Talking Book Services News

Join us for a reception and awards ceremony for the 2015 art installation at the South Carolina State Library Talking Book Services Art Gallery.

May 7, 201511:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.1500 Senate StreetColumbia, SC

RSVP to Sandy Knowles at 803-734-4611, 1-800-922-7818, or sknowles@statelibrary.sc.gov

All artwork has been created by blind or visually impaired students from around the state of South Carolina.

The Spring 2015 issues of Connect the Dots, the newsletter of the State Library's Talking Book Services, is now available online.

(The following is a guest post by Karen Keninger, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.) - There are times when a “best-kept secret” is exactly what you want. But not when it comes to one of the most highly valued services provided through the Library of Congress – namely the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

Do you know individuals or groups that have had a statewide impact on literacy?  Nominate them for the South Carolina Annual Literacy Leader (ALL) awards for 2015.

The ALL awards are presented by the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina in the fall of each year to individuals and/or groups that have had a statewide impact on literacy in South Carolina. Contributions may include the following activities:

Check out the newly redesigned National Library Service (NLS) website!  NLS is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page.

April 16, 2015 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Save The Date for the 2015 Advocacy Day for Access & Independence. The day’s events will feature disability advocate speakers, a rally, and the opportunity for community members to meet with lawmakers. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, so it’s more important than ever to come together to promote change in South Carolina. More information and registration.

Don’t miss the chance to see and try products for people with all types of disabilities and age-related limitations! The SC Assistive Technology (AT) Expo is the only event of its kind in South Carolina, offered only once a year, free of charge. It’s a unique gathering of many people interested in discovering new ideas, networking with others, and expanding their horizons.

The South Carolina Academy of Authors (SCAA) is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s fellowship competitions in fiction and poetry.

By the end of 2015, if not sooner, all of the Talking Book Services audio cassette books will be out of circulation. The National Library Service (NLS) for the blind has been working to convert as many of them as they can to digital. Many are already available for download from the BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) system.

As fewer and fewer cassettes will be sent to library users, Talking Book Services patrons should consider returning the old yellow cassette player to the State Library's Talking Book Services.

Throughout human history, technology has always impacted the way people live. The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new age of technology that raised the standards of living of people around the world and their access to goods and services. Today, technology is built in to every facet of daily living. The emergence of information and communications technologies have dramatically increased connectivity between people and their access to information, and further raised living standards. Learn more about this year's theme.