[AERNet] RFB&D

[Cooke, AnneMarie]

My earlier posting indicated that all analog-only users should call our
toll-free number to see what specials are available.
Annemarie
 
Annemarie Cooke 
Sr. External Relations Officer 
RFB&D Learning Through Listening 
20 Roszel Road 
Princeton, NJ 08540 
(609) 520-8079 
acooke at rfbd.org 


________________________________

From: aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org
[mailto:aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Melinda Schink
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 11:05 AM
To: Jody W Ianuzzi; ROP-Support; adultROP at yahoogroups.com; AERnet; O and
M list
Subject: Re: [AERNet] RFB&D


With my institutional membership, I was sent 2 Telex Scholars free. It
may be worth it to see if they would be willing to extend the same deal
for all new and renewal memberships, at least until we can all get a
player or two. Any really good negotiators out there?
~Melinda Schink
Jody W Ianuzzi <jody at thewhitehats.com> wrote:

	Hi everyone,
	
	This is off topic but I wanted to share it with everyone in case
you all 
	wanted to contact RFB&D. They will no longer offer books on tape
after June 
	and you will need a $200 DAISY player and a security code from
them to play 
	it. I think we have to contact them and let them know this is
too expensive 
	for most borrowers.
	
	JODY
	_______________________________
	
	I just wrote an email to the Executive Director of RFB&D. Her
name is 
	Stephanie Campbell. Her email address is: scampbell at rfbd.org
	
	Here is my message:
	
	Hello Stephanie,
	
	I have been an RFB&D borrower for over 40 years. I remember the
old RFB 
	reel to reel days and I remember when cassette tapes were first
introduced 
	into the program. What a wonderful improvement.
	
	Part of the freedom of RFB&D books was that they could be played
on the NLS 
	tape player at no charge to the borrower. I have heard that
RFB&D will no 
	longer circulate cassette books after June. To prepare for the
change I 
	contacted my local Library for the Blind to request a digital
player. I 
	discovered that the players will not be available until the end
of 2008 at 
	the earliest and that the format for these players will not be
compatible 
	with RFB&D books.
	
	The only players for RFB&D books are proprietary DAISY machines
that sell 
	for $200 and up and that a security code will be required to
listen to the 
	books. There is a lot of discussion of these changes on
blindness related 
	email lists. Many people feel that after years of being a RFB&D
reader, 
	they will discontinue using the program because they can't
afford the 
	player. Of course there is always a premium for products for the
blind 
	because of the limited market. It is always assumed that a third
party such 
	as a school, Voc. Rehab. or an employer will buy the machines
but for many 
	of us the cost is out of pocket. The equivalent 'off the shelf'
CD player 
	costs $29 compared to $200 for the Victor Reader Vibe.
	
	The CD technology is already 'outdated' by more modern flash and
compressed 
	file players and many people are concerned that after buying
these expensive 
	players they will soon become obsolete.
	
	I wanted you to know that many long term readers are going to
become 
	inactive and other long term readers will sit back and 'wait and
see' what 
	happens next before deciding to invest in an unknown future.
	
	Perhaps there can be an extension of the time cassette books are
available 
	to give everyone a chance to see what will happen. At least time
will bring 
	down the ridiculous price of the readers.
	
	I consider RFB&D an invaluable resource and I hope I am able to
continue as 
	a reader.
	
	Thank you very much,
	
	Jody W. Ianuzzi
	jody at thewhitehats.com
	
	"WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WISH
	TO SEE IN THE WORLD" ~ Gandhi
	
	
	
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