Playing RFB&D Books on NLS Digital Player

Recently several customer of the library have contacted me about how to download books from RFB&D to their new library digital player. Since this is a bit outside my "job description", I have been unable to assist. Today I got the instructions below on the subject, which I am passing on to the reader. I cannot vouch for accuracy, so please don't hold me personally responsible if your computer blows up as you attempt this exercise. Otherwise, I hope these instructions help.
Playing RFB&D Books on NLS Digital Player
1. Log into the RFB&D site with your login information.
2. Select "Authorize a Daisy Player".
3. Select the type of player: NLS standard (or simple) digital player or NLS advanced digital player.
4. Press Continue.
5. Enter the serial number (barcode number) from your NLS digital machine.
6. Press Continue.
7. Select the option to download the user authorization key. Save the key to your thumb drive.
8. Connect your thumb drive to your NLS digital machine. Your machine will save the authorization key internally.
9. When your NLS digital machine has saved the authorization key, delete the key from your thumb drive.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor
Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt Street
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 239-6000

Digital Cartridges Now Available via APHB

The American Printing House for the Blind is now selling 2GB digital talking-book cartridges, designed to be used with the NLS digital-talking book machine, for $11.99.
To place an order, contact the American Printing House for the Blind at http://shop.aph.org/ or 1-800-223-1839. Customer service questions may be sent by e-mail to cs@aph.org.
For more information contact:
Alice O'Reilly
Assistant to the Chief, Materials Development Division
abak@loc.gov
(202) 707-0538

Marcel Carroll
Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt Street
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 239-6000

Digital Player Carrying Case

Wouldn't it be great if someone would manufacture a snazy protective carrying case for the new digital player? Carrying cases for laptops are everywhere, and our digital player is nothing but a specialized computer. A protective case would accomplish several objectives, and would be welcomed by many digital player users. Well, I have it on reasonably reliable information that such a project is now in the works. I will not disclose any names at this time, but I can say that representatives are working with a company that has the expertise to carry through with any agreement it makes to create a digital player carrying case.

I will keep you informed as I obtain updated information.

Marcel Carroll

Library Services Supervisor

Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt Street
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 239-6000

Download and Use the new Bookshelf Feature for your Digital Player

You can load onto your flash drive and choose among and play several books and magazines by upgrading your player for the "Bookshelf" feature. You can do this by going to the internet to this web site address:
http://www.loc.gov/nls/DTBM/
A link there allows you to upgrade at any time to the latest software version of the player. This upgrade should now include the bookshelf feature. You download the upgrade in the same manner that you download any book or magazine from BARD. first be certain that you use a clean flash drive without any books or magazines already stored on it. You must then download the upgrade files to the computer; then you must unzip the files to your flash drive; then insert the flash drive into your player; then turn on the player and hit the play button. The narrator will instruct at that point.

Once you have "played" the upgrade on your player, you will be able to use bookshelf to distinguish among and choose a particular downloaded book or magazine to listen to on your player. Insert the flash drive with several items on it. Power on your player. Hold down the Play/Stop button. You will here the narrator state that your player is in bookshelf mode. The narrator will recite the name of the item in first position. Hit the forward or the reverse button on your player. The narrator will announce the title of the next item, and so forth. Remove your finger from the Play/Stop button once you are at the item you desire to listen to next.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor
Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt Street
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 239-6000

Digital Player Headphones

Some of our customers report problems with the headphones they use with the library digital players. We contacted NLS to learn what is the ideal headphone. They told us that the best headphone will feature 32 ohms of impedence. Look for this specification when shoping for a new set of headphones.

Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services
421 Platt Street
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 239-6000

Browse our library online catalog for Descriptive DVDs and Videos

Obtaining a list of our DVDs or videos in our online catalog is easy, but not apparent at first. Go online to our catalog located at http://www.klas.com/flbtbl . I've found the best way to obtain a list of DVDs or videos is to perform an "Advanced Search", so click the Advanced Search link. In the "Criteria 1" box, place either "DV" for DVDs or "DW" for video movies. Then choose in the "Media" dropdown box either Descriptive DVD or Descriptive video. Check the "Change #" box if you wish to view a list of items longer than 25. Then hit "Submit Search" and you will get a browse list to go through and place your order.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor

Digital Cartridges Now Available for Library Digital Players

Independent Lving Aids now has available for purchase blank 1 gigabyte digital cartridges for the digital talking book player. A one gigabyte cartridge will hold about 92 hours of narration. Information on availability and pricing for the cartridge can be found at: http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=307004 .

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor

Upgrading Digital Book Software

A recent version of the new digital player allows more than one book to be downloaded on a single flash drive. If several books and/or magazines are on a flash drive, the user can then toggle among the books to play a selected book. This benefit is now called the “bookshelf” mode. Other upgrades have also been implemented to improve overall player performance.
Libraries and patrons can upgrade digital players to the latest software in the following manner:
1. Obtain the latest software from the NLS web site:http://www.loc.gov/nls/DTBM/DTBMsoftware-latest.zip . At this time, the latest player firmware is version 2.1.1 (August 31st 2009), which you can get here: http://www.loc.gov/nls/DTBM/DTBMsoftware-2.1.1.zip
2. Extract (unzip) this file onto a cartridge or flash drive so that the directory “upgrade” appears in the “root” directory of the cartridge or drive.
3. Turn on the player.
4. Insert the flash cartridge or flash drive containing the software.
The player will announce “Upgrading your player’s software.”
5. Wait until the upgrade is complete and the player restarts (about 10 seconds), then remove the cartridge or flash drive.
6. The upgrade will only occur if the player’s version is older than the version of the software on the cartridge or flash drive; reinserting the cartridge or flash drive will not repeat the upgrade. To utilize the bookshelf mode, Press and hold "Play/Stop" to enter bookshelf and RW/FF to select book.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor

Locating Digital Books in our Online Catalog

If you are interested in browsing the digital books in the Florida talking book collection, here is one good way. You must first obtain a password from your library. Write to us at OPAC_LIBRARIAN@dbs.fldoe.org. You can also phone the library at 1-800-226-6075. If you phone, you might be unable to reach your adviser at the time, so leave a phone message that you need a password for the internet catalog, and leave your email address if you have one. The reader adviser will set up your account and email or phone you back with your password. Of course, you are free to search the catalog without checking out anything, and you can call your library to check out items that you locate in the catalog.

You will need your password and your nine digit customer number to order items through the catalog. Your customer number can be found on any mail card attached to any item sent to your home from the library.

To find digital books, first go to the internet catalog, located at http://www.klas.com/flbtbl . Bring up the “Advanced Search” screen, which can be found in the left panel. In the field box “Criteria 1”, select “Book Number”, and insert in the blank the expression “DB”. Then find the field box “Media”, and select “Digital Book”. Change the “# Records” field to a number acceptable to you for your search. If interested only in fiction or non-fiction, make an appropriate selection in that field box.

Then hit the “Submit Search” button. You will be switched to a list of appropriate Digital books. The title of each book on the list is also a link that you can click to find more information about the item. Other information includes the annotation telling you about the book. Switch back to the list and check the box to the left if you are interested in obtaining the digital book. Once you have checked the boxes for each book you want, check the “Add to Book Basket” button at the bottom of the page. At the book basket screen, you will have a second chance to review your selections. If you do not want the book, you can de-select it. If you want a particular book immediately, you can try rushing it by checking the Rush box. Once satisfied with your selections, click the “Proceed to Checkout” button at the bottom of this page. Only then will you be required to supply a customer number and then your password. Your items will be requested or reserved for you and sent to you by your library.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor

What Digital Books do we Have?

I am informed that the November-December edition of "Talking Book Topics" will be the first to list digital books for loan! Your Florida Braille and Talking Book library is also planning to mail a supplemental monthly catalog of our holdings to our customers who have digital players, with the first issue now planned for late September 2009. Subsequent mailings will follow in October and November. We will try to keep all of our Florida customers up to speed on the digital books we have available now that they are beginning to flow into the Florida talking book library system.

Marcel Carroll
Library Services Supervisor