The DAISY Planet: DAISY Consortium Newsletter, March 2009

The DAISY Planet: DAISY Consortium Newsletter, March 2009

Without a doubt, this is the best summary of the Kindle 2 TTS issue to date. It's a matter of basic accessibility to content.

ReadHowYouWant's new catalog for libraries

We have just released a new catalog of our in-copyright titles as a printable PDF file that can be downloaded from our web site. The new catalog includes cover images of the books and hundreds of more titles than our last catalog had. At over 200 pp, it shows how quickly ReadHowYouWant is growing.

Click here to view it, now.

ASCLA InterFace Pre- ALA 2009 Edition Banner Ad Special Offer

We are offering several special 40% discount promotions to encourage libraries to try our books before ALA. You can also order any of our books through Baker & Taylor or other wholesalers at your negotiated discount. All of these are good through the end of June, except for the FLA health book promotion, which is good through the end of May. We will have entirely new specials for the ALA conference and the month following.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and Creating Affluence by Deepak Chopra will soon be available in large print, braille, and DAISY from RHYW. With over 2 million copies sold, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success was on The New York Times bestseller list for over a year. Publisher New World Library has previously partnered with RHYW on such titles as The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. (click here to see all titles available from New World Library)

Random House Australia has recently partnered with RHYW to create accessible editions of the following best-selling memoirs: Salvation Creek by Susan Duncan won the 2007 Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award, and was shortlisted for the Dobbie Award, which is part of the Nita B Kibble awards for women writers. It is a story of loss, survival, and finding paradise. Making the Cut: A Surgeon’s Stories of Life on the Edge, by former professor of surgery Mohamed Khadra, documents the damaging politics in the Australian healthcare system as well as featuring stories about his training and career as a surgeon. (click here to see all titles available from Random House Australia)

As a way to celebrate these great books, all titles from New World Library and Random House Australia will be available at a 40% discount through June. Please contact me to place your orders.

Interactive Publications is another outstanding Australian publisher. The Herald Sun said of Another, “…in a word, compelling.” Joel Deane’s novel follows teenagers Toby and Suzie through their aimless wanderings, ghosts of the past, and violences with “unflinching and gritty realism and a sophisticated lyric beauty,” according to Charles Wilmoth of Intersection for the Arts. Easter at Tobruk by Michael O’Sullivan explores the changing values in Australia since WWII by focusing on two Easters, one in 1941, and another 50 years later. The novel combines historically accurate details about battles with fictitious characters. The Judges for the IP Picks Best Fiction Award 2006 called it, “An enticing work peppered with a glistening sense of magic realism…”

To support Interactive Publications’ goal of reaching new audiences, RHYW is offering their accessible additions at 40% off through the end of June. Contact me to place your orders. All Interactive titles available from RHYW may be viewed at here.

The Florida Library Association Conference special is going on through the end of May. Any library can take advantage of this special offer. These health-related books will be popular with all health-conscious seniors. Order any single title, or combinations of titles from our discount order form, and get 40% off. Click this link for details.

To place your order or for more information, please contact pstafford (at) readhowyouwant.com or call toll-free (US only) 866.428.5344 or Skype peytonstafford.

University of Queensland Press to Partner with ReadHowYouWant

I’m very happy to announce a new publishing partner – University of Queensland Press (UQP).

UQP - http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/

For more than 60 years, the University of Queensland Press has been at the forefront of innovative Australian publishing. It has launched the careers of many great Australian novelists, published contemporary Australian poets, been a pioneering force in children's and young adult publishing and has set the benchmark for award-winning scholarly and Black Australian writing.

UQP is a dynamic university press known for its risk-taking philosophy and commitment to publishing works of high quality and cultural significance.

UQP is a very respected medium sized publisher in Australia – who have launched some of the most famous Australian Authors including Peter Carey (sadly not with them anymore!) and David Malouf.

Their work covers fiction, politics, Australiana, biography, history, art, poetry, and a strong children’s section as well.

They are also regular award winners - http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/awards.php

We are still in discussion over the best books to launch this with, but they are keen to get all of their books up onto our system quite quickly.

Forthcoming Titles from New World Library

Great news. New World Library is giving us the following big bestsellers in the following formats. These will go to the top of our production queue and should be ready for purchase within a month or less.


PRACTICING THE POWER OF NOW, Eckhart Tolle — EasyRead Large Type (I though
I'd licensed a large print edition, but I hadn't)

SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS OF SUCCESS, Deepak Chopra — EasyRead Large Type,
Braille, Daisy Only

CREATING AFFLUENCE, Deepak Chopra — EasyRead Large Type, Braille, Daisy Only

WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR, DAN MILLMAN — EasyRead Large Type, Braille,
Daisy Only

HANDBOOK FOR THE SPIRIT, Richard Carlson — EasyRead Large Type, Braille,
Daisy Only

Texas Here We Come

We will be exhibiting with Combined Book at the TLA show in Houston. Please all me at 866.428.5344 if you want to make an appointment to meet during the conference.

We are offering a 40% discount on some of our top titles during and after TLA. The order form is here. You do not need to attend the conference to take advantage of the prices.

We will also be raffling off some nice selections of books in our booth, #1803.

I hope to see you, there!

ICAN ASCLA preconference at ALA on After the Grant Runs Out: Funding Collaborative Digitization

Thanks to Liz at ASCLA for this post:

Dear ICAN member,

ICAN is sponsoring an ASCLA preconference at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference. The details are below.

Would you please share this information with your colleagues, employees, networks, blogs and any relevant e-mail groups you may happen to belong to?

This is an important event for both ICAN and ASCLA—with your help getting the word out, we can assure that it is a successful event, too.

Thanks in advance and best wishes,

Liz F. Markel, M.A.

Marketing Specialist

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA)

*********************************************************************

Collaborative Digitization: ASCLA Preconference @ 2009 ALA Annual Conference

Seeking sustainable funding options for collaborative digitization projects?

Look no further—you'll get the scoop on where to find them at “After the Grant Runs Out: Funding Collaborative Digitization” a 2009 ASCLA preconference to be held at ALA’s Annual Conference in Chicago.

Directors and managers of library networks and cooperatives involved in or considering collaborative digitization projects will benefit from this workshop. Speakers will explore how to cultivate diverse revenue streams for funding sustainable collaborative digitization programs, including membership fees, fund raising and operating budgets.

The preconference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2009 in Chicago. Visit the ASCLA blog for a complete description, speaker list, and registration rates:

http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2009/03/04/collaborative-digitization-funding-find-it-now-with-help-from-ascla/

Check out the “how to register” entry on the blog, too:

http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2009/02/19/how-to-register-for-the-2009-ala-annual-conference-chicago-july-9-15-and-associated-events/

View the complete list of ASCLA programs and preconferences at the ASCLA website:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaevents/annual09/index.cfm

Know someone who might be interested in this program?

Please forward this message to them.

Oregon's special ed needs hit new high - OregonLive.com

Oregon's special ed needs hit new high - OregonLive.com

Interesting article. Oddly enough, the article on congressional earmarks didn't mention any special funds for special needs kids...

ALA | Mayo to present 2009 Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture

ALA | Mayo to present 2009 Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture

If you're coming to ALA, then by all means attend Kathy Mayo's talk on serving elders in libraries. It's sure to be great!

HumanWare and ReadHowYouWant Join Forces to Bring Books to Visually Impaired Readers

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Bradi Grebien-Samkow: bradi@readhowyouwant.com

503-922-0778

Contact:

Julien Larose: julien.larose@humanware.com

888-723-7273 x357

HumanWare and ReadHowYouWant Join Forces to Bring Books to Visually Impaired Readers

Sydney, Australia, March 11, 2009—HumanWare, the leader in assistive technologies for people with print disability, and digital publishing innovator ReadHowYouWant are partnering to help visually impaired readers discover the book reading device, and the format that’s right for their reading needs.

ReadHowYouWant offers thousands of books in accessible formats, including 24 pt. large print, braille, and DAISY files at www.readhowyouwant.com. HumanWare provides playback devices for readers who are blind or have low vision to use with braille and DAISY files at www.humanware.com. “From the moment it appeared on the market, the Victor Reader Stream has proven itself to be the greatest portable DAISY book reading device ever. Today we are proud to team up with Read How You Want. We invite all readers to take a look at the selection of books they have to offer. Reading should always be an enjoyable experience. We hope that our customers will regularly visit our new website where they will be able to check out new DAISY book releases. Pass the word around!” says HumanWare CEO Gilles Pepin.

Beginning in April, readers will be able to go to the HumanWare website to download free, first chapters of 20 bestselling ReadHowYouWant titles each month as part of the “Free Chapter Download Program.” The free, first chapters come from popular books from a variety of well-known publishers of adult and young adult books, including Wiley, Random House Australia, Murdoch Books, and Weekly Reader. The first month’s selected titles will include such best sellers as, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library), “Praise Song for the Day,” the inauguration poem by Elizabeth Alexander (Graywolf Press), and Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute (Berrett-Kohler), as well as children’s and young adult titles to include, How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger by Marjorie Lisovskis and Elizabeth Verdick (Free Spirit Publishing), and Extreme Habitats: Mountain Survival by Susie Hodge (Weekly Reader). After enjoying the complimentary first chapter, readers may visit ReadHowYouWant’s website at www.readhowyouwant.com to purchase the entire file.

ReadHowYouWant will be demoing HumanWare’s devices at book industry events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and Book Expo America. Similarly, HumanWare will present braille and DAISY files from ReadHowYouWant’s collection on their players at technology industry shows, including CSUN and ATIA (Assistive Technologies Industry Association) conferences.

ReadHowYouWant produces Grade 2 contracted braille files, and has developed a house style that supports automated transcription while maintaining accuracy. These files may be read with a refreshable electronic braille display such as the Humanware Braillenote or Brailliant or embossed to make traditional braille books. Words are not split at line ends to make reading easier, particularly for newer braille readers.

About HumanWare

HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technologies for vision, including products for the blind and visually impaired. HumanWare's products include BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for blind people in education, in business and in their personal lives; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital talking book players; and myReader2, the new version of HumanWare's unique "auto-reader" for people with low vision. For more information visit www.humanware.com

About ReadHowYouWant

ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies founded in 2004 by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. When Chris’s sister, who suffers from MS, developed difficulty reading, they began experimenting to determine whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.

After more than four years of testing, ReadHowYouWant has successfully developed award-winning conversion technology that reformats existing books into the widest selection of on-demand, alternative format editions on the market today. Each edition has been optimized for maximum readability. The company’s goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice—at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com.

ReadHowYouWant Partners with Random House Australia and Murdoch Books

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Bradi Grebien-Samkow: bradi@readhowyouwant.com

+1-503-922-0778 U.S.

Large Print and Accessible Book Publisher ReadHowYouWant Partners with Leading Publishers to Create Books for Visually Impaired Readers

Sydney, Australia, March 4, 2009—ReadHowYouWant, a new leader in large print, print-on-demand books, has begun partnering with Random House Australia and Murdoch Books to create accessible editions of their best-selling titles. ReadHowYouWant also announced the opening of their Australian and New Zealand website at www.readhowyouwant.com/australia. The Sydney-based company’s other Australian publishing partners include Simon and Schuster Australia, Michelle Anderson Publishing, Interactive Publications, Little Hare Books, and Insight Publications.

ReadHowYouWant Pty Ltd and its R&D parent company, Accessible Publishing Pty Ltd, are both Sydney, Australia-based privately held companies co-founded by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan. ReadHowYouWant’s award-winning conversion technology reformats existing books into high-quality alternative formats including, 16 to 24 point EasyRead large print, braille, e-books, and DAISY—a new talking book format that produces audio along with the written text.

Mel Cox, Head of Publishing Services at Random House Australia says, “We’re really excited to be working with ReadHowYouWant. This innovative technology assists those who have been previously unable to enjoy printed books. Random House Australia is delighted that our authors will now be available in more accessible formats for the enjoyment of all readers.” Random House Australia is part of the Random House Group, one of the largest publishing houses in the world. ReadHowYouWant will be working with Random House Australia on creating accessible formats of their recent front list titles, including three best-selling memoirs, Holy Cow, Salvation Creek, and Conviction of the Innocent.

ReadHowYouWant will be working with Murdoch Book’s imprint, Pier 9, which publishes an eclectic mix of travel, memoir, biography, popular history, and strong human-interest stories. "Murdoch Books is delighted to be able to make their books accessible to a broader range of people who would have previously been unable to read these titles in a standard format,” says Juliet Rogers, CEO of Murdoch Books.

ReadHowYouWant works with print-on-demand printer SOS print + media of Alexandria, NSW to print and ship books to readers. As well, ReadHowYouWant is working with James Bennett—Australia’s leading library supplier—to bring books to libraries in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2007, using an export grant from the Australian government to partly fund its expansion, ReadHowYouWant brought its services to the United States, and has begun partnering with such U.S. publishers as Wiley, Career Press, Barrett-Koehler, Free Spirit, and Rosen. Some best-selling titles from American publishers now available to Australian readers include, Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle, Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, and Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. ReadHowYouWant’s online bookshop contains over 2,000 titles available in DAISY or braille files at www.readhowyouwant.com/australia.

“ReadHowYouWant’s goals are to make reading easier and more enjoyable by delivering formats that suit the reader, and to give people with reading difficulties access to books in the formats of their choice at an affordable price, and as soon as the book is published,” says ReadHowYouWant’s founder Christopher Stephen. For more information visit www.readhowyouwant.com/australia. To reach Mark Tanner, Publisher Relations Manager in our Sydney office, email mtanner@readhowyouwant.com or call +61 421 544 707.

“…the prescient folks at ReadHowYouWant [who] offer unabridged editions and [who] have a fine understanding of the fact that one size doesn’t fit all visually impaired readers. Brilliantly, they offer a variety of fonts and font sizes.”

—Sarah F. Gold, Publishers Weekly

Tiresias LPfont - A typeface for large print publications

Tiresias LPfont - A typeface for large print publications

Here is a fascinating summary of research into font sizes and weights as they relate to the preferences of visually impaired readers. Those of us who vision is not impaired usually prefer a non-bold font, whereas readers whose vision is impaired prefer a bold font. This also goes into the whole issue of serif vs sans serif. Well worth reading if you are visually impaired or serve visually impaired readers.

The DAISY Planet: DAISY Consortium Newsletter, February 2009

The DAISY Planet: DAISY Consortium Newsletter, February 2009

DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System -- that is, digital talking books. ReadHowYouWant is a friend and member of the DAISY Consortium and publishes all of our titles in the DAISY format. This makes them accessible to blind and dyslexic readers, as well as to physically handicapped readers who can operate a computer with an assistive input device. Please click the link above to read the DAISY Consortium's newest newsletter. If you are interested in assitive technology, then this is well worth subscribing to.

Interesting take on Kindle 2 TTS by a visually impaired book reviewer

Talkback on Publishers Weekly

I really like what Sarah F. Gold says in this article. If you are visually impaired, then being able to enlarge the text or hear it read is a whole lot better than not being able to. Never mind that the Kindle TTS may not sound like a human. It's a whole lot better than not being able to read the book at all.

Too bad about the sticker shock of one of our longer LP books. She must have been looking at it in one of the larger fonts. Most of our books are priced about the same as the original trade editions.