice Hagemeyer, alicehagemeyer@aol.com

ASCLA LSSP (Libraries Serving Special Populations) LSSP Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent Them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group

Leader: Ruth Nussbaum, rnus@loc.gov

ASCLA LSSP Library Services to the Incarcerated and Detained

Leader: Diane Walden, diane.walden@doc.state.co.us

ASCLA LSSP Universal Access Interest Group

Leader: Marti Goddard, mgoddard@sfpl.org

ASCLA SLA State Library Agencies – Library Development Interest Group

Leader: Gina Persichini, Gina.Persichini@libraries.idaho.gov 

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies)/LSTA Coordinators Interest Group

Leader: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, kpeiffer@njstatelib.org

ASCLA SLA (State Library Agencies) Youth Services Consultants Interest Group

Leader: Sharon Rawlins, srawlins@njstatelib.org

Submitted by Kim Charlson, Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library

(Ed. Note: The Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (PBTBL) is one of the winners of the 2012 ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award. The award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability, and Keystone Systems, and is given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes projects focused on the improvement of library services to people with disabilities, and demonstrated innovation in service delivery and utilization of emerging technology.)

The Digital Access Project is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library (BPL). The other player in this project is the Internet Archive of San Francisco, California.

Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who have print disabilities can get quick access to print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is provided through the digital scanning of the print text and the conversion of the file into a protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file.

To understand the monumental impact of this project, a description of the process a print book requested by a patron of the Perkins BTBL takes is useful. Here is a description of the first book that went through the project – Threads: My Life Behind the Seams in the High-Stakes World of Fashion by Joseph Abboud.

Paul S. requested Threads, and the request was submitted via email to the Boston Public Library, Director of Digital Projects Tom Blake, for scanning. The BPL copy of the title was retrieved from the shelf and delivered to the scanning lab for processing within two hours of receipt of the request.

The Boston Public Library houses a six-person scanning lab affiliated with the Internet Archive in their main facility. The state-of-the-art scanning lab contains very sophisticated scanning equipment that is semi-automated to speed up the process. Six staff operate the scanners; they use a hand button to engage the cameras, as pages are turned using a foot pedal to lift the sheet of glass holding the pages down. The print book gets scanned page by page and the process is complete within one hour.

The scanned file then gets sent off to the Internet Archive to be copyright protected into a protected DAISY file that can only be accessed by eligible print disabled users of the NLS (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key. This key is used with authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, The BookSense and the Bookport Plus to play the book utilizing the player’s built-in speech synthesizer.

Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a web link to the BPL, and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of Threads can be downloaded. The book is downloaded by Perkins staff and the file is forwarded onto the patron having adaptive technology to place it onto their player. Generally, access is gained to the book within 24 hours!

Perkins has continued to test this process, and the latest exciting step has been that several books that were not in the BPL collection have been requested for professional work, education, and medical information purposes. The BPL has determined that the titles should be added to their collection. When the new titles arrive, they are sent off to the scanning lab for immediate processing. The quality of the scans is superior to many other e-text programs available in the U.S., and all testers have raved about the ease of use and the accuracy of the scans.

As the project rolls out to all patrons, more training will continue to be provided for each person getting a book scanned to meet their requests. Access to information is a huge barrier for people with disabilities which prevent them from reading conventional print. The Digital Access Project allows people to be fully integrated with their peers by having the same books their colleagues are reading available at the same time. The following statement submitted by the program’s first user, Paul Saner tells how it allowed Paul to be reading the same book at the same time as his peers.

“Most everyone on the Museum board I chair was talking about our new neighbor, Joseph Abboud. It sounded as though some of them knew him personally. Then I heard reference to a book, Threads, an autobiography of Mr. Abboud. I just had to read that book. I checked several sources of talking books to order Threads, but it had not been recorded. Then I recalled hearing about the Digital Access Project, a new service of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library in collaboration with the Boston Public Library. I asked the Perkins Library if this book might be scanned. Within 24 hours, a link to this book was sent to me in an email. It wasn’t long before I too felt that I knew Mr. Abboud. We share a passion for the Red Sox as did our deceased fathers who we both bonded with over baseball. This made me feel like I enjoyed the same access to information as my sighted board peers, and in actuality due to this innovative new project, I now do have amazing equivalent access.”

The most amazing part of this project is that it utilized existing resources to expand and make printed materials accessible without costing thousands of dollars. The investment in this program has been staff time of Charlson and Blake.

The Internet Archive scanning lab’s goal is to scan books for the Internet Archive website openlibrary.org, so they scan any titles that the BPL requests. As we grow the project, we have the systems in place to scan one book a day.

As we continue to work with Library patrons to make them more aware of the program, we will work up to greater capacity with this project.

Technology is truly the key for people with print disabilities unlocking the barrier of print access and making more and more exploration possible. This project is a true example of effective collaboration and strategic use of the push to digitize collections by the country’s libraries.

The Digital Access Project brings accessibility into the mix, and further reduces the massive delays that were previously expected to get a book in an accessible format. Now, through this project, patrons can have a very readable, and easy to navigate book in 24 hours – something that was not even thought possible previously. This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where access to information is the key to the 21st century.

Submitted by Nancy Curtin

(Ed. Note: The Port Washington Public Library “Books for Dessert” program is one of the winners of the 2012 ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award. The award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability, and Keystone Systems, and is given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes projects focused on the improvement of library services to people with disabilities, and demonstrated innovation in service delivery and utilization of emerging technology.)

The opportunity to learn to read begins at an early age for most children, even those with intellectual delays.  But what happens to those children who, as adults, age out of school and social programs that emphasize literacy in some form?  The skills they have acquired begin to atrophy.  To address this, the Port Washington Public Library (Port Washington, New York) piloted a program, now in its 9th year, called Books for Dessert.

This unique program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Initially funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Education, Books for Dessert was established to provide a format to maintain existing literacy skills, engage socially with a group and share insights with others.  Participants gather weekly to read aloud, learn vocabulary, practice comprehensive skills, and enjoy refreshments and good conversation.  Using a book discussion style, participants spend their weekly sessions reading, discussing and sharing insights along with cookies and coffee.  After each book is completed, participants keep their copy.  If a movie version is available, they view it, then compare and contrast with the book. 

Though adapted – meaning high interest, low reading level – versions of classics were the original selections for each group, all the groups will now read standard versions.  Sample adapted titles include Hamlet; Treasure Island; White Fang and The Scarlet Letter.  Sample standard versions include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; The Red Pony; The Miracle Worker (play) and Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Books for Dessert began in 2003 as a pilot project with eight participants.  Since its inception, Books for Dessert has grown from one group to three groups, two evening and one morning, with a range of 40 – 55 participants per season. The program leadership has championed the idea that literacy in this population is an important and achievable goal which needs to be fostered to further the goals of empowering greater independence, confidence and enjoyment of life, particularly a reading life.

We had plenty of ASCLA news in this issue! Now, it’s time to hear from the ASCLA members. Are you attending the ALA Conference in Anaheim? Let us know about some of the programs you attend. Have you received an award, changed jobs, talked to someone in the hall outside your office? Send us a report for our Member News Section (sadly missing in this long issue). Would you like to let the ASCLA members know about a program in your organization? Send us an article—short or long, we don’t mind!  We’re virtual, so we can fit any size! Let us hear from you. The next issue will be some time after Annual Conference (no promises on timing any more), so send something in!

Anne K. Abate, ASCLA Interface Editor