Indiana Insights - Summer 2019

Indiana Insights Talking Book and Braille Library

Join Us at Vision Expo!

Please join us as we celebrate the Indiana Vision Expo on Saturday, September 14th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Indiana State Library. Vision Expo provides an opportunity for people with vision loss, their friends, families, and service providers to learn about the resources available that help promote independent living. It is also a great opportunity to meet the Talking Book staff as well as fellow Talking Book patrons.

The Expo will feature our usual wide variety of vendors and non-profit agencies that provide the latest in adaptive technology, independent living aids, and other resources for all ages. New vendors this year include the Indianapolis Bowling League for the Blind and Simplified Insurance Solutions.

Our program will include presentations by Bosma Enterprises and Easterseals Crossroads at 10:30 and 11:45. Paige Delcaza, Kurt Deichman, and Marsha Egan from Bosma will be talking about their Vision Rehab 101 class. Belva Smith from Easterseals will present information on the services provided by Easterseals Assistive Technology, helpful apps for mobile devices, and accessibility features of Windows 10.

Parking will be available for $10 in the Senate Avenue Parking Garage.  The entrance to the garage is off of New York Street between West Street and Senate Avenue.


Meet our New Reader Advisors

If you have called the library recently you may have noticed that we have two new people answering the phone. Kiley and Kate joined Talking Books in May and June of this year and have already had the opportunity to speak to many of you. If you have not had the chance to meet them yet, here are introductions from each of them:

Kate: I am happy to introduce myself to those of you I haven’t already met by phone. My name is Kate McGinn. I have been a Hoosier for about twenty years now, having moved to Indiana from Southern California. I joined TBBL in June, after a career in archives and school libraries. So, I’ve gone from working with papers to children to adults. And, I have to say, I don’t think I have ever had a job where the patrons are so appreciative of the service they receive. 

Since joining the TBBL team I have learned that Amish stories and westerns are more popular than I ever knew and that not everyone loves George Eliot’s Middlemarch as much as I do. Moreover, though I never met Pam or Beverly, I have discovered what wonderful people they are. Many a patron has borne with me as I have hunted down a title either of those two could have found in the snap of a finger.

Situated in the state Library, I enjoy walking along the canal at lunch or curling up with a good book in one of our beautiful reading rooms. When not at work I like to spend time with my family, walking the dog, reading, and exploring Indiana.

Kiley: My name is Kiley Sokol and I started working at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library as a Reader Advisor in May. So far, I find working at the library a novel but rewarding experience. Before joining the Talking Book Library I obtained a degree in English Literature and worked in public services at a local public library. My reading interests include a variety of different genres such as mysteries, classics, and non-fiction, though I’m always open to trying something new! When I’m not at work I enjoy traveling and writing poetry. I currently live in Plainfield, Indiana, with my fiancé and a hoard of noisy, white ducks in the pond behind my house.

Summer 2019

Volume XLII No. 1


August Book Club Selection

The next meeting of the Talking Book and Braille book club will take place on Tuesday, August 27th, at 2:00 PM Eastern/1:00 PM Central. We will be reading Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, which is available in audio (DB 87691), braille (BR 22136), and large print (LP 20952). In an unnamed city with a strict social code, atheist Nadia rebels against the strictures put upon her. As the city falls into chaos and militias seize control, Nadia falls in love with the gentle, religious-minded Saeed. Exit West was a 2017 Nominee for the Man Booker Prize and the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction.

Participants can join the discussion by calling our dial in number, 1-240-454-0887, and entering the conference code, 736 597 563#. Please let us know if you are interested in participating so that we can contact you about any unexpected changes to either the schedule or call in information. You can request a copy of Exit West and let us know you are interested in participating by contacting Laura Williams via email or at 1-800-622-4970.


BARD Password Tip

Did you know you can set a secret question which will enable you to reset your own BARD password? To do so, go the BARD homepage, scroll down to “Additional Links” and click “Update Account Settings.” Once there, scroll down until you get to “Password Instructions”. This is where you can create a question and secret answer that will allow you to reset your BARD password.

If you need a new BARD password and have not set a secret question, or cannot access your BARD account for another reason, you are always welcome to contact the library by phone or email at 1-800-622-4970 or via email and we can reset it for you.


Indiana Talking Book & Braille calendar

Talking Books will be closed on the following days in 2018 and 2019:

Monday, Sept. 2, 2019
Monday, Oct. 14, 2019
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019
Monday, Nov. 11, 2019
Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019
Friday, Nov. 29, 2019
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019

Upcoming Events
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 Vision Expo

Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


Maggie Ansty, Editor
317-232-3684 or 1-800-622-4970
e-mail: tbbl@library.in.gov
http://www.in.gov/library/tbbl.htm