HourGLASS A newsletter for friends of the Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services Volume 6, Issue 2 - Spring 2019 www.georgialibraries.org/glass HB 831 Employment First Act Signed Photo: Former Gov. Deal (left) signs Georgia’s Employment First Act with GVRA legislative liaison Charlie Miller (right). In May of 2018, then Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal, signed into law Georgia’s Employment First Act (HB 831). According to a press release from Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA), this piece of legislation promotes employment as the first and preferred option offered to people with disabilities receiving government-funded service. What does that mean for people with disabilities looking for work? It means that agencies like GVRA are at-the-ready and doing important work to make employment an option for everyone. GLASS fully supports GVRA’s mission and GLASS patrons who are in the market to find employment. We’re excited to offer access to titles like: Job search handbook for people with disabilities (BR020270, DB77534) and Americans with Disabilities Act (BR019318, DB73034). Both are also available on Bookshare. Are you a person with a disability and ready to work or make a career change? Resources like GVRA and your local Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) office are great places to start. GVRA’s website is: https://gvs.georgia.gov/ For more information on the ADA, visit https://ada.georgia.gov/about-ada- and-our-office Listening to BARD Books with Alexa or Home The smart devices like Google Home and Amazon’s Echo devices are more affordable than ever, and made easy gifts around the holidays. While GLASS doesn’t endorse any particular product, we know a lot of our patrons may be wondering how to access BARD books using these voice-activated devices. While there is not yet a way to access BARD books directly using your voice, it is still possible to play books over your Echo device or Google Home using the device as a speaker. Before You Start First, you’ll need to be an NLS patron and have an active BARD account. If you don’t, call your reader advisor for guidance. Next, make sure your Home or Echo device is already set up for basic use and the app for it is on your smartphone or tablet. Finally, you’ll want to have the smartphone or tablet with the BARD Mobile app on it handy. Amazon Echo 1. Make sure you’re within range of your Echo and say “Alexa, turn on Bluetooth.” 2. Alexa will say “searching.” 3. Open Settings on your phone or tablet. 4. Tap Bluetooth. 5. Select the device that includes the name “Echo.” 6. Alexa will let you know when it has successfully connected to your smartphone or tablet. 7. Pull up BARD on your phone and play a book. Google Home 1. Have the phone with your BARD mobile app ready. 2. Ask Google Home how to set up Bluetooth. 3. Your Home will take you through the steps to sync it with your phone. 4. Pull up BARD on your phone and play a book. Reader’s Digest and Cooking Light We’re pleased to share that Reader’s Digest is now available as a subscription on cartridge so patrons can listen to issues on their talking book player! GLASS patrons can also download issues on BARD. Cooking Light, one of our print and downloadable braille magazines, ceased publication in January 2019, but has been replaced with the magazine Eating Well. Patrons currently subscribed to Cooking Light will begin receiving braille versions of Eating Well instead. New issues of the magazine will be listed in BARD as Eating Well. Contact your reader advisor to find out about other available titles. Books Made Into Movies in 2018 Note: Talking books begin with DB. Braille titles begin with BR. The Sisters Brothers by Jim Zeiger (DB74172, On Bookshare) In this comedy-western, a man known as the Commodore hires hit men Eli and Charlie Sisters to kill a gold miner. As they ride the brothers encounter a variety of violent and eccentric characters. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bird Box by Josh Malerman (DB79311, BR021868, On Bookshare) As Malorie learns she is pregnant, the news is full of people committing suicides after seeing some unknown thing. She blindfolds herself and stays inside, but finally must risk death outside. Violence and strong language. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (DB77099, On Bookshare) Nicholas Young brings his girlfriend Rachel Chu home to Singapore to meet his wealthy family. But she finds herself unable to cope with his rich and spiteful relatives -- especially his mother. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bel Canto: A Novel by Ann Patchett (DB54190, BR020801, On Bookshare) The performance of an opera singer entices a Japanese industrialist to ask her to attend a party in his honor in South America. Guerrillas occupy the mansion taking everyone hostage. As the outer world recedes, relationships between captors and captives come into play. Some strong language. Like Us on Facebook For announcements about GLASS services, closures for the holidays, and just general interesting news, be sure to like and follow us on Facebook! You can find our page by searching for georgialibrariesglass. Leave a comment on the page! We’d love to hear from you. 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. Call 800-248-6701 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 Toll Free: 1-800-248-6701 Fax: 404-657-1459 www.georgialibraries.org/glass