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Guide to Talking Book Service

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Playing a Digital Book (DB)

The cartridge itself is about the size of a cassette. The end of the cartridge with the USB connector is placed into the digital book machine by the end that has a hole.

Using the Digital Book Machine (DBM)

The round, red power button turns the machine off and on. The green, square play button controls starting and stopping playback of the book. There are also volume, tone, and sleep controls. Each function explains itself by pressing the button and listening to the instructions.

Playing a Recorded Cassette (RC)

Each cassette has 4 tracks called sides. Every book begins with side 1. If the book requires more than one cassette, the second cassette starts with side 5, the third with side 9, and so on.

To start a cassette, push the "side" switch down to the left and push the "play" key. At the end of side 1, turn the cassette over and side 2 will be ready to play without further adjustment. At the end of side 2, push the "side" switch down to the right, turn the cassette over again, and play side 3. At the end of side 3, turn the cassette over and side 4 will be ready to play. To hear the first side of the next cassette, push the "side" switch back down to the left.

Using the Cassette Book Machine (CBM)

If a tape plays too fast and sounds like the Chipmunks, first make sure the speed switch is pushed down on the 15/16 side and that the variable speed control is pushed all the way to the left. If the speed switch and the variable speed control are in the correct positions and the tape is still running too fast, taking the cassette tape out of the player and slapping the tape flat down on a hard surface will often correct the problem.

If the tape plays for a minute, then stops, or the volume fades as you're listening, plug the machine in and let it charge for a few minutes. Then try playing the tape again. If the problem persists, try another tape. If that doesn't solve the problem, call the Library for a replacement cassette player.

If the tape sounds like two sides are playing at once, it might simply be a bad tape. Try another tape to determine if it is the tape or the machine. If the problem continues with all tapes, call the Library for a replacement machine.

Defective Tapes

Our goal is to inspect every book that is returned to the library. Patrons will sometimes receive a book that is defective. We want to repair or replace those bad tapes, so please put a rubber band around the damaged tape and make an X on the library side of the return label. If you were unable to finish the book and would like another copy, make a second X on the label so we know to resend the book or call and request a replacement by phone.

Returning Books

To return a book, simply turn the mailing card over so that the Library address, printed in red ink, is the side that is up. Give the book to your postal carrier or drop it in a mailbox. You will be less likely to run out of books if you return each one as soon as you finish it.

Using the U. S. Mail

Books and machines may be mailed to us as 'Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.' Printed request lists may also be mailed as 'Free Matter,' but the envelope must be left unsealed. Hand-written notes, even if they include book requests, require regular postage.

Do not place notes in the book or magazine containers. It is against postal regulations to put hand-written notes in the book containers.

Do not refuse mail. Refusing mail may result in halting your library service.

Optimal Service

Please keep food, drink, pets, pests, and heat sources away from your library materials.

Open only one book container at a time so there's no chance that cartridges/tapes from different books get mixed together. Be sure all the cartridges/tapes that belong in a container are inside the container before you send the book back to us. For digital books, most containers will only hold one cartridge. For cassette books, the side label on the container notes how many cassettes are in the container. Look in the upper right hand corner of the title label on the narrow side of the green container for that information. It will say 2C or 3C or however many cassettes make up the book. We appreciate your help and more books will be available for everyone who uses our Library.

Rewind any tapes that you did not read all the way through on all four sides. To be sure a tape is rewound, place it in your cassette player with side one up and push the rewind button. Digital books do not require rewinding.

Call the library or send a note through regular mail or e-mail if you want to request books by a certain author or make changes to your service.

Let us know if your interest areas change or you're getting too few or too many books.

Remember to put your name and address on the request lists you send the library. Every day we have to discard request lists that are sent to us without a name.

If you're planning to move please let the library know your new address before the moving date and then give us another call when you know your new phone number. We're always amazed at the number of address corrections that flood the office each time a newsletter is mailed and we discover that many of our patrons have moved without telling us. Even more discouraging is the number who left no forwarding address, which means we have to put their service on hold. Many times those people are dropped completely from our rolls if we're unable to make contact with them and then they have to send a new application before we can serve them again.

If you are moving permanently to a different state, the Library will transfer all your records to the regional library in your new state. That way the new library will have a list of what you've already read and you won't receive a book a second time unless you request it. It also saves you from filling out a new application.

Patrons who have more than one address and normally go back and forth according to the season should also notify us when they're getting ready to make their seasonal moves. We can send your books and magazines to you anywhere in Arizona or the United States and can permanently maintain two addresses for you in our computer files. It normally takes four to six weeks for magazines mailed to you by CMLS to change to your new address, but if you've left a forwarding order the CMLS magazines should follow you until CMLS makes the address change.

 

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