Reading is for Everyone... Macomb Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped @ CMPL
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Reading is for Everyone...
Macomb Library for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped @ CMPL
(586) 286-1580 Winter 2021
Expanding Audio Newsletter Service
The Macomb Library for the Blind If you receive an audio recording and
and Physically Handicapped is trying finish listening to it, please return it
something new this year in regard to to the library in the mailing container
our Reading is for Everyone Newslet- provided. We will reuse the cartridge
ter. Normally, we send a print copy to for our next newsletter.
all of our patrons three times a year.
We have also been sending an audio Also, if you receive an audio-recorded
recording of the newsletter to a small newsletter and do not care to receive
number of patrons on our service who another one in the future, please call
have requested an audio copy in the the library and let us know.
past.
We hope this way of communicating
Now, we are going to try and expand our latest that we have to offer will
our circulation of audio recordings of be helpful to our patrons.
the newsletter in the hope that many
more of you will be able to hear the
latest our library has to offer. You Contact Us
will still get the print copy as always.
And not all of you will receive an au- Phone: (586) 286-1580
dio copy. If you do not receive an au- Toll-free: (855) 203-5274
dio copy it is either because you are
mlbph@cmpl.org
a large print by mail patron only or a
www.cmpl.org/mlbph
BARD only user. However, if for some
reason we inadvertently did not send
MLBPH Staff is available Monday
you an audio copy of the newsletter,
through Friday from 9 a.m. until
and you have one of our machines at
5 p.m.*
home, please feel free to call us at the
library to request an audio recording.
*Leave a message after 5 p.m. and
Our phone number is (586) 286-
we will return your call as soon as
1580.
possible.Macomb Library for the Blind – Keeping You Informed This has been a very unpredictable year! Different organizations are changing their mode of operation and one never quite knows what the new normal is. At the Macomb Library for the Blind, we are following the protocol of our host library, the Clinton-Macomb Public Library. Our library director is always looking out for the safest way to protect our customers and staff during these uncertain times. A great thing about the Library for the Blind service is that it is by mail or for those of you on BARD, online. Therefore, a visit to our library build- ing is usually not a necessity. If you are in doubt as to whether you should visit the library, please give us a call just to make sure staff is available to assist you. There may be times when the library will be closed to the public, however, we are continuing to take phone calls during our normal operating hours. We do not want you to waste a trip, so please call ahead. Most of your requests can be handled over the phone. Our contact number is (586) 286-1580 or toll free (855) 203-5274. If you reach our voicemail, know that either we are assisting other patrons, away from the desk or per- haps it is after service hours. We encourage you to leave a detailed message and we will return your call. Also, you can email us at mlbph@cmpl.org That is another easy way to get information. Our website is https://cmpl.org/mlbph which offers other high- lights of our services. Technology Questions Technology can be frustrating at best and downright impossible to deal with at its worst. Our technology tutor, Marie, may be able to get you on the right path. If you have issues dealing with a Windows-based computer, need ideas to make your computer more adaptable, or have a question about your iPad, iPod or iPhone, we will make an appointment for you with Marie so you can talk with her over the phone. Please give our library a call at (586) 286-1580 for more details.
Cold Temps More Books A Minute with Marie
It always seems logical that as the This is a new column from our com-
thermometer goes down, our book puter tutor and program facilitator,
circulation goes up. Our patrons are Marie.
staying indoors and keeping warm
with a good book. Looking for a cheap, easy way to
break into the technology market?
If it has been a while since you have Looking for a device that covers
received any new audio books or large your basic needs from a technol-
print books by mail from our service, ogy and accessibility standpoint?
you may want to check if any older Have friends and family rummage
books might be waiting for you to in the places where they keep their
mail back to us that may have been discarded tech. You may be able to
forgotten. During these unprecedent- use an older iPhone, iPad, iPod or
ed times, everyone’s routines have Android. Even an older iPhone may
been altered, and it could be that you be used without activating the tele-
have some older audio books or large phone portion. You will, of course,
print books in a corner that you did need WiFi to get any device up and
not realize were still there. running and to access apps such
as Bard to download books. If your
Should that be the case, as long as home already has Cable TV you may
you are done listening or reading be able to get an Internet/WiFi add-
them, just pop them in the mail back on for a monthly fee; check with
to us and we will send out new books your provider. Please note, when re-
for you. claiming an older iPhone, make sure
it is an iPhone 6 or newer.
Also, if you are receiving books that
you do not care for – either the sub- Another option is to buy new. There
ject matter, author, or narrator – are ways to do this without breaking
please let us know by giving us a call. the bank. A brand-new iPod starts
We can change your record to best at $200; this is with 64G of storage
reflect your preferences or even the and a new high-speed chip inside.
number of books you are receiving. It is not a phone but is perfectly
At any time, if you have any ques- adequate for using Bard, Audible,
tions, please call us at (586) 286- and a host of other apps. You can
1580, so you can receive books that even text your iPhone friends! Use a
you enjoy! Bluetooth keyboard to make typing
easier. The iPod also supports Voice
Over, which will make it easier to
move up to an iPhone or iPad, when-
ever you are ready.Kathy’s Choice fateful summer, this is an unforget-
table novel about discovering the ter-
MLBPH Library Assistant, Kathy, has rible price of wisdom and the endur-
some “choice” books to share with ing grace of God. Some violence and
you! Here are two of her favorites. some strong language.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine This is definitely one of the favorites I
by Gail Honeyman have recommended to several people.
DB 78187
Meet Eleanor Oliphant struggles with
appropriate social skills and tends Survey Says
to say exactly what she’s thinking.
Nothing is missing in her carefully In our Fall 2020 newsletter, we sent
scheduled life where weekends are in- out a patron survey, as we do ev-
clude frozen pizza, vodka, and phone ery three years, to find out how our
chats with Mummy. Enter Raymond, service is being used and how we
the bumbling IT guy from her office. can improve. We have tabulated our
When she and Raymond together results and here is what we have
save Sammy, an elderly gentleman learned.
who has fallen, the three rescue one
another from the lives of isolation Most of our patrons hear about our
that they had been living. Will Elea- services from their medical or reha-
nor’s ridged life structure be upended bilitation provider. Learning about our
by Raymond and his ability to get her library from friends or relatives came
to break out of her habits? in second with several people hear-
ing about us from their local public
This book was a charming read be- library.
cause of the descriptions from the
voice of Eleanor. DB 87829 Many of our patrons obtain updates
about our library service through our
Ordinary Grace by William Kent newsletter as well as by calling the
Krueger library or getting information from
Lansing’s Braille and Talking Book
It’s 1961 when unexpected trag- newsletter called In Focus.
edy strikes the family of 13-year-old
Frank. He finds himself thrust into More than 60% of those responding
the adult work that includes his ar- to our survey have access to the in-
tistic mother, his Methodist minister ternet through a computer or other
father and older siblings. Secrets, lies, such device, however, over 33% do
adultery, and betrayal abound and not have access. Of those that have
he must find maturity and gumption access to the internet, only 20% use
beyond his years. Told from Frank’s BARD, our braille and audio reading
perspective forty years after that continued on next page...download service, with other respon- have kept many of you informed of
dents saying they prefer to get their what we were offering during the
audiobooks by mail or are not sure spring, which was our way of continu-
what BARD is. If you are not sure ing library services by mail to you.
what BARD is and are interested in Since this was something new for us
getting audiobooks downloaded to and for our patrons, we have a sense
your electronic equipment, please call that although many patrons were
us at (586) 286-1580 for details. informed, an equal amount may not
have known this message was from
Also, for those patrons our library. We will reevaluate this
who have access to the way of communication.
internet, 29% post to
social media and it ap- We also asked our patrons to rate our
pears that Facebook is services over all. Eighty-seven per-
a popular choice. This cent rated our service “excellent” and
has prompted us to look 12% rated our service “good,” with
into creating a Facebook page for the no one choosing “fair” or “poor.”
Macomb Library for the Blind. More
news on that in future newsletter is- And what do our patrons use from
sues. our service? Well, many patrons use
more than one service, and here is
In the spring of 2020, when the li- the breakdown: 98% of responders
brary’s services were temporarily re- said they get audiobooks, 30% get
organized due to the COVID situation, audio magazines, 20% use BARD,
we used an automated phone service 16% use large print by mail, 10%
that reached out to patrons a few take advantage of our free computer
times during this interval to keep ev- tutoring service, 6% use our audio-
eryone updated on the library. In our described DVDs, 6% are in our Vision
current survey, we asked if this was Network group, 4% receive braille
helpful to keep people informed about books, 4% are in our book discussion
our library. About an even number group and 2% make use of our braille
of responders said either yes, it was and large print games as well as the
helpful, or they were unsure of the loan of our iPad.
question or had never received a call.
A smaller number replied that they Thank you to all the survey par-
did not find this call helpful. ticipants. This helps us get a clearer
understanding of how we are meeting
The service we used allowed us to your library needs. We like the fact
record a message to our patrons and that our surveys are anonymous, so
then have it simultaneously call the if you responded to the survey and
hundreds of you on our service with- wrote a question on it, please feel free
out staff having to call everyone indi- to call us at (586) 286-1580 so we
vidually. We were hoping this might can provide more information.Reader Recommendations The Bounty Trilogy by Charles Nor-
dhoff. Three classic sea stories set in
Lawrence Robbins recommends three the 1780s South Pacific. In Mutiny
books of interest for our patrons. on the Bounty, Captain Bligh and
eighteen loyal men are set adrift in
Upper Peninsula of Michigan: A His- a twenty-three-foot open launch.
tory by Russell Magnaghi. A com- Subsequent tales de-
plete history of the Upper Peninsula pict Bligh’s harrowing
of Michigan, from prehistoric origins thirty-six-hundred-mile
to the early 21st century. Lawrence voyage and the fates of
says the author grew up in the Upper Fletcher Christian and
Peninsula in the 1930s. In the book his fellow mutineers.
the author explains the phenomenon Lawrence says even
that occurs in the U.P. like the Aurora though it is fiction, it is
Borealis. Lawrence enjoyed the chap- written as first person
ter entitled Growing Old where the and feels like you are
author discusses his life as a grand- there! This is one of the best books
father and living with diabetes and Lawrence has read. DB 72062
congestive heart failure. DBC 16175
Charles Spindler recommends Battle
Around the World in 50 Years: My of Britain: Five Months that Changed
Adventure to Every Country on Earth History May-October
by Albert Podell. Journalist describes 1940 by James Hol-
his travels to every country on Earth, land. An account of
including seven Britain’s fight against
that no longer exist, Nazi Germany at a
since he began in crucial turning point
1962 with a trip to in World War II. De-
Canada. Describes scribes clashes in the
personal relation- English Channel, last
ships with his fam- stands in Flanders,
ily and girlfriends, slaughter by U-Boats in the icy At-
co-leading the lantic, and dramatic aerial battles.
Trans World Record Charles says it is the best book for
Expedition, and new information on the Battle of Brit-
ways he entered ain. Extremely interesting. It con-
countries closed to tourists. Lawrence tained new facts that were very note-
mentions that the introduction to the worthy. DB 95191
book accurately states it is not just a
travel log. The author has gone all Lori Murphy recommends Fair
over the world and gets into jams in Weather by Richard Peck. Three
different countries. Little bits of his- youngsters travel from an Illinois
tory are included. DB 81883farm to Chicago in Einstein, Frank Lloyd
1893 to visit their Wright, Abraham Lin-
Aunt Euterpe and coln, and Charles Dar-
the world’s fair. win. Susan gives this
Their escapades at book a rating of “10.”
the fair and the dif- She says the hoarder
ferences between aspect is very interest-
country and city ing. DB 84538
ways provide Lottie,
Rosie, Buster, their
grandfather, and The LIONS Blind Low Vision
even their aunt with life-changing ex- Outreach Committee of District
periences. For grades 5-8. Lori shares 11-A1
that for those homeschooling, this is
an adorable, light and airy book. DB The LIONS Blind Low Vision Outreach
53829 Committee has been collecting used
assistive technology (AT) that we can
Nancy Paul recommends Master of offer to you, at no charge, through
the Senate: The years of Lyndon our recycle program. We have a vari-
Johnson by Robert Caro. The third ety of magnifiers, small tape record-
volume of a biographical study of the ers, CD book players, a bar code scan-
thirty-sixth president, following The ner, and other items for daily tasks.
Path to Power (DB 18676) and Means And, if we don’t have what you need,
of Ascent (DB 30837). This explains we can help look for it, or direct you
how Johnson, elected to the Senate to other recycling programs. Items
in 1949, mastered the legislative sys- will be distributed through your local
tem and maneuvered himself into the LIONS Club. To get an application or
vice-presidency in 1960. Some strong if you wish to donate an item call or
language. Nancy says the book con- email Cathy McAdam at
tains a lot of information about the mcmcadam@gmail.com or (313)
history of the U.S. Senate. It is well 563-1412.
written. One of the most interesting
books she has ever read. DB 54174
Susan Perry recommends Andy
Warhol was a Hoarder: Inside the
Minds of History’s Great Personali-
ties by Claudia Kalb. Journalist looks
at twelve famous historical figures
and uses modern psychiatric tools to
proffer diagnoses of their common
mental-health conditions. Those pro-
filed include Marilyn Monroe, AlbertMLBPH @ CMPL FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND 40900 Romeo Plank Road OR HANDICAPPED Clinton Township, MI 48038 Macomb Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is a public service of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. Vision Network Group Connecting with other people who have vision issues can be a good way to realize you are not alone with your daily challenges. In these days, when it is hard leave home, The Macomb Library for the Blind has a solution for you. Our library hosts a Vision Network Group by phone. The phone meeting is moderated by our facilitator, Marie, and for 90 minutes, the group discusses issues that people with vision challenges face on a daily basis. Callers share solutions and experiences with one another in a friendly and informal environment. And the best part is, you do not need to leave home to be a part of the group. If you would like more details about the group, please call the library at (586) 286-1580. Book Discussion Group The Macomb Library for the Blind hosts a book discussion group once a month by phone. The library chooses the title to read and distributes the audiobook weeks prior to the discussion date. If you would like to join in on our fun and informal discussion, please call the library at (586) 286-1580 for more details. MLBPH does not endorse any services or websites, outside of its own library, that may be referred to in this newsletter.
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