Update
July-September 1995, Vol. 18, No. 3

ISSN 0160-9203

National Library Service for the 
Blind and Physically Handicapped
The Library of Congress

Western volunteer coordinators hold first-ever preconference

Western Conference volunteer coordinators gathered in Lead, South Dakota,
May 3-4 for the first-ever preconference on volunteer programs in libraries
serving blind and physically handicapped individuals.
     "It was a success beyond our dreams, and we can't decide what was the
highlight," said Sandra Jarvie, Montana regional librarian. "Volunteer
managers/coordinators had an opportunity to travel and interact with staff
from other libraries and NLS. They also met, socialized, and strengthened an
already-existing support group to which they can turn with future problems
and concerns. This conference affirms the fact that volunteer managers are a
vital and valued part of the library network."
     Meeting for two days preceding the Western Conference of Librarians
Serving the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the preconference, titled
Volunteers Reaching People, drew more than forty participants. They garnered
and shared information through workshops; presentations; commonality
sessions; group discussions; and displays of materials such as brochures,
forms, newsletters, manuals, and recognition gifts.
     Nancy Macduff, consultant and author, opened with a workshop titled
Motivation: What Makes Volunteers Behave That Way? She asserted that the
retention and productivity of volunteers depend on their motivation and
discussed ways volunteer coordinators can create a vibrant motivational
climate.
     Later in the day, Mrs. Macduff conducted another workshop, Steps to
Effective Recruitment. Small groups discussed recruitment resources and
plans for their programs, then presented their ideas for improving -
recruitment.
     Freddie Peaco, NLS government information coordinator/volunteer
specialist, gave a presentation detailing her duties as volunteer
specialist. She addressed her role in assisting network volunteer
coordinators to develop and cultivate volunteer programs. She also reviewed
the production of _Volunteers Who Produce Books_ and _Update,_ emphasizing
that these publications are designed to benefit volunteers and volunteer
programs.
     In the commonality session on Thursday morning, LeAnn Bromeland,
Oregon volunteer coordinator, facilitated a discussion on working with
volunteers who have various disabilities. The preconference officially ended
with an open session that offered coordinators the chance to exchange ideas
and share concerns, problems, and successes.
     On Friday, Charles Tremper of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center,
Washington, D.C., addressed a joint session of volunteer coordinators,
executives, librarians, and staff attending the Western Conference meeting.
In his topic, Safe and Legal Volunteer Management, Mr. Tremper identified
some legal barriers to volunteer service and discussed ways coordinators can
stay within the law and effectively administer risk-free volunteer programs.
     The preconference on volunteer programs was sponsored by the Western
Council of State Libraries and organized by a committee headed by
Mrs. Jarvie. Other committee members were Gen Allen, volunteer coordinator
for the Montana regional library; Vikki Stewart, Kansas State Library; and
Sharon Crandall, volunteer coordinator for the Utah regional library.
     The committee presented a resolution to the Western Conference urging
that volunteer managers become a permanent part of the biennial meeting of
the Western Conference.
(photo caption: Coordinators share ideas. From top: Keri Putnam, Nevada;
Donna Kennedy, Sacramento; Donna Johnson, Colorado.)
                               ###

BIA thanks repair volunteers

The Braille Institute of America Library in Los Angeles celebrated National
Library Week with a luncheon honoring Telephone Pioneers and independent
machine-repair volunteers working in southern California. Fifteen
machine-repair volunteers represented the total group of two hundred at the
April 12 luncheon hosted by Director of Library Services Henry C. Chang.
Certificates of appreciation were awarded by Braille Institute of America
vice president of operations Barry N. Kaye. Dr. Chang stated, "The superior
efforts and dedication of these volunteers account for the outstanding
success of the machine-repair program administered by this regional library.
More than 66,000 cassette-book machines have been repaired and reinstated
during the past ten years."
     Displays on view in the lobby introduced the volunteers, patrons, and
staff attending the luncheon to other library services. Visitors viewed a
colorful array of bibliographies, information about summer reading programs
offered to adults and children, and information about the NLS music services
and the Magazine of the Month program.
(photo caption: Barry N. Kaye, BIA vice president of operations (left), and
Henry C. Chang, director of Library Services, thank Lois Carmona, California
Telephone Pioneers coordinator.)
                               ###

Author of music code book dies

Mary Elizabeth De Garmo, author of _Introduction to Braille Music
Transcription,_ the official code for braille music transcription in the
United States and a number of countries throughout the world, died April 9.
She had been a braille transcriber for more than thirty years and had served
on the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) Braille Music Technical
Committee and in other braille music conferences.
     Mrs. De Garmo began transcribing in the mid-1950s, when, after her two
sons had finished college, she looked around for "some worthwhile avocation"
to keep her occupied and found braille. She studied braille transcription
through the American Red Cross Berkeley Service Center (Berkeley,
California) and received certification in literary braille in August 1956.
Shortly thereafter she was approached by the mother of a blind boy who
wanted to study braille music. An accomplished musician herself, Mrs. De
Garmo became interested in braille music and, according to friends and
colleagues, studied it intensively and received her certification in braille
music transcription in November 1960.
     Discovering that braille music materials were not well organized and
that published information was inadequate and limited, she spent countless
hours studying braille music, doing research, and consulting knowledgeable
people throughout the United States. After accumulating extensive notes on
the subject, she was encouraged by her professor-author husband to organize
her notes and condense them into a written manuscript that could be
published.
     When the manuscript was nearly finished, NLS contacted Mrs. De Garmo,
asking to examine her work. Almost immediately NLS requested permission to
publish her work as a book. She agreed, with the condition that she receive
no remuneration for the manuscript.
     _Introduction to Braille Music Transcription_ by Mary De Garmo was
published by the Library of Congress in 1970. Mrs. De Garmo also wrote two
addenda, one for transcribing piano music, in 1974, and one on transcribing
music for guitar and similar instruments, in 1983.
     In 1965 Mrs. De Garmo represented braille music transcribers at the
first conference on braille music sponsored by NLS. Attending this NLS
conference were such braille music experts as Edward W. Jenkins, Nell
Edwards, and Louis W. Rodenberg.
     Mrs. De Garmo was the first volunteer transcriber to serve on the
Music Subcommittee to BANA. This was the first official committee
established in the United States to examine and effect standardization in
the transcription of braille music. When the subcommittee terminated, she
served on a music committee for a special braille project under the auspices
of Florida State University. In 1979 she became a member of the Braille
Music Technical Committee for BANA.
     In recognition of her book on braille music transcription, the Mu Phi
Epsilon honorary society presented Mrs. De Garmo its Elizabeth Mathias Award
in 1983. She received the Washington State University Alumni Achievement
Award in 1977 and the Washington State University Board of Regents
Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988.
     Because of failing health, Mrs. De Garmo retired from brailling and
braille music activities in the mid 1980s.
                               ###

Electronics expert to coordinate equipment maintenance

Alexander Lakomyj (pronounced La-KO-me), electrical and electronics engineer
from the Office of the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., joined
the NLS staff as equipment and materials maintenance coordinator on May 30.
He will coordinate network machine-repair programs and the distribution of
equipment and parts, working with Telephone Pioneers, Elfuns, and other
volunteer repair organizations.
     Mr. Lakomyj brings to his new position a range of educational and
professional experience in government and private settings.
     At the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, he managed a team of
technical personnel, wrote proposals for sound system design, prepared
technical manuals, and supervised the development of data sheets.
     Previously, he had served as business agent of the Washington, D.C.,
Local 22 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, where
he created an automated database for matching employers' needs with
prospective employees. He also developed electronic media contracts and
managed contractors for the John F. Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Farm Park for
the Performing Arts, television networks, and Hollywood studios. In
addition, he has held electrical engineering and computer systems field
engineering positions with the Department of Defense at the Pentagon and at
the Defense Communications Agency, Western Union, Xerox Corporation at the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Argonne National
Laboratories, the Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Service, the National
Security Agency, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Labs.
     Mr. Lakomyj holds a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering from
Thomas Edison State College and a master's degree in management and computer
systems from the University of Maryland.
     He is a member of the following professional organizations: the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Acoustical Society of
America, the Cinema Audio Society, the Audio Engineering Society, the
Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers, and the Association of
Computing Machinery.
     In addition to publishing articles in newsletters and trade journals
and conducting workshops and seminars, Mr. Lakomyj has recruited and worked
with volunteers throughout Washington's theater community, as well as with
local church groups, consulting and designing electronic and acoustic
projects to improve and upgrade their facilities.
     At NLS, Mr. Lakomyj will coordinate maintenance and repair programs in
the library network and make recommendations to other NLS sections on
equipment production and reliability. He will conduct training workshops
with machine-repair volunteers.
     He will be responsible for inventory control for the equipment,
accessories, and spare parts that are stored at NLS and for tracking the
assignment, maintenance, and repair of electronic equipment and materials.
(photo caption: Alexander Lakomyj. Photo by Jim Higgins.)
                               ###

Volunteer management software

Listed below are software systems that may be useful to volunteer
coordinators. All of these systems have mailing-list-management capabilities
that can be used to do merge mailings and target mailings and to print
address labels and envelopes. Many of them have word-processing capabilities
so that letters can be saved and merged with mailing lists.
     They can all be used to track volunteer hours of service, skills and
abilities, job assignments, time availability, training, and other personal
data. They allow coordinators to create their own reports and customize the
fields of data. All the software is IBM compatible for DOS, and some systems
have software for Windows.
     Some of the systems are made for clearinghouses, which means they have
referral capabilities, while others are developed just for agencies to use
in managing their own volunteers. Those that can be used by both types of
organizations are marked with a (B). Those that are just for agencies are
marked with an (A).
     While the systems offer the same basic volunteer management
capabilities, they differ in price, technical assistance available, and
user-friendliness. To select software for an organization, it is important
to know in advance exactly what the system will be required to do: generate
reports and letters, track information, match needs to skills, and other
functions. Experimenting with a demonstration disk may be the most effective
way to evaluate a system.
     If you are aware of any other volunteer-management software, please
contact the Foundation at (202) 223-9186, ext. 146, or e-mail to
_VOLNET@aol.com._ You may write to The Points of Light Foundation, 1737 H
Street NW, Washington, DC 20006.

Note: If any volunteer groups are using volunteer software that they have
written or that has been written specifically for their program, please send
information about it to Freddie Peaco at National Library Service for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542.

Addresses of software vendors
M&A-ISIS-Volunteer System
Myers & Associates, Inc.
P.O. Box 560
5 Winter Street
Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426-0560
(800) 332-1933
(207) 564-2740
(207) 564-8377
fax: (207) 564-7956
Cost: $300
(A)
     There are two interactive modules in the M&A-ISIS-Volunteer System.
One module is for information about and communication with volunteers and
the other to track orientation and training of new applicants. This system
is geared toward tracking and scheduling of volunteers, not toward referral.

MatchPoint
4911 North 15th Street
Arlington, VA 22205
(800) 593-5654
(703) 522-8379
Cost: $1,250
(B)
     This is for a large volunteer program. A demonstration disk is
available.

The R.U.R. Group, Inc.
333-V Troy Circle
Knoxville, TN 37919
(800) 588-5950
(615) 588-5950
Cost: $880
(B)
     The R.U.R. Group provides several different packages for all types of
volunteer management with "touch screen" technology. It is interactive and
can be used by the volunteer as well as the volunteer manager. The R.U.R.
Group also provides software for corporate and student volunteer
involvement.

SAM (Volunteer Information Software)
Red Ridge Software Company
7128 Westbrook Lane
Dallas, TX 75214
(800) 245-4413
fax: (214) 824-4495
Cost: $395
(B)
     This system can generate recognition certificates and reminder
postcards. Special add-on packages to the basic system include Scheduling,
Touch Screen, Exchange, Contributor, University, and Corporate. The system
also has special capabilities for volunteer centers. The company offers a
free demonstration.

Servus
MicroAssist, Inc.
314 Washington Street
Northfield, MN 55057
(800) 735-3457
Cost: $495
(B)
     Versions are available for Windows, DOS, and Macintosh.

TDS Volunteer File
Triggs Dunlevey Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 40180
Cleveland, OH 44140-0180
(800) 745-5204
(216) 835-5204
Cost: $175 for Basic Software, $350 for Version 3, $395 for Plus
(A)
     Demonstration disk is available for $25, which is deductible from
total cost of program. This system has award-matching capabilities.

V.I.M. (Volunteer Information Management)
Bruce Bechtold
BWB Associates, Ltd.
10-A South 7th Street
Akron, PA 17501
(800) 234-4VIM (234-4846)
(717) 859-6642
fax: (717) 859-6643
Cost: $375
(A)
     V.I.M. also has a special edition for Retired Senior Volunteer
Programs (RSVP). The company provides a free demonstration with sample data
and tutorial manual.

VolMagic
Magic Application Software
2160 NE 17th Street
Rochester, MN 55906
(507) 282-2642
fax: (507) 288-6045
Cost: $400
(B)
     There are two separate versions of this software, one for agencies and
one for clearinghouses. Six months of free 800-number support is also
included.
(Prepared by the Points of Light Foundation)
(Questions to consider in selecting software:
1. Does the vendor provide technical assistance?
2. Is the software compatible with your computer system; for example, IBM
PC, Macintosh, Windows?
3. What are the hardware requirements?
4. How much information can the database hold; for example, five thousand
names?
5. Is the software network compatible (if you are on a network)?
6. Does the vendor charge extra to customize the software?
7. Is the software flexible for customizing?
8. Is training an additional fee or part of the package?
9. Do the vendors provide a free demonstration?
10. Does the software have word-processing capabilities?
11. Who are the current clients? Call and speak with other organizations
that use the system.
12. Is the system user-friendly? Does it have "help" information that is
easy to follow?
13. Can the current system be converted to a new system? If so, what is the
cost?
14. What additional features does the software offer?)
                               ###

Poster highlights services worldwide

An educational timeline poster titled _Library Service for Blind and
Physically Handicapped Individuals: A World Perspective_ has been published
by NLS in cooperation with the Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically
Handicapped Individuals in North America, Inc. (Friends).
     The large-print timeline features nearly one hundred key dates from
308 A.D., the birth of Didymus, blind head of the Catechetical School in
Alexandria, to 1995, the publication of the Library of Congress's ten
thousandth numbered braille book.
     The poster is illustrated with a dozen original watercolors painted by
Alfredo DaSilva, a retired _U.S. News & World Report_ illustrator, who also
designed the poster. Two dozen color photographs depicting historical events
also adorn the poster, which measures fifty-two inches by twenty inches and
is suitable for framing.
     "This project was a joint effort with the Friends to help raise
international awareness of library services for blind and physically
handicapped individuals that have been provided worldwide over the
centuries," says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. "The poster traces many of
the major people, organizations, and events that have helped shape a world
perspective on blindness."
     The poster will be distributed jointly by NLS and the Friends to
libraries and educational institutions around the world and to members of
the Friends.
                               ###

Braille student-instructor dialog

The Braille Development Section receives numerous questions concerning a
variety of problems in braille transcribing. This article will address some
of them. The question-and-answer format is intended to give clarity.
Student: I recently received the grade on my thirty-five-page trial
manuscript. After reviewing carefully the evaluation report on the errors
contained in my manuscript, I have one important question. Could you please
explain why two points were deducted for including the state name as well as
the city of the publisher?
Instructor: Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Those two
points were deducted erroneously. In the past, we have required that only
the city of the publisher be shown on the title page when the publisher was
located in a well-known city such as New York or Boston. However, after
reexamining this matter carefully, we have decided that the location of the
publisher should be transcribed as shown in print.
Student: I am still puzzled about how to braille the logo _USAir._ Can you
clarify this for me?
Instructor: Certainly. Section 31a of the new official code, _English
Braille American Edition 1994,_ states that when abbreviations contain both
upper- and lowercase letters, such as MHz (megahertz), a capital sign should
be placed before each uppercase letter. Similarly, in the logo _USAir,_ the
_u_, the _s_, and the _a_ should each be preceded by the capital sign.
Student: I know that Section 12a1 of the official code says that the letter
sign is required when any letter or group of letters immediately follows a
number or is joined to a number by a hyphen. However, it is still not clear
to me whether or not the letter sign is used when a combination of letters
precedes the number as in the letter-number combination _DC-10._
Instructor: Good question. Letters that precede a number, whether or not
they are joined to it by a hyphen, do not require a letter sign unless the
letters constitute a short-form word. Therefore in the expression _DC-10,_
the letter sign is not required. However, in the example _fr-5,_ the letter
sign is required since the letters _fr_ compose the short-form for the word
_friend._
Student: Just one more question about letter-number combinations. When
writing ordinal numbers such as _3rd_ or _4th,_ is the letter sign required?
Instructor: No.
Student: After reviewing carefully the 1991 code changes, I am still
confused about which symbols should be preceded by the print symbol
indicator (dot 4).
Instructor: You are certainly not alone. The print symbols for cents,
inches, percent, and yen should be preceded in braille by the symbol
indicator (dot 4). The print symbols for dollars and for pounds (sterling)
should be preceded by the symbol indicator when these symbols stand alone or
are in conjunction with a word or abbreviation. All other print symbols
should be brailled according to their braille equivalents shown in Section
31 of the official code, _English Braille American Edition 1994._
Student: Even though the print symbol indicator should precede the print
symbol for inches, it should not precede the symbols for feet and degrees.
Is this true?
Instructor: That is correct.
                               ###

Volunteers master new skills

During the months of April, May, and June 1995, certificates in braille
transcribing were awarded to fifty-nine persons. Of these, fifty-two
certificates were awarded in literary braille transcribing, three in
literary braille proofreading, three in mathematics braille transcribing,
and one in music braille transcribing.

LITERARY BRAILLE TRANSCRIBERS
Arizona
Joel G. Cohen, Douglas
Donn G. Duncan, Douglas
Robert L. Emery, Douglas
Sandra Griffith, Mesa

California
Christy E. Cutting, Walnut Creek
Bruce E. Knez, Truckee
Cynthia S. Murata, Diamond Bar
Diane Oxford, Pleasanton
Susan M. Stanton, Huntington Beach

Connecticut
Hugh F. Doney, Cheshire
James Downey, Cheshire
Sarah Menchaca, Westport

Delaware
Abraham Feleke, Smyrna

Florida
Dorothy Rehbein Jackson, Jacksonville
Emily L. Maheu, Niceville
Thelma Pugliese, Orlando

Illinois
Kristyn Marie Leigh, Oswego

Maryland
Jo Ann Storey, Easton

Michigan
Linda C. Watko, East China Township

Minnesota
Sharyl R. Bense, Mankato
Debbie L. Brevig, Bloomington
Alicia Deschene, Grand Marois
Betty R. Farnham, Fridley
Paula S. Monson, Rochester
Lan Thi Nguyen, Minneapolis
Kim M. Perseke, Minnetonka
Tracy Anne Stanley, St. Louis Park

Nevada
Chanin "T.C." Clark, Indian Springs
Ramsy H. Foss, Indian Springs
Malcolm L. Green, Indian Springs

New Jersey
Anne M. Goll, River Vale
Carol A. Westfall, Woodbury
Catherine L. Yocom, Voorhees

New Mexico
Barbara L. DiFrancesco, Alamogordo

New York
Adrienne Baltuch, Williamsville
Pamela Rynders, Wayland

Pennsylvania
Marian J. Boehm, Emmaus
Paula Fuchsberg, Philadelphia
Margaret E. Trauger, West Chester

South Dakota
Barry J. Brewer, Yankton
Miguel S. Estremadoyro, Yankton

Tennessee
Frank L. Sanders III, Dickson

Texas
R. Paul Hartman, Dallas

Utah
Debra K. Zumwalt, Kearns

Washington
Barbara L. Peskuric, Edmonds

West Virginia
Dusty H. Beegle, Huttonsville
Eugene I. Dolly, Huttonsville
Mark S. Neuman, Huttonsville

Wisconsin
Alice Ashman Grob, Madison
Wendy L. Roos, West Bend
Katherine Elsie Sveum, Madison

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Paz Yunzal

LITERARY BRAILLE PROOFREADERS
Vivian Green, Los Angeles, California
Susan Hennessey, Hopkins, Minnesota
Tresa Newton, Graham, Texas

MATHEMATICS BRAILLE TRANSCRIBERS
Scott Bradley, Jackson, Michigan
Barbara Carson, Churchville, New York
Rita Housaman, Churchville, New York

MUSIC BRAILLE TRANSCRIBER
Suzanne Hecht, Ithaca, New York
                               ###

Meetings

National Braille Association (NBA)
     Friday, October 20-Sunday, October 22, 1995, fall regional meetings
and workshops, Sands Regency Hotel Casino, Reno, Nevada.
Friday, April 26-Sunday, April 28, 1996, spring regional meetings and
workshops, Airport Marriott Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
     For information on these meetings, contact National Braille
Association, Three Townline Circle, Rochester, NY 14623-2513; (716)
427-8260.

California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH)
     Thursday, March 28-Saturday, March 30, 1996, CTEVH XXXVII Annual
Conference, Princess Hotel, San Diego, California.
     For information about this meeting contact CTEVH Office, 741 North
Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029; (213) 666-2211.
                               ###

Arizona RRRB trailblazer dies

James (Jim) Geer, director of Arizona's Recorded Recreational Reading for
the Blind (RRRB) and volunteer narrator, died on March 8. He had helped
organize the group and worked in all facets of the program, serving as
president of the board, volunteer recruiter, trainer, scheduler, technician,
studio monitor, and repairman.
     "Mr. Geer reached out and involved dozens of others in the work of
RRRB, but if at any given time there was not another person to do a job, he
was there to do it," states Jeanie Pawlowski, Arizona Braille and Talking
Book Library volunteer coordinator. "He loved his volunteer work and led by
example. He always kept a clear focus on providing service that would help
blind and disabled persons stay in touch with their community and give them
access to the larger world. His twenty thousand hours of volunteer work is a
legacy not many of us can match," she adds. "Jim will be greatly missed, but
his spirit lights countless hearts and minds."
     In 1972, the recently retired Jim Geer noticed an article in the Sun
City, Arizona, newspaper, describing how two women in the community had
started a service to provide the newspaper in recorded format to blind or
disabled residents of the area. The notice asked for more volunteers for the
program.
     Mr. Geer responded to the article, and for twenty-three years, he
directed the efforts of RRRB. At first, Mr. Geer and the few other
volunteers of that time had no permanent studio. They recorded in churches,
offices, and any place that would offer them space. By 1973, they were
incorporated as a nonprofit organization. Mr. Geer was one of the two
original signers of the articles of incorporation. In 1975, RRRB settled in
its present home, a comfortable building on land donated by Del Webb Co. and
funded by donations from the Lions Club, Recording for the Blind, and
several other community groups. Mr. Geer was instrumental in negotiating the
arrangements for this cooperative effort.
     In the years since 1972, Mr. Geer and scores of other volunteers
produced the _Sun City Talking News, Modern Maturity_ magazine, and two
hundred recorded books that are available to eligible borrowers through the
Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library.

_Update_ is published quarterly by: National Library Service for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542
Correspondence should be addressed to Publications and Media Section.

Coordinating editor: Freddie Peaco
Publication editor: Ruth Nieland
Braille student-instructor dialog: John Wilkinson


***Lats update 10/11/95 (gft)***