Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission
Talking Book and Braille Service
Nebraska Library Commission
1200 N Street, Suite 120 Meadowlark Room
Lincoln, Nebraska
Friday, June 3, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
DRAFT Minutes subject to change at the next meeting
Here are the minutes for our Spring meeting held on June 3, for the Advisory
Committee of the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service.
The meeting began at 1:30.
Those present were:
Jim Berryman
Kate Borchman
Brenda Elson
Shelly Gray
Beth Lighthipe
Linda Mentink
Mary Trenerry (Committee Chairman)
Brad Meurrens
Sara Mitchell, who represents NEMA, the Nebraska Educational Media
Association
There were 3 staff members present.
They were Scott Scholz, Annette Hall, and
David Oertli.
The minutes from the prior meeting were read and approved.
We held an election for a new secretary. I, yours truly, was elected and
am very happy to be able to serve in this capacity.
Our staff gave a wonderful demonstration of BARD. This is an online
service that gives one the ability to download audio books and magazines. We
want to make sure the BARD is promoted at the Spring NETA conference.
We are working on more outreach to schools, occupational therapists and
retirements homes. We want to see if they might be more open somehow, to
participating in the service we can make available to them. Many are not
aware of what we have to offer and how much difference it can and does make
in people's lives, in very positive and affirming ways. We are discussing
and trying to evaluate how to approach these care facilities, along with
resource teachers and activity directors in schools and retirement homes in
ways that might make the presentation of our services received by those on
staff more appealing. The, they can in turn, help their people to have a
life that is truly worth living.
Once in a while, we offer the people we serve, the opportunity to take a
survey our Library Commission has put together. This is so that we can get a
clearer picture of how well our people's needs are being met and fulfilled.
There were several things covered in this survey. Just to give a couple of
examples, those who participated in the survey were asked how quickly they
were informed about our services and by who. Most said they had a pretty
quick turnaround as to when they needed the service, when they found out
about them, and when they actually got involved as clients of the Library
Commission Services. There were some who did not find out and some who just
did not want to take part. The surprising thing was that some who chose not
to take part or promote our services were those who work in fields directly
involved with people who have visual
disabilities or handicaps. It is always our goal to make sure that we
serve as many as possible, and that we serve them well.
There were 13 states represented, along with some members from the
Library of Congress at our Western Conference for Librarians Serving Blind
and Physically Handicapped Individuals, held in Golden, Colorado, this year.
The topics up for discussion included outreach and marketing efforts, trends
in budgeting and eBooks.
We talked about when our next meeting would take place, and decided that
a date would be determined a little later on. Our meeting was adjourned at
approximately 3:30.
Respectfully submitted by Shelly Gray, current secretary for the Libary
Commiission Talking Book and Braille Service Advisory Comittee.
For more information contact
Scott Scholz, Director
Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service.
402-471-6553
800-742-7691
Scott Scholz