Bright FutureNewsletter of the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

A publication of the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Visual Services Division, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

Vol. 32, No. 1 Winter, 2017300 N.E. 18th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-521-3514Toll Free 1-800-523-0288 Fax 405-521-4582 TTY/TDD 405-521-4672

E-mail: olbph@okdrs.govWebsite: www.olbph.org

Bright Future is available in Braille, on Oklahoma Telephone Reader, and on our website.

Library’s Annual Friends Meeting Coming in May

You are invited to attend the annual meeting of the library’s friends group, Oklahomans for Special Library Services (OSLS), on May 18th at 12 pm. The event will take place at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, 1000 N. Broadway in Oklahoma City. You will get to learn about the latest happenings at the library and get acquainted with OSLS and its board of directors. You will enjoy a FREE catered meal beginning at 12 pm.

Entertainment will be provided by Scott Taylor, a poet, singer, and story teller. Scott's songwriting has received awards from the Woody Guthrie Festival and his music has been used on television by RFD-TV. If you would like to attend, RSVP by May 13th to Vicky Golightly by calling 405-740-6227 or emailing her at vgolight@yahoo.com.

--Vicky Golightly, OSLS Secretary

Summer Reading Program for Kids

The Library continues the tradition of encouraging kids to embrace the joy of reading with its annual Summer Reading Program for students aged 3 through 12th grade. This year’s theme is Building a Better World!

The program begins with the beloved Family Kick-Off Party on June 3rd. Mad Science will lead us in an engineering-themed event where we walk on eggshells. We will continue the fun with giant Jenga blocks and crafting with clay. Attendance at the Kick-off Party is not

required to participate in the reading program. The program ends on August 5th with a reward party. Keep watch for the next issue of Bright Future for more information about the reward party.

Registration for Summer Reading opens Monday, May 1st, 2017. You can register by calling the Library at 1-800-523-0288 or 405-522-0982 or by emailing Lacey Downs at ldowns@okdrs.gov, or by returning a registration form to the Library. Registration forms will be mailed in late March to current Library and AIM Center patrons who have a home address on file.

The OLBPH Summer Reading program is funded by Oklahomans for Special Library Services (OSLS) and by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

--Lacey Downs, AIM Center Librarian

Oklahoma Recorded Magazines Cartridge Suspended

Patrons who currently receive the Oklahoma Recorded Magazines cartridge from the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, please be advised that particular cartridge service is being suspended as your library works to improve efficiency and make better use of available resources. NLS recorded magazines, however, will continue to circulate as usual. The Oklahoma Recorded Magazines program, which has only been used by a small percentage of our patrons,

featured a collection of magazines that arrived in yellow mailing containers.

There are other ways to access several of the publications that were included on the cartridge. Oklahoma Today, Cowboys & Indians, Southern Living, and Smithsonian will continue to be available on BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download), while Readers Digest and Newsweek can be downloaded from American Printing House for the Blind (APH).

If you have questions or concerns about this change, please email us at olbph@okdrs.gov or call 405-521-3514.

--Kevin Treese, Library Director

Oklahoma Telephone Reader

The Oklahoma Telephone Reader (OTR) is an on-demand dial-up information service. It is intended for use by anyone with a disability that prevents them from reading standard print materials, and you must be a library patron in order to register for OTR. OTR takes the place of and is similar to its predecessor, the Older Blind Telephone Information Line.

Volunteers record articles from “The Oklahoman”, “Tulsa World”, “Oklahoma Gazette”, “Bright Future,” and other publications on a daily basis. Such articles include news, editorials, sports, grocery ads, obituaries, as well as a variety of other types of articles. Listeners can access these using the key pads on their telephone and

navigate directly to the publication of their choice. You can even use your telephone key pads to speed up or slow down the readings and to change the volume!

For more information, please call the library (1-800-523-0288 or 405-521-3514) and ask for Becky Bates or Steve Dowdy.

--Becky Bates, OTR AdministratorLet’s Go Fishing at ‘Hooks, Oars & S’mores’

There’s nothing like the anticipation in fishing. The patient wait is occasionally rewarded with a sudden “bump” on your bait, followed quickly by an excited yank on the rod, and if you’re lucky, an erratic pull on the other end of your line. Cranking the reel and judging the amount of resistance, you’re anxious to know how big the fish is.

Even when the fish aren’t biting, it is relaxing to feel the warm sunshine on your face and hear the waves splash on the shore, dock, or side of the boat. These sensations and many more will be experienced by participants in “Hooks, Oars and S’mores,” a unique event for the blind and visually impaired of Oklahoma on June 3rd at Lake Arcadia in Edmond.

The day will feature fishing sessions, boat rides on the lake, a fish fry, s’mores, and lots of fun for VIPs (visually impaired persons), their companions, guides, and volunteers. The event is organized by the MLV Foundation with help from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Participants don’t have to worry

about having a fishing license because June 3rd- 4th, 2017, are Free Fishing days! If you have a fondness for fishing, the MLV Foundation is looking for volunteers, sponsors, and donations.

To register for the event, sign up to volunteer, or for sponsorship opportunities, go to the website www.hooksoarsandsmores.com and look for the appropriate forms. For more information, you can send an email to event@hooksoarsandsmores.com.

--Brian King, OLBPH Public Information OfficerDon’t Forget to Update Your Address with Us

Have you moved, changed your phone number, or email address? Be sure to tell us! Without accurate and up-to-date contact and mailing information, we cannot provide you with great service. So, if you move, change your phone number, or change your email address, just remember to let us know.

--Andrew Shockley, Librarian

Braille Books

Don’t forget we circulate Braille in addition to digital talking books! Our Braille patrons receive their books through the mail; or, they can download Braille files from BARD, to be read via a refreshable Braille display. Are you interested in receiving Braille books? Give us a call and

ask for a librarian. We will be happy to set you up for this service!

--Andrew Shockley, Librarian

Try These Titles

DB 80744 – Wyoming Strong by Diana PalmerFate intervenes to bring archenemies Wolf Patterson and Sara Brandon together on neighboring Wyoming ranches. As love takes root between them, they cast their differences aside and see each other in a whole new light.

DB 26595 – Postcards from the Edge by Carrie FisherThe death of Carrie Fisher last December has stirred interest in this title, an autobiographical novel first published in 1987. In it, she provides us with a dryly comic chronicle of a young actress’ encounters with drugs, Hollywood, and men.

DB 80794 – Hell to Pay by Garry DisherRelegated to a backwater town after a whistle-blowing incident earns him powerful enemies, Australian police detective Paul 'Hirsch' Hirschhausen confronts more local crime than anticipated, including the murder of a sixteen-year-old girl.

DB 84610 – It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Written in 1935, this novel follows “Buzz” Windrip, a populist who wins the U.S. presidency on a platform of traditional values and shaking up Washington. Once elected, he institutes totalitarian rule with the help of a ruthless paramilitary force.

DB 74172 – The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWittHere’s a Western story for one and all. In 1851, a man known as the Commodore commissions hit men Eli and Charlie Sisters to kill a gold miner in San Francisco. As they ride to the big city, the brothers bicker incessantly and encounter a variety of violent and eccentric characters.

DB 77823 – The Luminaries by Eleanor CattonDuring New Zealand’s gold rush, Walter Moody travels to the boom town of Hokitika to attempt to make his fortune. Instead, he gets caught up in a complex mystery behind a series of unsolved crimes.

DB 81878 – Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and Eric KlinenbergIn an approachable combination of comedy and social science, comedian Aziz Ansari and sociologist Eric Klinenberg discuss their findings from a project to better understand how romance, technology, and dating interact in the twenty-first century. Research included focus groups across the United States, examination of online dating sites and personal ads, and ways dating is portrayed in traditional and social media.

DB 63028 – Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthyWesterns are popular, so here is another title. A teenager known only as The Kid runs away from his alcoholic father in pre-Civil War Tennessee. The Kid journeys west to the Texas-Mexico borderlands, where he encounters a ruthless paramilitary gang sent by the government to scalp Indians.

DB 83695 – Midnight Sun by Jo NesboIf Norwegian crime thrillers float your boat, this title is for you. Renegade hitman Ulf goes in to hiding far above the Arctic Circle, where the never-setting sun might slowly drive a man insane. He's looking for a place where he won't be found by Oslo's most notorious drug lord, a man Ulf happened to have betrayed.

DB 84932 – 738 Days: A Novel by Stacey KadeIn this unlikely romance, Amanda Grace drew strength during her two years of captivity from a poster of teen heartthrob Chase Henry. Now free, yet still traumatized, Amanda gets a surprise visit from Chase, who is trying to give his career a boost.

--Andrew Shockley, Librarian

Using Bookshelf to Find Magazines and Book Titles

Locating specific magazine or book titles on a cartridge containing multiple titles is easy if you use the Bookshelf feature on your digital player. It allows you to navigate back and forth through the cartridge to find the magazine or book title you want to read.

Follow these steps to locate the magazine or book you want:

1. Insert the cartridge into the digital player.

2. Hold down the green Play/Stop button until you hear the word “Bookshelf.”

3. Release the Play/Stop button and tap down on the white arrow-shaped Fast Forward button to the right of the Play/Stop button to move through the titles on the cartridge until you hear the title of the magazine or book you want to read.

To move back through the titles on the cartridge, hold down the Play/Stop button until you hear “BOOKSHELF” and then tap down on the white arrow-shaped Rewind button until you hear the title you are seeking.

--Sammie Willis, Librarian

Introducing the Independent Eagles

The Independent Eagles for the Blind and Disabled Association are a new, not for profit organization. We would like to invite any blind or disabled or interested party to join our organization. We are a socialization group that wants to provide hope, support, and enriching life experiences for the members who want to live their lives to the best of their abilities.

We want members of our group to feel that their disabilities will not hold them back from enjoying life to the fullest. Our activities include meeting for meals, games, field trips to museums, parks, and libraries and meet to learn skills and crafts. Our goal is to develop lifelong friendships and support, as we bring more awareness of the blind and disabled community to society at large. The Independent Eagles group has no political affiliations and we are separate from any other blind or disabled organization. Group members do not have to be blind or disabled to join our group.

If you have questions or would like to join our group, please feel free to contact Mary Wilburn, president and founder, at 405-601-5414 or 405-924-3121.

--Mary Wilburn, Independent Eagles President

Do You Want a Braille or Audio Bible to Keep?

The library, as always, has an audio copy of the King James Bible for your enjoyment. It is DB 68777; however, it is, like all other books in our collection, only meant to be loaned to you for a two month check out.

Would you like to own an audio copy of the Bible for your digital player? You are in luck!

Aurora Ministries is an organization devoted to providing Bibles to people with print disabilities, free of charge. They have five English translations: the King James, the New King James, the English Standard, International Children’s Bible, and the World English Bible. In each of these versions, both testaments are on a single digital cartridge just like the ones you receive from us in the mail. Be aware that Aurora Ministries’ cartridge supply is currently low, and this may soon affect their ability to provide this service. To order, just call Aurora Ministries at 941-748-3031 or visit their website at www.audiobiblesfortheblind.org.

Another organization that provides a similar service is Braille Bibles International. They offer Bibles in Braille for free. Also, they offer three digitally recorded versions of the Bible, also free of charge: the King James, the English Standard, and the New Living Translation. To order from this organization, call 800-522-4253 or visit their website at www.braillebibles.org.

--Andrew Shockley, Librarian

For Your Information

Blind: A MemoirBlind: A Memoir is Belo Cipriani’s account of having

to learn a new way of life after losing his sight in a vicious attack. It is now available through the library and its

number is DB 83860. Cipriani is the national spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and 100 Percent Wine, a winery that donates 100 percent of its proceeds to non-profits that help the disabled find work. He is also involved in a project whose mission is to bring to market a wearable mobility device for the blind and visually impaired that helps fill in the blanks left by canes, dogs, and existing GPS devices.

Sighted Volunteers Describe for the BlindAccording to a press release, Be My Eyes is an app that will help people who are blind or visually impaired "see" things with the help of sighted volunteers and the video cameras on their iPhones. Through a direct video call, the app gives blind people the opportunity to ask a sighted volunteer for assistance, for tasks that require normal vision. The person who is blind "borrows" the helper’s eyes all through his or her smartphone. The sighted helper is able to see and describe what the blind person is showing the sighted helper by filming with the video camera in the smart phone. That way, by working together, they are able to solve the problem that the blind person is facing. The Be My Eyes app is free and available in the AppStore on your smart phone.

NewView Oklahoma ProgramsThe following groups and activities are available

through NewView Oklahoma.

Free Adult Blindness Support Group: Eyes Just Talking is a free support group for blind Oklahomans, which meets on the fourth Wednesday each month at the Douglas location from 3:30 pm to 5 pm. Members bring an assortment of light refreshments and share tips and information about coping and living with vision loss, staying engaged in the broader community and enjoying social outings and interactions in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Support Group for Veterans: VITAL (Veteran’s Independence through Adaptive Living) is a free adult program, which meets every third Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1 pm September through May at either the Wilshire or Douglas location. Meetings include catered lunches with guest speakers, community partners, NewView Oklahoma, and VA staff discussing issues pertinent to veterans with vision loss.

Dragon Boating Activities: The Spring season begins April 10th to June 24th. NewView Drifters practice Thursdays from 5 pm to 6 pm. There is a non-refundable $75 transportation season fee to participate. Payment arrangements may be made with the Program Manager.

For more information, contact Tamera Babbit of NewView Oklahoma at 710 W. Wilshire Blvd., Suite 102, Oklahoma City, OK 73116. You can call her at 405-232-4644 and NewView’s website is www.newviewoklahoma.org.

--Vicky Golightly, Library Patron

The Back 40

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven”, so the Bible says. In Oklahoma, however, we can expect the seasons and times to not always be exactly how they might appear in our minds. Over the span of my lifetime, there have been some pretty uncharacteristic seasons. For example, once a few years ago, during the winter, it was 72 degrees when I left my workplace and by the time I drove 40 miles home, it was 32 degrees outside. There are other examples that might mark our lives, such as sudden changes in our health. Many of the clients who are served by DRS have experienced changes in their lives for which DRS provides assistance. Likewise, many of our library patrons have come to us due to life events that have caused them to need our services.

To me, the essential point is, in each case, help is sought, help is gained, and the parties on both sides of the transaction benefit enormously. Those who seek help are lifted up by assistive technology, education or training, counseling, and other services such as those provided by the library. Those who provide help are fulfilled by knowing that another human being’s life is enriched by their efforts.

There is also a much larger beneficiary in this scenario - the world! Yes, each of our clients and patrons is enriched by the efforts of both the seeker and provider. So whether you seek help or provide help to another person, you are enriching our world! Thank you, and please “don’t become weary in well-doing”.

--Jim Kettler, DRS Contract Monitor

Tax Deductible Donations

Every gift to Oklahomans for Special Library Services (OSLS) benefits thousands. Contributions enable OSLS to provide activities not funded by the annual library budget. Make checks payable to OSLS and mail to Oklahomans for Special Library Services, P.O. Box 53593, Oklahoma City, OK 73152.

Donations are accepted in memory of a loved one,

family member or to honor an individual. When a gift is made, it should include the name of the person being honored and the name and address of the family or family member to be notified of the gift. Please consider naming OSLS as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or in other estate planning bequests. With the assistance of an estate-planning attorney, significant tax benefits may be possible from this gift.

Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 300 N.E. 18th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Bright Future is the official publication of the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It was printed by Heritage Solutions in El Reno, OK. It is published four times a year. Kevin Treese is the Library Director and Andrew Shockley is the Editor. In providing information to readers of Bright Future, the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services does not endorse any product or service referred to by this newsletter. This publication is authorized by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services in accordance with state and federal regulations, with copies deposited with the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Publications Clearinghouse. Cost of printing and distribution was $2,940.00 for 5,400 copies. DRS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in

FREE MATTERFOR THE

BLIND

employment or the provision of services. For additional copies, contact the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, (405) 521-3514.