I N T E R C H A N G E
Newsletter of the Nebraska Library Commission
Talking Book and Braille Service
July 2004                            Vol. 28 No. 4
 
New Cassette Magazine Features Vital Speeches

Vital Speeches of the Day is now available free on cassette, courtesy of the National Library Service Quality Assurance Program. Produced by the Florida Braille and Talking Book Library, each issue of this bi-weekly publication features eight to ten speeches by individuals who have attained leadership in the fields of economics, politics, finance, education, sociology, health, government, criminology, law, business, taxation, and labor. It is the policy of the magazine to cover both sides of public questions and to print speeches in full.

To sign up for this cassette magazine, please print and use the order form below or contact your Readers Advisor.
Football Yearbook Offered on Cassette

The Huskers Illustrated 2004 Football Yearbook is now being recorded in the studios of the Talking Book and Braille Service. This Yearbook contains vital information pertaining to the 2004 season, including player profiles and recruitment updates, depth charts, schedules, and preview stories. The Yearbook also includes other Big 12 teams and non-conference opponents. If you received the Yearbook last year, you will receive it again automatically. To request a free copy, please use the order form below or contact your Readers Advisor.

Guideposts Magazine Offers Inspiration
Since 1945, Guideposts, a monthly, nondenominational devotional magazine, features "true stories of hope and inspiration." Cassette copies of Guideposts are available free from the Talking Book and Braille Service. To sign up, please use the order form  below or contact your Readers Advisor. 

Readers who prefer braille may download the current issue in braille at Guideposts' Web site: www.dailyguideposts.com/braille_application.asp. A paper copy in braille can be ordered at this same site for $7.00 per issue.

Magazines for Summertime Reading

If summertime makes you appreciate life in the country and living close to nature, then we have the cassette magazines for you. Capper's, a biweekly publication with a focus on small-town and rural living, includes reader contributions, recipes, poetry, nationally-known columnists, and a continuing story. Country, published bimonthly, offers feature stories and columns for those who live in or long for the country. It includes country diaries, travel, features, and recipes. For those who live off the land, Nebraska Farmer provides crop reports, articles on farm life, and new agricultural methods and technology. Gardening How-To, published bimonthly by the National Home Gardening Club, is filled with gardening tips, techniques, and equipment reviews. These first three magazines are produced within the studios of the Talking Book and Braille Service. The fourth is produced by Associated Services for the Blind.

For information about destinations a little further from home, National Geographic Traveler, a bimonthly produced by the Florida Regional Library, offers six to ten travel articles, mostly about the United States. An additional section gives full data, such as cost, phone numbers, and addresses for the destinations discussed. To request these magazines, please use the order form below or call your Readers Advisor. This arrangement might be easier for you than having to mail your player back to us.
New Nebraska Cassette Books

Non-Fiction

RC 920 The Sandhills Beckon
by Maxine Bridgman Isackson
1 cassette
Told with much affection, a true story of five generations of the author's family who have lived in the Nebraska Sandhills, with a special focus on the author's father, Howard Bridgman, 1906-1970. Narrated by Helena Whitaker.

RC 963 Microwave the Boat ashore: Comic Relief from Everyday Life
by Ken Alley
1 cassette

Anecdotes from around the country describe funny events that happen in people's lives. Narrated by J. Rock.

Grand Canyon Women: Lives Shaped by Landscape
by Betty Leavengood
2 cassettes

True stories of eighteen remarkable women-river runners, scientists, wranglers, architects, rangers, hikes, and housewives-with the Grand Canyon binding their lives and identities. Produced by the Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library. Narrated by Janet Spielmann.
 

Lewis and Clark Bicentennial

In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left a camp near St. Louis on their quest to find a water route to the Pacific, and to explore and map the Louisiana Purchase. They traveled 6000 miles in a journey that took two years, four months and sixteen days. They explored much of what is now the eastern boundary of Nebraska.

Here are some books about Lewis and Clark and their remarkable expedition:

RC 31313 Trail: The Story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, by Louis Carbonneau

When Lewis and Clark set out to explore the Louisiana Territory, their party included a little-known member-Lewis' dog, Seaman. This chronicle of their travels, based on the papers and journals of party members, recounts (often from the dog's point of view) the hostile Indians, rampaging buffalo, dangerous rapids, and perilous mountain trails.

RC 43291 Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West, by Stephen E Ambrose

The author, who spent twenty years following and studying the route Lewis and Clark traveled between 1803 and 1804, focuses on Lewis. Ambrose explains why the captain was chosen to lead the search for a western waterway and describes Lewis' life afterward. Tells how the explorers recorded species of animals and plans, mapped the U.S. interior, and established ties with the Indians. Bestseller.

RC 47603 From Sea to Shining Sea, by James Alexander Thom

Saga of the Clark family of colonial Virginia as they help explore and settle the new frontier. Several sons fight in the Revolutionary War. The Clarks eventually move west to the wilderness of Kentucky. One son, William, joins Meriwether Lewis in his survey of the continent to the Pacific Ocean on behalf of the new U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson.

RC 51170 Sacajawea: The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Joseph Bruchac

The story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to open the American Northwest (1804-1806) is told through the alternating narratives of Sacajawea, a Shoshoni Indian interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, and expedition captain William Clark. Includes excerpts from Clark's actual journals. For grades 6-9.

RC 53051 Sacajawea, by Anna Lee Waldo

Tale of Sacajawea, the young Shoshoni woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific in 1804. Describes native lore and rituals as well as the journey through

RC 55428 Eclipse, by Richard S. Wheeler

The fictitious voices of Lewis and Clark alternate in the telling of the events after their return from the Northwest in 1806. Lewis reveals a medical secret that may account for his rapid mental decline and early death. Clark marries and enjoys family life as he confronts the issue of slavery.

RC 55477 Animals on the Trail With Lewis and Clark, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Retraces the journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806), comparing their observations of previously unknown animals with modern information on the same creatures. Discusses what the explorers learned about wildlife and survival from the Native Americans they met along the way. For grades 4-7.

RC 55487 Corps of Discovery: A Novel Based on the Lewis and Clark Expedition 1803-1806, by Jeffrey W. Tenney

A dramatic retelling of the adventures and hardships of the enlisted men, hunters, and Native Americans, including Sacagawea, who explored the far reaches of the Louisiana Purchase, across the Northwest Territory to the Pacific Ocean. Some strong language. Medicine Pipe Bearer Award.

Great Books for Summer Trips

Whether you are an armchair traveler or will be hitting the road, here are some fun books about summer vacation:

RC 506 The Complete Roadside Guide to Nebraska: And Comprehensive Description of Items of Interest to One and All Travelers of the State, Whether Native or Transplant, Sendentary (sic) or Transient, compiled and written for the Edification and Pleasure of the Reading Public by Alan Boye

This book covers over 10,000 miles in all 93 counties of Nebraska. Includes the location of Indian battle sites, burials, unusual geological formations, pioneer roads, parks museums, folklore tales, and thousands of other sites. Note: Since this book was copyrighted in 1986 and 1989, some roads may have since changed.

RC 607 Perkey's Nebraska Place-Names, by Elton Perkey

Organized by county, entries include notes on the origins of towns, hamlets, railroad stations, and the Pony Express and other stage lines.

RC 713 Day Trips in the Heartland, by Elizabeth Wells

A get-away guide to twenty-three unique places in the Heartland. Each destination is close enough for a day trip from most of eastern Nebraska.

RC 54992 Fodor's Exploring Canada, by Tim Jepson

Brief description of the history and culture of the world's second largest country, the United States' northern neighbor. Offers travel highlights, including where to stay, what to see, where to eat, getting around, and trips on and off the beaten path.

RC 55125 Hidden Disneyland and Beyond: Including Disney's California Adventure, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Six Flags California, Knott's Berry Farm, SeaWorld, and the San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park, by Lisa Oppenheimer

A family-oriented vacation guide with itineraries for traditional attractions and recommendations for "hidden" locales, restaurants, and hotels that might be overlooked by visitors. Includes the author's offbeat favorites.

RC 55679 American Lighthouses: A Definitive Guide, by Ray Jones

A brief survey of United States lighthouses, their engineers, and their keepers is followed by travel information and capsule histories of more than five hundred sites-from Maine, down the eastern seaboard, along the Gulf of Mexico, up the Pacific coast from California to Alaska, and through the Great Lakes.

To request any of these titles, please use the order form below or contact your Readers Advisor.

Helpful Hint . . .

Question: What does "request only" mean, and is this something I would want?

Answer: "Request only" means that we send only the specific titles you ask for. You might request these titles because you found them listed in Talking Book Topics, book catalogs, the online catalog, or because you heard about them elsewhere and found out they were available as talking books.

"Request only" also means that we will not be choosing books for you if you run out of requests, and that you may experience delays in service if you request popular books for which there are waiting lists.

As another service option, you might prefer that we choose books for you, according to your reading interests, to go along with the books that you request. To talk about which service option might work best for you, please contact your Readers Advisor. Either way, please remember you need to use our library at least once a year to remain active with us.

More Nebraska Book "Golden Oldies'

Last issue we began to promote cassette books from our own studios that were recorded in years past. Here are some more "golden oldies" from our Nebraska collection for you to enjoy. To order any of these titles, please check the box next to the RC number and mail to the Talking Book and Braille Service; or contact your Readers Advisor. 

Order Form and Ordering Instructions

You may place your order by mailing or e-mailing it to the Talking Book and Braille Service, or by calling your Readers Advisor.

For mailing, please mark the magazines and books you wish to order and enclose this page in an envelope. Instead of using a stamp, you may put "Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped" on the corner of your envelope. Send your request to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Be sure to include your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

For e-mailing, send your order information to the Talking Book and Braille Service. Please include your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

You may reach a Readers Advisor toll free by calling 1-800-742-7691. Be prepared to give your name, address, city, state, zip code, and telephone number.

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