I hope this is of help to you and others..
Frequently Asked/Answered Questions
1.. How do I sign up for the BARD service?
Answer: From the BARD log on page: "Access to the BARD web site is
restricted to eligible readers. You will need a login ID and password to
access it. If you do not have them, review the criteria for participation by
reading the BARD application instructions and, if you qualify, request an
account."
2.. What is the difference between the standard or basic and the advanced
DTB players?
Answer: The advanced player, or dtbm, will have 5 additional buttons. With
the dtbm positioned so the play button is nearest you, locate the speaker,
generally recognized as the top, and feel along the lower edge, or toward
you. Advanced dtbm's have 5 buttons at this location. The one on the left is
the information button, the next one is a previous button, the next or
middle button is a navigation selection button, and the next is the forward
button, and the right most button is the bookmark button.
3.. How do I upgrade the firmware on the NLS dtbm player?
answer: Libraries and patrons can upgrade players to the latest software
by downloading the latest firmware, and following the below instructions.
The instructions, with 1 or 2 minor modifications from the instructions
found on the NLS site, may be found on the NLS web site at:
loc.gov/nls/DTBM/
Step 1. download the latest software from the NLS web site:
DTBMsoftware-latest.zip
Step 2. Extract (unzip) this file onto a cartridge or USB drive so that
the directory "upgrade" appears in the "root" directory of the drive. Note:
this folder will automatically be created.
Step 3. Turn on the player.
Step 4. Insert the cartridge or USB drive containing the software.
Step 5. The player will announce "Upgrading your player's software."
Step 6. Wait until the upgrade is complete and the player restarts (about
10 seconds), then remove the cartridge.
Step 7. The upgrade will only occur if the player's version is older than
the version of the software on the cartridge. Reinserting the cartridge will
not repeat the upgrade.
Step 8. remove the thumb drive and insert it into your computer and delete
the upgrade folder/files on your thumb drive. It won't hurt the player to
leave the upgrade folder on your thumb drive or cartridge, but removing it
will free up approximately 3 hours of space for NLS books or mp3 files.
4.. Can I use a flash memory card such as the type used with a Victor
Reader Stream with my DTB player?
Answer: The official NLS answer is no. But they also say it will not hurt
to try. Some SD cards or compact flash cards connected via a card reader do
work, but most do not.
5.. Which thumb or flash drives work best with the DTB player?
Answer: An increasing number of flash drive or thumb drive devices are
being sold with some kind of backup or file management software, or U3
software. many are now also being made with tiny usage meters. Users on the
BARD Talk list are reporting that these drives do not work as well as drives
that are free of additional components, including software or meters.
The Kingston brand thumb drives, and the Data Traveler model in
particular, as of early 2010, appear to be clean and are currently the most
reliable. some users do report certain drives containing software or meters
will work, but report an error first.
Some drives will fit in the cartridge slot better than others due to their
length. If you intend to insert your thumb drive in the USB port located
inside the cartridge cavity, try to find the longest one. Even a small
difference in length can make the difference. Again, the Kingston Data
Traveler models seem to work, but individuals with small fingers will fair
better than those with larger fingers.
Some people attach the thumb drive to the USB port using a USB cable
extension. Cables come in varying lengths, but a shorter one may be more
preferable if this method is desired. A shorter cable is less likely to snag
on something should the player be moved.
6.. Is there a size limit for thumb drives that work with the DTB player?
Answer: Thumb or flash drives as large as 16 GB are reported to work fine,
and 32 GB drives will also most likely work. The important factor at this
time seems to be brand. In particular, drives that come preloaded with
software such as "U3" do not appear to work with reliability. The U3
software can be removed and the drive reformatted, but even after this
effort, the drive may not perform satisfactorily.
7.. Can thumb drives be connected to the DTB player using the port where
the cartridge connects? If yes, what is the connection procedure?
Answer: some designs of thumb drives will work better than others. People
with thin or small fingers may do better at inserting the thumb drive in the
cartridge slot. The slot is centered, and to identify the alignment of the
thumb drive, first insert it into the side USB port. This will help you
acclimate your device so it is facing the right direction. Note, the thumb
drive when inserted into the cartridge slot may not appear to be firmly
locked in, and may wobble slightly.
8.. Where can I buy blank cartridges?
Answer: As of late January, 2010, Independent Living Aids is no longer
selling the NLS style blank cartridges. However, Adaptive Technology, a
division of Perkins Products of the Perkins School for the Blind, is now
selling 1GB digital talking-book cartridges and compatible USB cables,
designed to be used by the NLS DTBM.
Reportidly, the APH (American Printing House For The Blind) is also
expected to make blank cartridges and the USB cable available for purchase
in the near future. ILA is still selling the USB cable. (See the following
page for more information on the companies selling blank cartridges and
cables.)
9.. How can I connect the DTB cartridge to my computer?
Answer: Any standard USB cable will work, as long as it is identified as
an extension cable. this means the cable must have a full size male USB plug
on one end, and a full size USB or female receptacle on the other. Companies
such as Independent Living Aids carry a short cable used for this purpose,
but the cable is not a special cable and may be purchased at other
locations.
The standard NLS cartridge appears to be smooth or flush where the female
or receptacle end of the cable attaches to the cartridge. With a little
practice, attaching the female end of the USB cable to the cartridge will
become easier. When attaching a thumb drive to the NLS dtbm using a cable, a
shorter cable is preferable since it will be less likely to snag on
something and become the means by which the NLS dtbm is yanked from its
perch.
10.. Can I move a thumb drive with NLS books between my third party
reading device and my DTB player and have it work with both?
Answer: Yes. The NLS dtbm will locate any NLS books on your thumb drive.
For instance, NLS books are stored in a folder called "$VRDtb" on the Victor
Stream, but the NLS dtbm will locate them. Keep in mind, if you have copied
NLS books onto a thumb drive, and placed them in folders your device would
not recognize, such as the $VRDtb folder used by the Victor Stream, your
device will not be able to locate the books. Additionally, your current
reading position will not be transferred when you switch the thumb drive
back and forth. Remember that bookmarks are stored on the individual device,
in essence, a bookmark you make with the NLS dtbm in a given book will not
exist when you switch the source media to another player.
11.. Where do I put MP3 files I want to listen to on my DTB player?
Answer: Create a folder on your thumb drive or a writable cartridge
called: audio+podcasts. Note, when creating this folder, use the + sign
between audio and podcasts. Additional folders may be created under that
main folder. Mp3 files will be played sequentially based on their file
names. the NLS dtbm will not announce the names of the files because it does
not have a built in text to speech engine.
12.. When I hit rewind several times quickly, with a thumb drive
connected, the NLS player re-starts. Is there a problem with the player?
Answer: The thumb drive or cartridge is probably almost full. Try deleting
some books to free up space. If you suspect the player has a problem,
contact the lending library who provided the machine.
13.. What file formats does the NLS dtbm support?
Answer: The player is able to play three general file types: Files with
the extensions of, .3GP (used for the memo or notes files), .wav
(uncompressed wave files), and .Mp3 (compressed audio files).
for the technically minded, the player is able to play digital-talking
books (DTBs) structured in ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002, DAISY 2.02, or CEA-2003
formats. The player can play audio files stored as AMR-WB+, MPEG I/Layer 3
(MP3) and RIFF WAV format, either as part of a talking book or as
stand-alone audio files.
14.. Can I play RFB&D books on my player? What is the procedure?
Answer: Yes. To set up an account, you can call at: 1-800-221-4792 or send
an email to: custs...@rfbd.org
You can also log on to their web site and set up a free individual
account. Go to: "Become a Member" link.
15.. Is It Hard To Download From The BARD Web Site?
Answer: Here are a few tips to help you if you are new to downloading from
the internet. The following instructions assume a minimal knowledge of
Windows commands, including the use of Windows Explorer.
Step 1. Find the "My Documents" folder on your desktop, and open it by
hitting enter.
Step 2. Hit alt-f, or open the file menu by tapping the alt key and then
hitting f. Arrow down until you come to "new," which is actually the heading
for another menu, or sub-menu. Select it, and you should be on the "folder"
selection.
Step 3. You will be on an edit field which will contain "new folder" as
the default file name. Type a different name, something like: "NLS
downloads." The default name of new folder will disappear as soon as you
begin typing the new name.
Step 4. Now hit alt-f4 to exit the My Documents folder.
Step 5. Now, you're ready to download! The next steps presume you have an
established account on the NLS BARD site. The following steps will provide a
simple example of locating a book and then downloading it into the "NLS
downloads" folder just created.
Step 6. From the BARD main page, use quick navigation to locate the edit
box. Or, tab until you hear, "search the collection." You are now on the
only edit box on this page, and can enter a key word or a group of words or
phrases to help find a book or books.
Step 7. Open the edit field, and type: washington. Note that you do not
need to capitalize words. Then, tab to the "go" button, and hit space vbar
or enter. This starts the search.
Step 8. After a few seconds, a new page will load with your results.
You'll notice, if you arrow down to see what this page displays, that there
are over 300 results for the word, "washington." Using quick navigation, go
to the various headers. The very first one is, "BARD books containing
keyword: washington." Go to the rest of the headers, and you'll notice the
different category breakdowns, including, title, author, subject,
annotation, book number, and narrator. The first header gave a grand total
of all the results in all the categories, but there are overlaps, so don't
think the total provided in the first heading is a total of seperate books.
Step 9. You are now free to search through this list, using various means.
If you are familiar with your screen reader's virtual search feature, you
can perform an additional search. Try searching for a favorite narrator.
Maybe you like, "Butch Hoover." You'll find 5 or 6 titles in this list of
over 300 titles. As a final comment on this simple example of searching,
return to the main page and try entering: "george washington" in the search
box. Note the quotation marks around the phrase. In search language,
multiple words within quotation marks are called a phrase, because you want
that specific clause or phrase. After hitting the "go" button, you will
notice that by refining your search just a little, you narrowed your results
down to 45. Generally, finding books in this manner is as much an art as it
is a science. If you don't like the results for one search attempt, go back
and mix up the words a little, adding, and sometimes removing words and
phrases. Over time, you'll find this is a good way to find books of
interest. Finally, the main page offers other ways of finding books
requiring nothing more than opening the combo box, or drop down menu, and
selecting an author's last name initial, a book title's first letter, and
lastly, a subject.
Step 10. Once you have found a book you want, tab to the download link.
It's always after the annotation, and will announce "download.." followed by
the title and db number.
Step 11. The first screen asks you what you want to do with the file.
Shift-tab, or tab all the way around until you hear, "save." Then find the
OK button and hit space bar. You could also have just hit "alt-s" and saved
a few key strokes. Step 12. The next screen is where you select where the
downloaded file is to go. Tab 4 times until you hear, "save in." You'll want
to find "My Documents," and then after hitting enter, tab three times to a
folder list. Arrow down until you locate "NLS downloads," and hit enter. And
lastly, tab 3 times again until you hear, "save." Hit the space vbar or
enter, and the download is underway. Note, once you've downloaded NLS books
into your NLS downloads folder, the next time you download, provided you
haven't downloaded to a different folder inbetween, this location will be
remembered. If you know the download location is unchanged, just hit "alt-s"
as before, which saves some key strokes. When the download finishes, you are
ready to unzip the file onto the media of your choice.
16.. I don't like downloading books. But it seems the selection of books
available on cartridge from my lending library is very small. Will they have
more books any time soon?
Answer: It will take a number of years for the lending libraries to build
their inventory of cartridges. If a book is available in digital format, it
will always appear first on the BARD site.
17.. If I have a technical issue with the BARD site or my NLS DTBM, who
can I contact?
Answer: Send an email to the following email address: nlsdownl...@loc.gov
18.. I would like to search for books on the BARD site. Is it complicated?
Answer: No. The search function on the BARD site is capable of performing
key word searches, searching the book title, author, narrator, as well as
the annotation. Enter several key words in the edit field that you think
might be of interest, then press the submit button. Or, enter an author's
name, typing it exactly as it might appear in the catalog listing. This
means, you would type the last name first, followed by a comma, and then the
first name. Example: "Evans, Richard Paul" To search for a narrator, you
must type the first name first followed by the last name. Example: "Bob
Askey." Note, use quotation marks to enclose author's names or narrator
names, or any multiple word phrase.
You may simply want to use the drop down or combo box functions to locate
books by author, narrator, or genre. Tab or arrow down passed the search
edit function to these options.
19.. Is there anyway I can listen to NLS books and magazines on my
computer?
Answer: No. Any material received from the NLS and BARD site is
copyrighted. Special permissions have been secured to allow blind and
visually impaired individuals to read this material on specially designed
players.
20.. Can I purchase a carrying strap for the NLS dtbm? And if so, where
does it attach to the player?
Answer: Yes. While there is no specific strap designed for the player, the
underside of the machine has two attaching points where a strap may be
retrofitted. The NLS dtbm is meant more to be stationary, so it is advised
that carrying it in a portable manner could result in damage to the player
or a USB thumb drive if it is attached.
21.. Where can I read about learning to use Book Shelf? All help will be
greatly
appreciated. Thanks much. Take care.
Mike
For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit:
http://www.jaws-users.com/help/
