[AERNet] RFB&D

Mon Mar 5 13:23:28 EST 2007

Does anybody know whether I will be able to use my Maestro (from HumanWare)
to read RFB&D's Daisy books?   Maestro includes the Victor Reader software.

Anisio

-----Original Message-----
From: aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org
[mailto:aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Cooke, AnneMarie
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 10:36 AM
To: Jody W Ianuzzi; ROP-Support; adultROP at yahoogroups.com; AERnet; O and M
list
Subject: Re: [AERNet] RFB&D

This is the same response I wrotte to the EnjoyReading list this
morning.
Annemarie
 Dear List:
Wow! RFB&D has been promoting our all-digital transition for more than a
YEAR now! It's been all over the NABS and NFB lists. And I have pasted
below the contents of a letter that went to all of you tape-only users
(on a cassette tape) from our president, John Kelly, the first week of
January. I believe all the reasons are outlined within it, so please do
read it.

The NLS will be transitioning to an all-digital environment starting
next year.

If you can go right to a page, put in bookmarks, navigate to page and
chapter, WHY would you want to continue with tapes? I have used them
myself for more than 25 years and I am so glad to be using DAISY audio
books!

For anyone who ha snot use digital books form RFB&D, all you need do is
call our Members Services department and see what special offers are
available for you in the way of playback equipment 1-800-221-4792.

Please do call or message me with your questions offer comments; BTW,
Stephanie Campbell is executive director of one of our 16 state-based
recording studios, which we call "units".  John Kelly is RFB&D's
president.

 I look forward to hearing form you.

And please read John's message below.
We'd be pleased to send you a copy if you can't find yours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Annemarie Cooke 
Sr. External Relations Officer 
RFB&D Learning Through Listening 
20 Roszel Road 
Princeton, NJ 08540 
(609) 520-8079 
acooke at rfbd.org 

January 8, 2007 

Dear RFB&D Member,

This is John Kelly, President of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
(RFB&D). The information I am about to share with you is so important
that I wanted to tell you personally.

You've been using our audio books on analog cassettes - like the one
you're listening to now - for a long time. We want you to know that
after June 30, 2007, just a few months from now, we will stop producing
books on cassette. RFB&D's audiobooks will be on CD in the format known
as DAISY, which lets us fit 45 hours - that's right, 45 HOURS - of
listening onto ONE CD.  This means that most of your books will be
contained on one or perhaps two CDs instead of a hefty box of cassettes.

You also will be able to go RIGHT to the page you want. And bookmark
pages to which you want to return. This is a BIG improvement over those
familiar but now outdated cassettes!

Why are we doing this? There are several reasons. First, the equipment
on which we duplicate cassettes is no longer manufactured. The machines
themselves here at RFB&D headquarters are wearing out; when they finally
stop working, it will be difficult, if not impossible to get replacement
parts for them.

Secondly, as a nonprofit organization, we pride ourselves on taking good
care of all donations generously given to us. Funds are limited, and we
must use our money wisely. Currently, it costs RFB&D about $167,000 per
month to produce both cassettes AND CDs. We can produce CD books faster
and with better quality than we ever could with cassettes. 

And finally, the world has changed in its use of technology. The world
has gone digital --and RFB&D needs to do the same. The digital format
not only lends itself to the CDs, but to downloadable books as well in
the future. This is an invitation for you to come along with us!

We've noted you are  part of a small percentage of members who haven't
yet tried our digitally recorded books on CD --and we'd like to make
this transition as easy as possible for you. Perhaps you' re waiting for
the Library of Congress to provide a free player for the new format they
will begin to adopt in 2008. There are so many books to read in RFB&D's
extensive library in the meantime - with hundreds of textbooks, classics
and best sellers being added each month --  and we want you to be able
to hear all of them on CD.

We are offering special promotions on our digital playback equipment!
Please call or write us before March 31, 2007  to find out more. I look
forward to your coming aboard as RFB&D goes digital.

Until then, this is John Kelly on behalf of all of us at RFB&D, wishing
you continued good learning through listening.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
From: EnjoyReading at yahoogroups.com [mailto:EnjoyReading at yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of JOHN O CARVALHO
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 8:20 AM
To: EnjoyReading at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [EnjoyReading] Fwd: [GDUI-Friends] Off Topic RFB&D

I think your friend has given you the incorrect information.
The new type of books won't be out for at least one more year.
I'm always talking-to my library 
PEACE 
John Carvalho 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Kathleen Gasper 
To: acb-l at acb.org ; bscb-l-acb.org ; EnjoyReading-yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 12:49 AM
Subject: [EnjoyReading] Fwd: [GDUI-Friends] Off Topic RFB&D

Has anyone else heard about this? I thought it was pretty amazing and
being done in an underhanded method as there hasn't been any talk about
the situation on lists that I am on. Maybe I am on the wrong lists? :)
Kathleen

From: "Jody W Ianuzzi" <jody at thewhitehats.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2007 21:56:11 -0500
Subject: [GDUI-Friends] Off Topic RFB&D

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

Hi Everyone,

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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-----Original Message-----
From: aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org
[mailto:aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Jody W Ianuzzi
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 9:53 PM
To: ROP-Support; adultROP at yahoogroups.com; AERnet; O and M list
Subject: [AERNet] RFB&D

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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