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G2S Project Code: 2020-KY-86492
State: Kentucky
Fiscal Year: 2020

Grantee
Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives

Project Director
Director Name: Barbara Penegor
Director Phone: 502-564-1738
Director Email: barbara.penegor@ky.gov

General Information
Title: Kentucky Talking Book Library
State Project Code: FY21041B
Start Date: 10/01/2019
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: The Kentucky Talking Book Library (KTBL) provided free library service to Kentuckians who are physically unable to read traditional print due a visual, physical, or reading disability. Braille and audiobooks were mailed to patrons and returned postage free, or patrons downloaded books from the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website. Librarians provided user support, reader advisory, book selection service, patron account maintenance, and reference/referral services to patrons. They also participated in outreach activities to introduce the service to potential new users and assigned descriptive subject headings to new books. The KTBL recording studio was on hiatus this entire year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, KTBL converted older analog audio books to digital format. All converted books were posted to the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) comprehensive online catalog, as well as the BARD website, before being stored for preservation. KTBL continues to be part of the braille eReader pilot. Staff participated in monthly testing of enhancements and bug fixes for the WebReads automation system.
State Goal: Information Access

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$193,143.27

$161,373.99

$183,099.51

$537,616.77

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Reading Program (Not Summer Reading)
Collection Development & Management

Activities
Activity Details
Title: KY Talking Book Library--Kentucky-produced Materials
Narrative:

The KTBL Newsletter was produced in accessible formats. In addition to news about the program, the October 2020 issue contained a list of the latest KY books produced by KTBL and the July 2021 issue contained a patron survey. All issues were posted to the KDLA website and social media (Facebook, Twitter). For distribution of audio format, KTBL began adding the most recent issue to all audio cartridges as a leaflet which plays before books. KTBL distributed braille, large print, audio, and electronic copies.

KTBL Librarians created braille sports schedules for Kentucky basketball, baseball, and football teams and mailed them to patrons on request. KTBL librarians also created large print sports schedules for some patrons and various braille correspondence.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Combined physical & digital

Quantity
Number of items digitized: 3
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 0
Number of physical items: 8,485
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: Yes
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
Rural
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: Yes
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: KY Talking Book Library--Cataloging and Description
Narrative:

KTBL librarians cataloged 48 Kentucky-related titles converted from analog format. Librarians assigned appropriate subject headings and updated existing annotations as needed. Information was entered into the library’s database for access by staff and patrons. Book records were submitted to the National Library Service’s (NLS) comprehensive online catalog, and its Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website for discovery by staff and patrons of the NLS network.

In addition to creating records for materials produced in-house, KTBL librarians also completed book records for audio and braille books provided by NLS. This included assigning subject headings so librarians can effectively select books for patrons by matching book subject headings with patron reading interests. Patrons have the option to log in to an OPAC to view book records to select and request books, but almost none use it because they prefer librarians to select books for them or they prefer to download books themselves.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Description
Format: Combined physical & digital

Quantity
Number of items made discoverable to the public: 6,093
Number of collections made discoverable to the public: 0
Number of metadata plans/frameworks produced/updated: 0

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: KY Talking Book Library--Lending program
Narrative:

KTBL uses Duplication on Demand (DoD) circulation, in which multiple books are downloaded as needed, creating a custom digital cartridge for each patron. KTBL has participated in the braille eReader pilot since September 2020. Many patrons prefer to download e-braille directly from the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website, but KTBL downloaded e-braille titles creating a custom digital cartridge for each patron.

While not counted as local circulation, KTBL librarians manually downloaded special request titles for patrons who do not have internet access. Most were patron favorites downloaded onto their own flash drives to create a personal library; others were downloaded from other libraries because they are not on BARD. Kentucky books recorded by KTBL were downloaded 12,554 times from BARD.

Making books available on BARD has greatly reduced the need for ILL, but KTBL still fulfilled 63 ILL requests from other Talking Book Libraries. These requests were for KY books that were digitally recorded before NLS allowed local books to be posted to BARD. This number continues to drop as KTBL converts older titles to BARD format and posts them to be downloaded. KTBL requested ILL from other libraries for its patrons—mostly braille books, but also a few locally recorded audio books.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Lending
Format: Combined physical & digital

Quantity
Total number of items circulated: 193,518
Average number of items circulated / month: 16,127
Total number of ILL transactions: 83
Average number of ILL transactions / month: 7

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: Preservation of Kentucky-themed Books
Narrative:

The Kentucky Talking Book Library recorded Kentucky-themed books on analog reel-to-reel tape for approximately 30 years before it converted to digital recording. KTBL has been involved in a long-term project to convert its existing analog master recordings to digital format (A-D conversion).This task is predominantly performed by 2 staff members: the Electronic Technician, who digitizes the reel tapes and performs sound editing; and the studio manager, who performs post-production navigational markup and file conversion according to NLS guidelines.

Once work was complete, the converted books were uploaded to the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website to be available for registered patrons and NLS network libraries to download. Titles will be perpetually available on BARD, but archival master copies of converted titles are stored on an external hard drive and on the KDLA network for posterity.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Preservation
Format: Combined physical & digital

Quantity
Number of items conserved, relocated to protective storage, rehoused, or for which other preservation-appropriate physical action was taken: 80
Number of items reformatted, migrated, or for which other digital preservation-appropriate action was taken: 32
Number of preservation plans/frameworks produced/updated (i.e. preservation readiness plans, data management plans): 0

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: KY Talking Book Library Customer Service
Narrative:

KTBL professional librarians provided customer service to its registered patrons and institutions. Patrons could choose to communicate with librarians by telephone, mail, email, or in person. Librarians provided readers’ advisory to help patrons find and/or select books, they entered book requests on patron accounts, and selected books for the majority of patrons based on their reading interests. They answered questions about general usage and provided support for downloads from the NLS BARD Website and BARD Mobile app. They tailored circulation patterns to each patron, and updated account information as necessary, including transferring patron to and from other NLS network libraries. Librarians referred patrons to other organizations that serve people with disabilities and provided reference and braille-on-demand service upon request.

NLS requested libraries keep stats for BARD support calls from April through September. This data may be used to support less rigorous password restrictions for NLS patrons.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 11,217
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 935

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
The number of new patrons added this year increased by 48 people, but the overall number of patrons served was down by 3%. This can be attributed to the pandemic hampering outreach activities, and to librarians canceling a large number of patrons due to death, relocation, and inactivity. Overall circulation was slightly lower than last year (down 1%), while BARD circulation was the highest ever—up 10%. This can be attributed to the popularity of patrons downloading braille with the eReader as braille downloads more than tripled over last year! KTBL patrons borrowed an average of 51 items apiece; that rose to 72 when you factor in items downloaded from BARD. Compare that with the 10 items averaged by registered patrons at Kentucky’s public libraries. (Statistical Report of Kentucky Public Libraries, FY 2019-2020) Seventy-four percent (74%) of patrons prefer KTBL librarians to select books for them in addition to, or instead of, choosing books themselves from catalogs. This is possible because librarians assign appropriate subject headings to each new book so they can be matched with patron reading interests. They rely on patron input to customize reading interests, the number of books sent, and the frequency in which they are sent. On the patron survey, 53% of patrons say books the librarians pick for them are the number one way they find new books to read. Staff received 10,879 phone calls, emails, and mail dealing with patron requests, reader advisory, account maintenance, BARD support, reference, or referral to other organizations. The recording studio is a important part of KTBL service, but it remained on hiatus this year due to the pandemic. Even though no new books were completed, KTBL staff converted 48 analog reel-to-reel recordings to digital format and made them available to patrons around the country by posting them to BARD. These books are of particular interest to Kentuckians, whether they are about Kentucky, written by Kentucky authors, or have some other connection to our state. KTBL has a total of 434 Kentucky books on BARD and they were downloaded 12,645 times this year--for an average of 29 downloads per title. Volunteers are essential to the studio, but their contributions were halted due to the coronavirus. The studio manager regularly sent email updates or called to keep in contact with a corps of 30 or so volunteers and to update them on the studio status. The studio manager continues to receive contacts from persons interested in volunteering once the studio reopens. KTBL also produced 3 issues of its newsletter. It was distributed in large print, audio, braille, and email. It was also posted to the KTBL website, audio was posted to Sound Cloud, and links were sent via FaceBook and Twitter. Audio was also shared with the National Federation of the Blind’s NFB Newsline® for patrons to access from that platform. Outreach remains difficult during the pandemic. There have been some virtual events, and even one live event, but overall they remain limited. Staff attended 4 virtual and 1 live event with approximately 341 people in attendance. The manager also reached out to the Kentucky Dyslexia Association after NLS updated its eligibility criteria to make it easier for those with reading disabilities to apply. It is difficult to measure the success of particular outreach activities. The majority of those viewing or attending may not need the service themselves, but they may be the person who introduces someone else to Talking Books. It may be months or years before they share the information or come to need it themselves. The Blind Services Division referred 28% of new patrons to KTBL, while the Veterans Administration referred 12%. Another 48% of applicants were referred to KTBL by medical professionals, teachers, public library staff, nursing homes/adult day care centers, social workers/therapists, and friend or family members. These are the groups that are likely to learn about KTBL as a result of its outreach efforts. According to the 2021 KTBL Patron Survey, nearly 68% of patrons read braille or talking books every day; 30% read 3-6 hours, while over 12% read over 6 hours a day! Sixty-six percent (66%) of respondents said they would not have access to reading materials if not for KTBL; another 17 % were not sure if they would have access. Most read for pleasure/entertainment (96 %), but other responses include companionship (50%), education (43%), staying connected and informed (24%), religion (24%), and health (20%). (Respondents could select all that apply.) When asked if Talking Books are important to their mental health, 81% reported Very Important and 14% said Somewhat Important. When asked in what ways braille and talking books impact their mental health, responses were: provides mental stimulation—82%, eases loneliness or boredom—78%, improves concentration/memory—57%, lessens depression or anxiety—54%, distracts from problems/physical pain—53%, helps come to terms with vision loss or physical disability—50%, and increases confidence or independence—33%. The vast majority of patrons rated their service from KTBL as Excellent (83%).
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Current patrons love their talking books. KTBL is serving only a fraction of potential eligible users, so outreach is vital to reach those who could benefit and to address high patron turnover due to illness, death, and inactivity. Mobile devices continue to be very popular for patrons who download from BARD—2653 devices are registered to 612 users. However only 16% of patrons are signed up to use BARD—most continue to use mail delivery and 48% report they do not own a smart phone, tablet, computer, or smart speaker. Many patrons who had not read embossed braille have readily adapted to reading electronic braille on the eReader. Patrons with little to no technology skills prefer to read embossed braille, so it will be necessary for some time. Librarians continue to be essential for providing customer service, reader advisory, and cataloging. The recording studio has provided enhanced service to patrons and its products are actively used even though no new books were produced this year. Staff will continue to convert analog recordings to digital format until all have been completed. Talking Books have a positive impact on users’ mental health.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: Blind, Print Disabled, Dyslexia