Enjoy the Reading Experience

Now is truly a good time to be a Talking Book user in Kansas. Things are changing fast, with new and anticipated options available that allow for a high level of customized service.

Anticipating the transition from analog to digital has been a part of my life for a while now (more than six years as the Director). Having touched and heard the prototype of the new Talking Book digital player during a visit to the National Library Service last fall made it more of a reality. This was followed shortly with the announcement of the expanded download pilot project. The catch, since the NLS digital player will not be available as part of our free service until late 2008, is that those who want to participate in the pilot must purchase their own third party player. The only NLS compatible commercial player to date is the Victor Reader Stream. However, others are in development and should be available soon.

With support of the Kansas Talking Book Advisory Council a Stream player was purchased for each of the subregional library service centers in Kansas. This allowed us to become acquainted with the nuances of the internet based delivery service and to have hands-on experience so that we could provide some technical support to new users. The commercial player is awesome. Its ease of use, sound quality and features, such as navigation by chapter, minute, and phrase, along with the long awaited sleep button, should be a part of all commercial audio players (listening to books on my mp3 player just isn’t as much fun anymore).

Many ask if the availability of direct download capabilities and commercial players will eventually diminish the need for the Talking Book Service? The resounding answer is NO. Talking Books, like any library, is more than just books and players. It is a service, it strives to meet the needs and add to the reading experience of every user. As long as there are readers, there will be a library here ready to serve. The technology just enriches the overall quality of the service and provides options that weren’t there before. Like many libraries, Kansas Talking Books is moving from a one-size-fits-all to a Jetson style level of service – you select what you want, when you want it, and it is all only a few buttons or keystrokes away.