Libraries for the Blind and Print Disabled

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===== Conference Chairs Meeting, August 21, 2013 =====
Recorded by: Debbi MacLeod\\

**NLS Staff Present:**\\

**Steve Prine**, Acting Chief, Network Division\\ 
**Michael Martys**, Automation Officer\\
**Michael Katzman**, Chief, Materials Development Division\\
**Alice O’Reilly**, Assistant to the Chief, Materials Development Division\\ 
**John Brown**, Head, Engineering Section\\
**Margaret Goergen Rood**, Assistant Head, Quality Assurance Section\\
**Vickie Collins**, Network Consultant\\
**Pamela Davenport**, Network Consultant\\

**Network Chairs:**\\

**Debbi MacLeod**, Western Conference\\
**Barbara Penegor, Southern Conference (in for Craig Hayward)**\\
**Sharon Ruda**, Midlands Conference\\
**Adam Szczepaniak**, Northern Conference\\

**NLS Updates:**\\

**MOC Statistics:**\\

**Conference Chair Questions and Issues:**

**Chairs:** Could the network get audio magazine statistics?\\

**NLS Response:** asked what information the libraries would find useful – 
  * # of magazines circulated in month - titles
  * # of magazine issues circulated in month - issues
  * # of readers receiving magazines on cartridges - patrons
This would be a separate report from the BARD reports, but would be sent the same time and located in the same place as BARD reports. NLS could track detail of who gets what if libraries would find this useful.\\

**Recall Contract:** 

**NLS Response:** Working on Scope of Work for Recall contract so there is an opportunity to offer libraries a way to exchange digital books before Recall. Is there any interest? If there is interest, would need to work out process.\\
 
**Chairs:** Possible interest for smaller libraries who can’t duplicate. How would this impact Recall, would it make it more complicated? 

**NLS Response:** Possibly not. 

**Chairs:** Comment from network - as long as we don’t have to create lists of titles that we are sending back. Contractor could create wants list and network libraries could check the list if they can provide titles. Some libraries might benefit from such a process. Chairs will poll region and email results to Steve & copy chairs. Reason to do through this process is that donating libraries would reduce their Recall numbers by the number donating. 

**NLS Response:** commented that they will not be requiring to have titles list for books going to York for Recall.\\

**Commercial Audio Book Rating:** 

**NLS Response:** Alice O’Reilly - NLS is making arrangements with commercial publishers, getting files to create DTB’s. NLS will get them in advance of publication, which brings up the issue of not rating books since they won’t have print version. NLS can’t provide tag lines for books they haven’t seen in print. Proposes that the books be labeled as Unrated, for excluded categories. Books would still be cataloged. This would allow patrons to steer clear of these. NLS will not go back through and rate the books. Network libraries could add Unrated to their exclusions for some patrons who are very sensitive. Chairs thought this was fine. These books are supplemental books and will not displace the recorded books that NLS currently provides. NLS asked and it was suggested that NLS send an alert to explain this new category and provide a paragraph that libraries could use for their newsletters as explanation. The explanation could go in TBT as well. Ratings – it depends on when a book was published and if the print book was available and/or if the cataloger is comfortable making such a call a rating without seeing the book (based on previous books in a series or author.\\

**Chairs:** There was also a suggestion to include information on narrators with accents since some patrons can’t understand the narration as well.\\

**Chairs:** Sharon asked about a Midlands resolution response, Xess – could libraries get advance cards to put into the books?\\

**NLS Response:** concerned that some libraries would advance the cycle and overburden the contractor, so answer still stands and want to stick to the process.\\

**Chairs:** Missouri would like NLS to make obtaining and distributing boxes for Recall a priority. Staff needs to incorporate Recall procedures and processes into daily, weekly, and/or monthly routines as soon as possible.\\ 

**NLS Response:** Long lead time was given for the process so libraries can work into their process. Boxes don’t cost much. Libraries can buy boxes more easily than NLS which has a byzantine purchasing process.\\

**Chairs:** Question about the most popular books list on BARD.\\

**NLS Response:** It is updated once a day based on number of downloads of a title. Lists the top 40, sorted by popularity in descending order. Haven’t gotten any feedback so far, nice to know someone is looking at it.\\

**Chairs:** What is latest on breath switch availability?\\

**NLS Response:** has some switches and adapters but don’t have enough for every library to have a demo unit. Library needs to have a patron who needs one. 1 per patron – can’t be reused. 

**Chairs:** Update on battery charger availability.\\

**NLS Response:** Still working on it with the vendor. Hoping before end of year.\\

**Chairs:** Blank cartridges fixed pricing – is it available in writing?\\

**NLS Response:** Vendor will give prices. Contact Susan Weatherton.\\

**Chairs:** More information on iOS app – when will it be operational?\\

**NLS Response:** Friday an email will go out, to the address registered with NLS, with details on how to register and get the app. Will need to register with Testflight and app will roll out on Monday. Beta testing will happen over next week or two. Then the app will be submitted to Apple for app store approval and not sure how long it will take – hours or days. Small changes will be made to the BARD tool to support the apps. Can see them at the moment on practice BARD.\\ 

**Chairs:** Android app?\\

**NLS Response:** There are problems with the contractor and could be 6 months or more before any testing will occur.\\

**Chairs:** Inclusion of local recordings in BARD?\\

**NLS Response:** There is a pilot program now underway to test delivery process of materials to BARD. After pilot project is complete, all libraries will participate. Will upload to a Google drive and NLS will add to BARD. Library will have to do quality check that it uploaded correctly and check a box in new tool for this before released. Once checked, it will be released to BARD. Timeframe is driven by execution of pilot. Internal direction from management is to get this done quickly.
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