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Logo of The Friends of The New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped: Within a circle is a family with their pets. Around the circle is our organization name, The Friends of the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped. THE FRIENDS OF THE NEW JERSEY LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND AND HANDICAPPED, INC.
 
Spring 2013 NEWSLETTER

 
The Friends of the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization which promotes financial assistance and acts as an advocacy group for the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC).

For more details and to become a member see our application in this newsletter or on our web site http://www.friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org. Our E-Mail address is Friendsnjlbh@yahoo.com and our phone number is (609) 895-1048.

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President's Message

I'm excited to let you know that the Friends of the NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped (Friends) and the NJ State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC) are working together on several activities which I hope will be of interest to all of you.

Our spring meeting of the Friends will be held on June 1st at 10:00 A.M. at the TBBC located at 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Ewing, NJ 08618, (800) 792-8322. In addition to our regular meeting agenda, the TBBC will hold a special ceremony at noon to dedicate the Donor Wall. This wall will be a focal point visible to all when they enter the TBBC. The Donor Wall will contain plaques in the shape of books to honor those who have made generous donations to the TBBC. There will be press coverage to highlight this event. All are invited to attend. A light lunch will follow the dedication. Directions to TBBC are at the end of this newsletter.

On June 4th, the TBBC will sponsor its second annual Golf Outing. The Friends have contributed to this event for the second time by sponsoring the Boxed Lunch and Course Hospitality. If you know anyone who may be interested in participating in the golf outing or acting as a sponsor, please contact Adam Szczepaniak at (800) 792-8322, ext. 801, or Linda Cerce, ext. 835 for more information.

On Saturday, October 12, 2013, the TBBC has begun plans for the Biennial Fall Festival to be held at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township. The plans for this event are in the preliminary stages but the TBBC would like to have an author as the keynote speaker and to focus on books which have been recorded by the TBBC itself. Please mark your calendars for this special event.

Mary Jo Partyka, President, the Friends

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Member Spotlight
Pat Kay

Pat Kay is a woman of many varied careers and interests. She never has been and never is bored. She has been a science teacher, a civil service test developer, a professor of education and psychology, a dean of a school of education and educational services, a botanical artist, a coordinator of the Botanical Art and Illustration program at the New York Botanical Garden and a teacher of art and illustration courses. In her spare time she has facilitated drum and Native American Flute Circles. She has always been active in professional and civic organizations.

Since being declared legally blind in 1999, she has joined many organizations of and for the blind. She credits them for teaching her a great deal about how to get along with limited sight as well as introducing her to many new and wonderful friends.

Pat is also an avid reader and is extremely grateful for the development of the Victor Stream and the digitizing of the NLS books. She recently went away for a long weekend and took 27 books with her! She had 5 whole days with no "to do list" and lots to read. Woohoo!

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Pat invites you to Learn to Play Native American Flute

Have fun playing the Native American Flute at a workshop! Anyone over the age of 13 is welcome. NO music background is necessary. For a nominal cost of $15.00, you will leave with your own flute and the ability to play with other flute players and drummers at a novice level. There will be follow-up sessions where you can learn more and have more fun.

The Native American Flute (NAF) is probably the most accessible musical instrument for blind and visually impaired people. It is very easy to learn it and one does not need to read music to make beautiful sounds either alone or with others. Neither is one limited to playing Native American music. Jazz, Blues, Hymns, Classical, Middle Eastern, and just about any other kind of music can be played on Native American Flutes, but perhaps the most fun is in improvising your own tunes and that is something made quite simple and enjoyable on NAFs.

Each Flute Circle will contain some further instruction, some ensemble playing, and some solo playing for those who wish to do it.

The first workshop was held in April, but a second round of beginner's workshops and following Flute Circles will begin in September in Metuchen.

For more information, directions and registration, call Pat Kay at (732) 274-2963.

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Magazines on Digital Cartridges

Effective March 14, 2013, patrons of the TBBC began receiving their magazines on digital cartridges. Following is an abbreviated sketch of the way their system works.

Delivery Schedule - Each patron's delivery schedule will differ according to his/her magazine subscriptions. The magazine on cartridge (MOC) program will determine a "trigger" magazine that optimizes the timeliness of the cartridge and the magazines it contains.

Undeliverable cartridges - When the post office cannot deliver a magazine cartridge, it will be returned to the contractor who sent it out.

Overdue cartridges - The MOC will allot each patron a specific number of cartridges he/she can have out at one time based upon the frequency of magazines on the cartridge. The number of cartridges will adjust as cartridges are sent and returned.

Overdue policy - There are two types of cartridges: weekly cartridges, which only hold weekly magazines, and monthly cartridges, which hold monthly/bimonthly/quarterly magazines. Weekly cartridges will be designed as overdue when they are more than three weeks old. Monthly cartridges will be designed as overdue when they are more than six weeks old.

More details about this program can be found on the Friends of the Library website at www.friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org

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A Heartfelt Thank You...

The Friends of NJLBH would like to thank the following people for their generous donation to the Friends: R.H. Foster, Eunice Gallena, Betty Jean Grumdahl, John Taylor & Family, The Metuchen Lions Club, Frances Wilkins, and Sheila Weisfeld.

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Options for Reading the Friends Newsletter

Options for reading our newsletter: Large Print, Cassette, E-mail, on our website, http://www.friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org and on Newsline. The newsletters are recorded at normal speed and can be played on any commercial cassette recorder. To access the Friends Newsletter on Newsline call into the service via the local dial up number provided when you signed up. If you don't remember your local number or have questions about Newsline, call the Newsline headquarters in Baltimore at 1-866-504-7300. If you wish to change the medium in which you receive the newsletter, please complete and return the attached membership form.

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Annual Dues are Due June 1st

To our members: The Friends Fiscal year begins on July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. To be an active member of The Friends, please pay your dues. This year dues for Individual members are $10.00 and Family is $25.00. Checks should be made payable to The Friends of the NJLBH. Even if you are a current member, dues need to be paid. Attached to this newsletter is a membership form that needs to be completed by everyone. A form is also available on our website (http://www.friendsnjlibraryfortheblind.org). If you have any questions about your membership status, please call us at 609-895-1048. Thank You.

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Directions to the TBBC
2300 Stuyvesant Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08618

From the North:
Take Rt. 31 South and turn right onto Rt. 95 South one mile south of the Pennington Circle. Get off at exit 2 turning right toward West Trenton on Bear Tavern Road (CR 579). Proceed approximately 2.2 miles and turn left at the 3rd traffic light (Lower Ferry Road). Turn right onto Stuyvesant Avenue. The TBBC is on the left.

Or:

Take Rt. 1 South and turn right onto Rt. 95 South after passing Mercer Mall on the right and Quaker Bridge Mall on the left south of Princeton. Get off at exit 2 turning right and follow the above directions.

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From the East:
Rt. 195 West becomes Rt. 29 North heading toward Trenton. Proceed approximately 7 miles and turn right onto Sullivan Way (4th light). Sullivan Way bends to the left. At the next light, turn right onto Lower Ferry Road. At the next street turn right onto Stuyvesant Avenue. The TBBC is on the left.

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From the South:
Take Rt. 206, Rt. 130, Rt. 295 or Turnpike north to Bordentown. Pick up Rt. 295 North in Bordentown. Get off Rt. 295 North at exit 60 and get onto Rt. 29 North toward Trenton and follow the above directions. Have a safe trip and we hope to see you there.

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THE FRIENDS OF THE NJ LIBRARY for the BLIND MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name: _________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ___________________________________________

Telephone (with area code):_________________________________

E-mail address: __________________________________________

Preferred Media Format:

LP____ Cassette____ E-mail_____ or None I will read online_____

I am eligible for NJLBH Services: Yes ___ No ___

Individual Member $10.00 ___ Family Membership $25.00 ___

Donation $ _________

Donation in Memory or Honor of:

Name: _______________________________________________

Send acknowledgment for memorial gift to:

Name: _________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: __________________________________________

I have made a bequest in my will _____

Please return this form together with your check payable to:
The Friends of the NJLBH
PO Box 434, Woodbridge, NJ 07095