Talking Books Librarian

Buy Refurbished Kindle: cheap discount - $149 shipped

2009-09-28T14:00:00.010-05:00

Wow, you can buy refurbished Kindle for only $149! This is for a first generation, refurbished Kindle at Amazon. I was shocked to see how cheap Kindles are now! I seriously can't believe how they have given such a huge discount on Amazon Kindles and that they are now selling Kindles so cheap. Sure, it's first generation, but it's still a Kindle! This could make a great Christmas present for someone, or for that special librarian in your life (hint, hint!). You can see the refurbished Kindle at Amazon. I don't know how often the refurbished Kindles come in stock, but there are some available now, so buy one ASAP before they're all gone! If you can't see the photo above, click refurbished Kindle to see the Kindles.

Best Children's Halloween Books

2009-09-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Halloween will soon be here, so I wanted to post a list of some of the best children's Halloween books for those of you who are looking for good Halloween books for your kids! Everyone will have their own favorite children's Halloween books, and books that they consider the best children's Halloween books, but here is a list to get you started:

Rather than post a lengthy review of each book, I am going to link to them, and you can read more reviews directly on Amazon for more information......

Big Pumpkin

Halloween Night

Penny Whistle Halloween Book

The Pumpkin Goblin Makes Friends

The Cheerios Halloween Play Book (this one is fun if you have a box of Cheerios as you read along with the book)

Online career event for persons with disabilities

2009-09-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know there is going to be an online career event for persons with disabilities? It is hosted by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, so these are federal government jobs. It will be held on Monday, September 28, at 11 am Eastern. There will be a free live chat session with the actual hiring managers from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission! Get more info on the online career event for persons with disabilities. There is even a brief screening questionnaire available on the website to help you determine if you qualify for the available jobs!

Living with diabetes: emotions, family, restrictions

2009-09-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

Living with diabetes: emotions, family, restrictions - I recently received an email from the Accessible World News Wire, announcing another interesting free event about diabetes! Please share this information with anyone you know you could benefit from this free "living with diabetes" program:

"The topic under discussion will be: Wrestling with the emotions of living with Diabetes i.e. family involvement, life restrictions, rebellion and so forth.

Although we prefer that you use your computer to come into our audio community room, we are providing you with a telephone number to conference you directly into our phone center. The phone number is 218-844-3388; pin: 090807 followed by the pound sign. While our host is making her presentation, please mute your phone with star 6. This is a toggle and you may ask a question by again using star 6.

Presenter: Natalie J. Nankin, Licensed Nutritionist

Email: Njnank@aol.com

Date: Wednesday September 23, 2009

Time: 6:00 p.m. PDT, 7:00 p.m. MDT, 8:00 p.m. CDT, 9:00 p.m. EDT,

and elsewhere in the world Thursday 1:00 GMT.

Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; go to the Accessible World Room: Living with Diabetes at:

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs54fe10ea333d

Or, alternatively,

Select the Accessible World Living with Diabetes Room at: http://www.accessibleworld.org/

Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.

If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run. A link to the software is available on every entry screen to the Accessible World rooms.

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience. To speak to us, hold down the control key and let up to listen. If no microphone is available, you may text chat with the attendees."

Cool home loans and financial website: GetSmart

2009-09-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Lots of library patrons are looking to save money these days and several of you have probably already received patrons asking about how to refinance home loans. Of course as librarians we do not give financial advice, but we CAN refer people to helpful financial related websites. I recently learned about a cool home loans website that may help some of your library patrons. It is called GetSmart. You can see the GetSmart website at http://www.getsmart.com/.

GetSmart offers information on home loans, as well as other financial information that is written in an easy to understand format (which your patrons will appreciate)! The website is very easy to navigate, which is one of the things I really like about this site. GetSmart offers a quick "two minute" form that people can fill out that will instantly connect them with five lenders competing for their business. There are over 200 lenders that are connected with the GetSmart website, so this should increase the chance of getting good refinance rates! There are also helpful mortgage calculators and refinance calculators on the site. Some of the other useful features include the loan resources, FAQ, and testimonials. (These are the colored tab sections on the main page.) For those of you with student loans (that's probably about all of us, ha ha!), there is even a student loan section. So check out GetSmart and then share the info with your patrons!

***Obviously, I would recommend that anyone providing financial information do so on a secure and non-public computer at home, rather than at a public computer in a library.

Participate in Clinical Trials

2009-09-21T09:32:00.001-05:00

Did you know there are lots of clinical trials available that you can participate in? An easy way to find and participate in a clinical trial is to search the government's clinical trial database. You can find the Clinical Trials website at http://clinicaltrials.gov/. I just checked out the site, and there are clinical trials going on for all sorts of health related conditions, all across the country. If you are interested in signing up for a clinical trial, check with your doctor and then check out the clinical trials site.

Traveling for blind and visually impaired persons

2009-09-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

I recently received another Tek Talk newsletter announcing another great upcoming program! This one will be about traveling (travel), for blind and visually impaired persons! Here is the info on the traveling program for blind and visually impaired persons, taken straight from the Tek Talk Newsletter:

"Come pick up information and tips on traveling! We will be holding a panel discussion on traveling for blind and visually impaired persons. Three experienced travelers will share their experiences and offer tips and suggestions to make traveling easier. Discussions are underway to add a fourth panelist who operates a travel agency specializing in travel for the blind. This is also a chance to share some of your own travel experiences as there will be some open time for questions and discussion.

Panelists:

Diana St. James, Owner, Dimension in Travel, Novato, California

Ruth Ann Acosta

Sherry Wells

Larry Gasman

Sherry Wells organized this panel.Thanks Sherry!

See you there!

Nan Hawthorne, Group Facilitator

Email: hawthorne@nanhawthorne.com

Date: Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Time: 6:00 p.m. PDT, 7:00 p.m. MDT, 8:00 p.m. CDT, 9:00 p.m. EDT

and elsewhere in the world Wednesday 1:00 GMT.

Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; go to the Accessible World Classroom at:

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs0f1c528bd81"

Touch Graphics: free program

2009-09-10T13:00:00.001-05:00

I recently received an email from the TekTalk newsletter, and it looks like there is a cool program coming up on Monday, September 14, that you won't want to miss!

Taken directly from the email:

"For this Tek Talk, Steve Landau will be discussing recent work by Touch Graphics, Inc. to develop a variety of innovative products, such as:

a talking digital "pen" that announces place names as you touch its tip to the surface of specially printed tactile graphic sheets;
talking, touchable models that describe themselves as they are touched by visitors to museums or users of public information kiosks;
wiiCane, a new interactive training system for teaching correct use of the two-point touch method for cane use to young children,
and a continuing stream of content for our flagship product, the Talking Tactile Tablet (also known as TTT or T3).

We will be focusing especially on the ways that all of these projects leverage the power of audio-tactile interactive computing, (where a computer is made to speak descriptive feedback in response to user touches or gestures. Audio-tactile interactivity is the key to making these devices and systems engaging, intuitive and universally accessible. He will also be talking about the important role of collaboration between this private company, University research groups (including City University of New York, Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, and University of Buffalo), and government funding agencies (including the United States Department of Education, National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the National Science Foundation to make this work possible.

Date: Monday, September 14th, 2009.

Time: 5:00 p.m. PDT, 6:00 p.m. MDT, 7:00 p.m. CDT, and 8:00 p.m. EDT

and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 0:00 GMT

Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; go to The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

Or, alternatively.

Select The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at: www.accessibleworld.org

Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience. To speak to us, hold down the control key and let up to listen. If a microphone is not available, you may text chat with the attendees.

All Tek Talk Training events are recorded and archived. If you are unable to participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the Accessible World Recent Additions at www.accessibleworld.org Previous Tek Talk programs are available by selecting Tek Talk Archives on the same webpage.

Accessible World uses News Wires, like this one, to inform people of the topic and times for the many Discussion Groups on Accessible World. The lists are announce only to keep the traffic to a minimum. You can join the Accessible World Announce List, the Tek Talk Announce List or the Sports Talk Announce List by completing the form at: www.accessibleworld.org/mailinglists

Accessible World also provides a Tek Talk Discussion List. This list is intended to give you an opportunity to ask computer related questions, suggest topics to be used in the weekly Monday training programs, or just to interact with others interested in using assistive devices to access computers. You may sign up for this list by selecting the Tek Talk Discussion link on the same page and completing the form."

Free books for Kindle / Amazon Kindle free e-books

2009-09-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

Did you know you can get FREE books for the Kindle / Amazon Kindle free books? That's right, you can get free Kindle books (free Kindle e-books)!

I was surprised at how many free books are available for the Kindle! Get your free Kindle books now! These free books will work on the "regular" Amazon Kindle (6 inch) AND the new large screen Kindle DX (9.7 inch)!

And we all know, nothing beats FREE books! I don't know how long these books will be available for free on the Kindle and Kindle DX, so get them today before they're gone!

Free ebooks / free e-books

2009-08-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Did you all know that you can get free ebooks / free e-books at Amazon? It's true! Amazon has some free ebooks / free e-books that anyone can download at no charge! How cool is that? Be sure to check out the free ebooks / free e-books at Amazon!

FREE EBOOKS / Free e-books at Amazon

RFB&D Free Membership for Individuals

2009-08-18T15:22:00.004-05:00

RFB&D Free Membership for Individuals

You can get a free individual membership to RFB&D. Sign up for the RFB&D free membership for individuals here. Please note you must have your membership certified (certification is free), just as you do for the free Talking Books program through the Library of Congress.

For those of you not familiar with RFB&D, this is the Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic. According to their websiite, it is an "accessible audiobook library for students with disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia. With titles available in every subject area and grade level, RFB&D’s digitally recorded audio textbooks help students challenged by the printed page."

Here is more specific information about the free RFB&D membership, taken directly from the RFB&D website,

"Member benefits include:

FREE access to the nation's largest audiobook library of textbooks and literature titles
Human-narrated audiobooks with descriptions of images, tables and graphs
Easy-to-use online catalog
24/7 online member services and phone support
Various audiobook downloadable formats, including DAISY and WMA (Windows Media Audio)"

Free detailed hearing aid guide

2009-08-17T14:43:00.001-05:00

I just learned about this site that offers a free detailed hearing aid guide. I think this guide will only be available for a limited time through this link, so if you're interested, be sure to get one ASAP!

Kindle coupon code / Kindle 2 coupon code / Amazon Kindle coupon code: Discounts for Kindle 2

2009-08-05T13:37:00.004-05:00

Kindle coupon code / Kindle 2 coupon code / Amazon Kindle coupon code: Discounts for Kindle 2

Is there a coupon code for the Kindle? Are there any discounts for Kindle? Is there a coupon for Kindle 2 or Kindle DX (large screen Kindle)?

Well, people all over the country are continuing to visit this blog, wondering if Amazon is EVER going to release a coupon code for the Kindle 2 / coupon for the Kindle, or offer any discounts for the Kindle. I can tell you that it does not look like a coupon code for Kindle is going to be released right now. However, the price of the Kindle recently dropped to $299, so this is a HUGE deal! The Kindle price without a coupon is now only $299, which is MUCH less than what the original Kindle started at! The Kindles are also shipping very quickly right now - So if you want a Kindle or a Kindle DX (the large screen kindle), just buy a Kindle / Kindle DX already! :)

It could be a very long time before a coupon code for Kindle 2 or any further discounts appear for the Kindle or Kindle DX. But you can bet that if any Kindle coupon codes or Kindle discounts do appear, I will post about it here on Talking Books Librarian blog.

To stay up to date on any Kindle coupon codes, please sign up for regular updates to the Talking Books Librarian blog. Click here to sign up for updates!

See the Amazon Kindle 2 here

See the Kindle DX here

Digital Talking Books arrive!

2009-08-05T13:32:00.002-05:00

The Director of Talking Books Services in Kansas, Toni Harrell, recently shared the following news with Kansas Librarians via email on 8/4/09 - it is an exciting time in Kansas:

"You may hear shouts of joy and general excitement coming from a Talking Book Service Center near you as the first titles in the digital format arrived today. The digital players are expected to arrive sometime in the coming weeks.

The new format has many benefits including digital sound quality, ease of navigation, the player is smaller and lighter than the cassette machine, and since most books fit on one cartridge there will be no more turning over tapes or changing side selector switch... Did I mention that there is a sleep button and that the batteries can last 20 plus hours before needing to be recharged? --- Can you tell we are excited???

For more information and a look at the new format check out a recent article at http://statelibrary.mykansaslibrary.org/talking-books-digital-player-debut/ or visit the NLS website at http://www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan/playerdescription.html "

This is definitely an exciting time for Talking Books patrons in Kansas! Yay!

Did you know you can get paid to search online?

2009-07-20T09:30:00.001-05:00

Did you know you can get paid to search online? Seriously! There is a site called Swagbucks that pays you to search online. As you search on the site, you randomly win Swagbucks. Once you have 45 Swagbucks, you can cash in for a $5 Amazon gift card! I've been using the site for awhile and it's a pretty cool way to earn free Amazon gift cards.

Now, is the search engine as good as Google? Of course not, but they do use Google and Ask to power their search results. I generally use it a few times a day, until I've earned at least a few Swagbucks each day. The Swagbucks really start to add up over time. I have 917 Swagbucks in my account right now as I write this on Saturday afternoon - that's 20 $5 Amazon gift cards, or $100. Not too shabby! (You can click here to come to the blog and see my most recent total- the total goes down when I cash out and goes up as I earn more Swagbucks. You can see the total listed in the Swagbucks widget in the sidebar.) It's free to sign up and use Swagbucks, and there's nothing to download. You can check out the site for yourself here:

Swagbucks

How to use Facebook / Introduction to Facebook - July 20

2009-07-18T13:08:00.001-05:00

Taken from the Accessible World News Wire:

On Monday July 20th, JoAnn Becker will present an introduction to Facebook, one of the world's largest social networks. She will discuss the myriad ways in which people are using this social utility to communicate with one another. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with people. They can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to inform friends about themselves.

During this presentation JoAnn will demonstrate:* how to register and create an account;* how to build a personal profile; *how to add friends; * how to upload photos; * how to explore settings.

If there are classmates, colleagues, friends with whom you wish to reconnect, Facebook may be able to help.

Date: Monday, July 20 2009.

Time: 5:00 p.m. PDT, 6:00 p.m. MDT, 7:00 p.m. CDT, and 8:00 p.m. EDT
And elsewhere in the world Tuesday 0:00 GMT

Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; go to The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

Or, alternatively.

Select The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at: http://www.accessibleworld.org. Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.

All Tek Talk training events are recorded so if you are unable to participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the Tek Talk archives on our website at http://www.accessibleworld.org

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience or text chat with the attendees. To speak to us, hold down the control key and talk; then let up to listen.

Sign up information for all Accessible World News Wires and discussion lists are also available at our website http://www.accessibleworld.org.

Blind man drives car (a brand new Ford Mustang)

2009-07-13T09:23:00.003-05:00

Have you read the article Blind Man wins chance to burn rubber in a brand new Mustang?

Taken from the article: " 'They told me the smoke was so thick, they could barely see the car,' Keeney said... NASCAR driver Tommy Kendall rode shotgun while Keeney approached 90 mph on a desolate test road in Phoenix, a chance he won with an essay in Ford's promotional sweepstakes for the new model."

Check out the entire article here: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/051209/new_438788501.shtml

Get McAfee Total Protection 2009 3-User totally FREE right now

2009-06-22T14:34:00.003-05:00

I wanted to alert you all about this freebie going on right now. You can get the McAfee Total Protection 2009 3-User software on Amazon FREE after rebate!

This product is currently selling on Amazon for $64.99, and it has a $70 rebate. So save yourself some money and get this free software before it's gone! You need to order the software directly from Amazon to get the rebate (not another Amazon retailer/store at Amazon, it must be directly from Amazon.com). You can see / order the software here:

McAfee Total Protection 2009 3-User (please note you need to order the software directly from Amazon.com and not another retailer to get the rebate)

Kindle DX / Amazon Kindle DX shipping date June 10

2009-06-10T09:01:00.003-05:00

The Amazon Kindle DX / Kindle DX now has a shipping date of June 10! That means the Kindle DX will start shipping today. If you pre-ordered one of these, you should have it soon. If you haven't ordered one yet, now is the time, as yours will ship in a few days! How exciting! This new Amazon Kindle DX has a large 9.7 inch screen and more memory!

You can see the new Kindle here at Amazon (click one of the links below):

Amazon Kindle DX

Accessible World presents Twitter, Tek Talk, June 1, 2009

2009-05-28T12:50:00.002-05:00

I received the following email from Accessible World Tek Talk News Wire: (copied and pasted below) - BTW, if you're on Twitter, follow me there at http://twitter.com/talkingbooks

Accessible World presents Twitter, Tek Talk, June 1, 2009

News Wire:

Accessible World's Tek Talk Training for Monday June first, 2009 is all about Twitter. With the ever-growing popularity of social networking, Accessible World is delighted to have Rich Cavallaro a student from Hofstra University, as our guest on Tek Talk. He will guide us through the many features of this ever-growing social networking site. Rich will discuss how to set up an account, how to follow people, how to send the different types of messages, ways to tweet and more.

Using Twitter, people are able to have a constant link among family, friends, and also get the latest information about various companies. Twitter is a service that millions are using around the world. Join us on Tek Talk so that you too, can learn how to tweet on twitter.
Monday, June first, 2009.

Time: 5:00 p.m. PDT, 6:00 p.m. MDT, 7:00 p.m. CDT, and 8:00 p.m. EDT
and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 0:00 GMT

Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time; go to
The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

Or, alternatively.

Select The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:
http://www.accessibleworld.org. Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.

All Tek Talk training events are recorded so if you are unable to participate live
at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the Tek
Talk archives on our website at: http://www.accessibleworld.org

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and open
to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a computer, speakers, and a sound
card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others
in the virtual audience or text chat with the attendees. To speak to us just hold down the control key and let up to listen.

If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software,
there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run. A link to the software is available on every entry screen to the Accessible World online rooms.

Sign up information for all Accessible World News Wires and discussion lists are
also available at our website: http://www.accessibleworld.org.

Accessible World Contacts:

Robert Acosta, Chair
Accessible World
818-998-0044
Email:
boacosta@pacbell.net
Web:
http://www.helpinghands4theblind.org

Joann Becker, Events Coordinator
Accessible World
617-969-1213
Email:
joannbecker@pcomcast.net

George Buys, CEO
Talking Communities
Email:
buys@talkingcommunities.com

The Accessible World, a division of Helping Hands
For The Blind, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, seeks to educate the general
public, the disabled community and the professionals who serve them by providing
highly relevant information about new products, services, and training opportunities
designed specifically to eliminate geographic and access barriers that adversely
affect them.

Review of Wayfinder Access GPS and Mobile Geo - May issue of Accessworld

2009-05-14T11:14:00.003-05:00

Review of Wayfinder Access GPS and Mobile Geo - May issue of Accessworld

You can read the May issue of Accessworld online here. May's issue includes a review of the Wayfinder Access GPS and Mobile Geo.

There's also an article on accessible pedestrian signals. Be sure to check it out!

The Alzheimer's Project on HBO May 10 - May 12

2009-05-08T10:14:00.003-05:00

The Alzheimer's Project will air on HBO on May 10 - May 12. To find out more about the Alzheimer's project, go here.

To get more information about Alzheimer's Disease, also check out the Alzheimer's Association website at http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Swine Flu (H1N1 Flu) information videos in sign language (ASL)

2009-05-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

Swine Flu (H1N1 Flu) information videos in sign language

You can get information about the Swine Flu / H1N1 flu in sign language at Deafmd.org. There are 9 videos in sign language (ASL). You can see the list of videos here

Videos include Public Service Announcement, Overview, Signs & Symptoms, How is it spread, Prevention, Medications, Caring for Someone Who is Sick, How Serious is it, and What is the CDC doing.

There is no sound on the videos and the videos are not captioned at this time. These are exclusively ASL videos. This could be a great resource to share with patrons via your website if you already have a swine flu / h1n1 flu section.

Pre-order Kindle DX 9.7 inch large screen - Kindle DX 9.7 inch large screen release date

2009-05-06T11:37:00.007-05:00

Pre-order Kindle DX 9.7 inch large screen - Kindle DX 9.7 inch large screen release date

You can now officially pre-order Kindle DX with an extra large 9.7 inch screen from Amazon. The Kindle DX release date has not been set by Amazon yet, but orders are first come first serve, so reserve your place in line now to get it first! Also, even if you pre-order now, you can always cancel later. So do it now, rather than later, to get first dibs on the Kindle DX! I know I want one!!!!

The Kindle DX has an extra large 9.7 inch screen and includes text to speech. The price is $489. I don't know of any coupon codes yet, but if I learn of any coupons or coupons codes, I will post them in my blog!

I'm excited because this larger screen is really going to make a big difference for users, and just like the new generation Kindle, it has text to speech! Plus, it has over twice as much storage as the new generation Kindle!

If you haven't seen the Kindle DX 9.7 inch large screen yet, check it out here (if you can't see the picture, click the text link below):

Kindle DX

Liquid level indicator / liquid stop indicator - How to safely pour liquids when you are blind or visually impaired

2009-05-05T14:34:00.006-05:00

Liquid level indicator / liquid stop indicator - How to safely pour liquids when you are blind or visually impaired

AFB's Senior Site has a great video explaining how to safely pour liquids when you are blind or visually impaired, using a liquid level indicator / liquid stop indicator. Check it out here!

You can actually buy liquid level indicators several places, including Amazon. These are very useful in preventing spills and burns, especially with hot liquids. You can see some liquid level indicators here (if you can't see the pictures, click on the text links):

Liquid Level Musical Alert

Easy Say Stop Liquid Level Indicator