ANDREW HEISKELL LIBRARY 40 WEST 20TH STREET • (212) 206- 5400 Technology, Culture, and Community Fair! for People who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Physically Disabled. • Try out new assistive Technology, Maker workshops, 3D Drawing and Arduino coding • Discover free access programs at major museums and venues, including the Whitney Museum • Visit with special guests such as Google • Get free audio books, newspapers, and magazines at home • Hear showcase speakers • Connect with support organizations Saturday October 15th, 10am – 4pm SAVE THE DATE INCLUDEnyc and the Brooklyn Public Library present LEARNING DISABILITIES CITYWIDE CONFERENCE Central Library 10 Grand Army Plaza Monday, November 14, 2016 from 9 A.M. - 2 P.M. more information to follow Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011 Phone: 212-206-5400 or toll-free 855-697-6975 Fax: 212-206-5418 Web: nypl.org/talkingbooks E-mail: [email protected] Application for Free Library Service for Individuals First Name: Middle Initial: Last Name: Date of birth: Gender: Street address: Apt: City: Zip: County: Home phone: Cell phone: E-mail: Email me a username/password for the online catalog. Name of local public library or branch: How did you hear about us? Please give the name of a person to contact if we cannot reach you: Name: Relationship: Phone: E-mail: By law, preference in lending books and equipment is given to veterans. Please check this box if you have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States. Certification of Eligibility Have a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, nurse, therapist, librarian, or a professional staff member of a hospital, institution, or social welfare agency certify your eligibility because of one or more of the reasons below: Blindness: Vision 20/200 or less, or visual field of 20 degrees or less. Visual Impairment: Unable to read for long periods of time with correction. Physical Disability: Unable to hold a book or turn pages. Deaf/Blindness Reading Disability: Unable to read standard print as a result of an organic dysfunction. Please note: Federal law (36 CFR 701.10) mandates that only medical doctors or doctors of osteopathy are allowed to certify cases of reading disability. To be completed by certifying authority as described above: I certify that the applicant has requested library service and is unable to read or use standard print material for the reason indicated above. Certifier's name: Title and occupation: E-mail: Phone: Address: City: State: Zip: Certifier's signature: Date: This application is a library record and, as such, is subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 4509 or New York City Practice Law and Rules as well as the Privacy Policy of The New York Public Library (available at www.nypl.org). Services Requested All books and equipment are sent and received through the mail free of charge. Talking books on digital cartridge and a digital player needed to use them. The player will be mailed to you directly upon receipt of this application. Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD). Downloadable talking books and Web-Braille. An e-mail address and an additional online application are required. Instructions will be provided on how to register and download books. Also available as an iOS app. Braille books Special Accessories Headphones - Solely for those readers who could not otherwise listen to talking books Pillow speaker - Solely for readers restricted to bed If you use a breath switch or if you are unable to access your digital talking book machine due to severe hearing loss, ask about special attachment options by calling (212) 206-5400. Catalog format: Newsletter format: Large print Large print Digital talking book E-mail: Braille Braille Reading Preferences Reading level: Adult Child (Grade: ) Young adult Preschool I wish to receive books in the following languages: English Spanish Other languages: Fiction Adventure Fairytales and folklore Animal stories Family stories Bestsellers Historical Black heritage Jewish heritage Literary classics Short stories Mysteries and spy stories Sports stories Romance War stories Science fiction Westerns Nonfiction Adventure History-U.S. Animals History-World Bestsellers Humor Biography Jewish heritage Black heritage About music Business Poetry Cooking Religion (specify) Current events Science Disabilities Sports Fine arts Travel Health and medicine War / Military Other interests: Favorite authors: I object to books with: Strong language Violence Explicit sex Other objections: Service Preferences I wish to have the library select books for me. The library will send books from the categories you indicate above or from specific requests you make. As you return books, replacement books will be mailed out to you. I wish to receive only books I request. You will need to contact us with lists of requests from our bimonthly catalog of new books, Talking Book Topics, or make requests through the online catalog. No books will be sent if there are no requests in your file. Return of materials and equipment: Books and magazines should be returned promptly to ensure continued service. Playback equipment and accessories are supplied to eligible persons on extended loan. If this equipment is not being used with audio reading material provided by the Library of Congress and its cooperating libraries, it must be returned to the Andrew Heiskell Library. Quick Reference Guide Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library th th th 40 West 20 St​ reet (between 5 ​ and 6 ​ Avenues) ​ ​ ​ New York, NY 10011 phone: 855­697­NYPL (6975) toll­free ​ 212­206­5400 local website: http://talkingbooks.nypl.org email: [email protected] WHAT WE DO • Circulate by mail audio books, braille, and playback machines especially made for people who can’t use standard print material because of a visual or physical disability. • Books and magazines are mailed free to and from library patrons, wherever they reside. There is no charge, whatsoever, to the patron. Currently, over 12,500 New Yorkers actively use the service. • Serve all eligible users on Long Island and in New York City OUR BOOKS • Digital, cassette, and braille formats • Broad range of fiction and nonfiction, from classics to bestsellers • Narrated by professional voice actors • 25,000+ audio books downloadable from BARD – http://nlsbard.loc.gov ​ OUR MACHINES We loan digital playback machines to those using recorded materials. Digital player and digital book BOOK SERVICE • Automatic service based on reading preferences or request books title by title • Set detailed preferences, with favorite subjects, authors, series’, etc. • Specify number of books and frequency of shipment • Individual and Institutional accounts • Individual • Account set up for one client’s preferences • Materials mailed directly to patron • Institutional/Schools • A staff member manages the institution’s account and distributes materials to clients • Manage service online, via email, over the phone, or by USPS mail • Returns • No due dates, no overdue fines • Suggested 4­6 week loan • Free return postage, simply turn over mailing card PROGRAMS • Visit the our barrier­free library for art, music, and book discussion programs • Check http://talkingbooks.nypl.org for upcoming events • Invite a librarian to visit your local library or institution and hold a program there! HOW TO APPLY • Find out an application: http://www.nypl.org/locations/heiskell • Mail, email it to us or visit us in person at the above address ​ ​ Free Tech Help at Andrew Heiskell Is your computer or smartphone hard to see? Would you like to learn to magnify the screen, or hear text read out loud? Are you curious about using your voice to write a letter? Do you want to check out free books and magazines using the internet? Would you like to try searching the web or using Excel? We can help! Volunteers and staff can answer those perplexing questions about using a PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or book reader. Find out about our group workshops on topics like Twitter, Siri, and Google Apps; or make an appointment to talk about accessibility options one on one. Just ask about our assistive technology programs and call (212) 621­0627 or e­mail Chancey Fleet at [email protected]. A Short History of the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library Thomas Alva Edison at age thirty with his rotating cylinder phonograph. 1995, the centennial year of The New York Public Library, also marked the 100th anniversary of the Andrew Heiskell Library. This brief history is from the brochure the library produced to commemorate the event. When applying for a patent for his tinfoil phonograph in 1877, Thomas Edison listed "phonograph books, which will speak to blind people without effort on their part" as one of the ten potential uses for his invention. Phonograph and record technology was in need of considerable development, however, before talking books could become a viable medium. The New York Free Circulating Library for the Blind was established in 1895 by Richard Randall Ferry, a wealthy hat manufacturer who suddenly became blind. When this budding braille collection was formally incorporated into The New York Public Library in 1903, it was housed in a Manhattan neighborhood parish house. The collection was moved to the St. Agnes Branch at 444 Amsterdam Avenue in 1906, and was again relocated to a larger site in the Central Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in 1911. Library staff provided home braille instruction and free delivery of books to those persons who were unable to travel to the Central Building's Reading Room. Original Helen Keller letter, The New York Public Library, Andrew Heiskell Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Collection. Throughout her adult career, Helen Keller was renowned as both a supporter of libraries and a staunch advocate for improved braille services for blind and deaf­blind individuals.