HourGLASS A newsletter for friends of the Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services Volume 4, Issue 3 - Summer 2017 www.georgialibraries.org/glass Building Our Summer Reading Program It is that time of year when students are looking forward to the long, lazy days of summer. Well, not too lazy days, because public libraries all around Georgia, including GLASS, are planning summer reading programs in our communities in an effort to assist students in maintaining their reading level over the summer months. Summer reading programs also motivate students to read and to have a positive attitude about reading. The GLASS summer reading program runs from June 1 to July 28. “Build a Better World” is the theme this year. The goal is to have each student read a minimum of 10 books to be eligible for a grand prize drawing. Every student participating in the summer reading program will receive a National Library Service (NLS) braille ruler. Students may read large print or braille, or listen to audiobooks. Being read to also counts. Participants are encouraged to use BARD for their audiobooks or call GLASS to order books. Students can expect their packets in the mail inviting them to sign up for the GLASS summer reading program. We’re sponsoring events at GLASS Atlanta this summer. On July 19, we will have a storytime and craft activities for young readers as well as campers from the Center for the Visually Impaired’s STARS program. We’ll also have two Read-to-Me programs for preschool students and their caregivers to introduce the summer reading program to our younger patrons. You can find our event announcements on the GLASS Facebook page, or call us at 1-800-248-6701. Bookshare: Many Ways To Read GLASS patrons can get free Bookshare accounts, gaining access to even more books! Bookshare gives you many more ways to read. You can download ebraille books to your refreshable braille display. There are MP3 versions of books you can download to a device like a Victor Stream Reader or an MP3 player. You can even put MP3 books on a flash drive and play them on your talking book player! There are free apps for reading on your smartphone or tablet, as well as paid apps like Voice Dream Reader, which allows users to get a wider variety of the text to speech voices. Patrons who prefer text may like Bookshare’s accessible ebooks, which can be read on your smartphone, tablet or computer. These ebooks have features for adjusting contrast, margins and font size. If you have a reading disability, try turning on BeeLine Reader, which adds a color gradient to guide the eye. The ebooks also highlight the text as it is read aloud. Finally, if there’s a book you find on Bookshare that you need help downloading, give your reader advisor a call and let them know! We have several Bookshare users on staff who can give you tips. Coming Soon: GLASS Peer Support Group Are you or someone you know struggling with vision loss? Do you find yourself wishing you could perform tasks you did before vision loss? Have you wished you could talk to someone who is going through the same experiences as you? You are not alone. Join the GLASS support group for the blind and visually impaired community. The support group will meet remotely over the telephone. It will be open to individuals who are newly blind, individuals who need help coping with their vision impairment or blindness, and family members of those affected by vision loss anywhere in Georgia. The focus of this group will be sharing information, resources and emotional support to empower greater independence and quality of life. Our first monthly meeting will be held in August 2017. Date and time will be announced at a later date. For more information, call Vanessa at 1-800-248-6701. Returning Holy Books We understand how easy it is to hold on to a favorite book. However, not returning books keeps fellow readers from experiencing a book. Of all the books we have that our patrons love to read and reread, holy books are the hardest to keep in stock. Some patrons want to have their own copy to study, so they don’t return the copy sent by GLASS. This means other patrons wanting to experience one of these books are unable to get a copy in a timely manner. If you want your own copy of a holy book to reread and study, we encourage you to get a personal copy so you can spend the time you need with the text. There are several groups that will provide you with your own copy at little or no cost. Call GLASS at 1-800-248-6701 and we’ll recommend resources for you! Books About Wayward Technology Note: Talking books begin with DB. Braille titles begin with BR. Invasive by Chuck Wendig (DB86780, On Bookshare) FBI consultant Hannah identifies threats that use bleeding-edge technology. Her latest case is someone weaponizing the natural world to commit murders. Strong language and some violence. The Circle: A Novel by Dave Eggers (DB77770, On Bookshare) Mae begins work at the Circle--a company that reinvented the Internet by creating one transparent identity for each user. She begins to discover it may have a dark side. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Dark Matter: A Novel by Blake Crouch (DB85205, BR21643, On Bookshare) After being kidnapped, Jason wakes up to an unfamiliar family and a life where he is a celebrated genius. He struggles to determine which life is real. Unrated. One Second After by William Forstchen (DB69145, BR21407, On Bookshare) Nuclear bombs detonate high above the United States. Electromagnetic pulses destroy technology, forcing Americans into ruthless survival mode. Some violence and some strong language. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (DB84351, On Bookshare) Research into an excavated giant robot hand causes chaos. Unrated. GLASS Events GLASS offers a variety of events, both in person and remotely over the phone. So we have events for Georgians from Atlanta to Zebulon! Find our events on the Facebook page for Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services. Click “subscribe” to get notices when we add events. You can also call 1-800-248-6701. Call 404-235-7157 to request this newsletter in alternate formats. Join our email list at: hourglass@georgialibraries.org HourGLASS is published quarterly by the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS), a division of Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the University System of Georgia. This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to Georgia Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345 Phone: 404-235-7200