By Linda Porelle
Dear BC Subscribers,
As chair of the CCB Publications Committee, it's my sad duty to confirm the news you just read in Mike Keithley's editor's column. President Wilkinson, the CCB Board of Directors, and our publications committee members are in agreement that, for the time being, we must suspend production of The Blind Californian in braille, on CD and in large print.
The California Council of the Blind is facing significant financial challenges at this time. The annual cost of production for four issues of The Blind Californian is just under $10,000. We remain hopeful that, after reestablishing CCB's financial stability, we can revisit our commitment to producing the BC in physical formats once again.
Like many of you, we have all valued and enjoyed receiving and reading the BC in a physical format that we could hold in our hands and cuddle up with in our favorite chairs. All of us will no doubt miss our chosen formats very much indeed. However, since every dark cloud has a silver lining, I'm here to let you know that we will continue to publish the Blind Californian on a quarterly basis. So please read on to learn how you can continue to receive our beloved Blind Californian. And, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Linda Porelle,
415-586-2622 or lmporelle@gmail.com
Available Formats
Email: You can subscribe to receive the magazine by sending a blank email to Bc-subscribe@ccbnet.org
On the CCB website: ccbnet.org: Each issue will be available for download on ccbnet.org in DOC, TXT, PDF, BRF, and audio formats (MP3).
And our newest option--NFB Newsline:
We are currently preparing to reestablish our CCB channel for California on Newsline. For those of you who may not be familiar with the service, Newsline provides access to many national and local newspapers, some magazines, and other publications of interest using synhthesized speech. The content is accessed by phone, computer, iPhone, Victor Reader Trek and Next Generation, and by email.
In order to connect with Newsline, you need to sign up with your regional NLS library. The library will provide you with a local access phone number as well as information on using the service.
Below you will find all of the contact information for the four regional libraries in California. The librarians at each location will be happy to register you with Newsline.
Regional Library: Braille and Talking Book Library
California State Library
P.O. Box 942837
Sacramento, CA 94237-0001
Librarian: Mike L. Marlin
Library Code: CA1A
Telephone: 916-654-0640
Toll-free (In-state): 800-952-5666
FAX: 916-654-1119
E-mail: btbl@library.ca.gov
Web site: www.btbl.ca.gov
Hours of Operation: 9:30-4:00 M-F
Serves: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glen, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba.
Braille only: Fresno, Kings, Madera, Tulare, San Francisco.
Regional Library: Braille Institute
Library Services
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029-3594
Librarian: Reed Strege
Library Code: CA2A
Telephone: 323-660-3880
Toll-free (In-state): 800-808-2555
FAX: 323-662-2440
E-mail: bils@brailleinstitute.org
Web site: www.brailleinstitute.org/library
Hours of Operation: 8:30-5:00 M-F
Serves: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties
Subregional Library: Talking Book Library for the Blind
Fresno County Public Library
Ted Wills Community Center
770 North San Pablo Avenue
Fresno, CA 93728-3640
Librarian: Penny Hill
Library Code: CA1B
Telephone: 559-600-3217
Toll-free (In-state): 800-742-1011
E-mail: tblb@fresnolibrary.org
Web site: www.fresnolibrary.org/tblb
Hours of Operation: 8:00-5:00 M-F
Serves: Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties
Subregional Library: Talking Books and Braille Center
San Francisco Public Library
Civic Center
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-0000
Librarian: Jane Glasby
Library Code: CA1C
Telephone: 415-557-4253
E-mail: lbpd@sfpl.org
Web site: sfpl.org/index.php?pg=0200002301
Hours of Operation: Monday: 10-6, Tuesday - Thursday: 9-8, Friday: 12-6, Saturday: 10-6, Sunday: 12-5
Serves: San Francisco
