No. LBPH is a part of the Cleveland Public Library system. Our funding comes from the State of Ohio, the federal government and Cleveland Public Library.

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NLS is offering downloads of digital recorded audio books. Patrons interested in participating in the digital download program must be an active LBPH reader in good standing; have access to a commercially available digital player compatible with NLS materials; have an email address; and have access to a high-speed Internet connection. Interested patrons must fill out an online application at http://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb. The download program will offer patrons instant access to digital talking books. The download collection includes more than seven thousand books and thirteen magazines, and the collection continues to grow.

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The State Library of Ohio Consumer Advisory Board has established machine distribution criteria which was approved by the State Library Board. Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces will be the first to receive the new digital players. After the veterans, machines will then be distributed subsequently to members of the NLS 10² (10 Squared) Club for patrons 100 years of age and older, school students 18 years old and younger, and then open distribution to those interested.

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NLS plans to release the new digital talking book machines in late 2008. NLS program rules require that veterans be offered the new machines before other patrons. Since 2002, NLS has been digitally recording new books, so that by 2008 when the new machines are released, they expect to have 20,000 titles available for circulation.

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Visit the National Library Service (NLS) home page at http://www.loc.gov/nls. Here you can find information and pictures of the new digital talking book machine.

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Yes. Patrons will still be able to order books on tape and use their cassette machines, even after the new digital talking book machines are available. Similar to recorded discs, NLS will eventually discontinue producing new books on cassette. But patrons who wish to use cassette machines can look forward to many more years of listening to books on tape.  

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The National Library Service (NLS) will not be releasing talking books on CD. Rather, NLS will be producing talking books using Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash memory cartridges. NLS hopes to have the first digital talking book machine (DTBM) available to patrons in late 2008.

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Yes. LBPH offers an Online Public Access Catalog, where patrons can order books, view their records, and make book requests. First time users will need to contact LBPH to receive a user ID and password. Once you have your user ID and password, please go to the LBPH homepage at http://lbph.cpl.org and select the link for "LBPH Online Public Access Catalog and Instructions" or go to the catalog directly at http://www.klas.com/talkingbooks/ohio.

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Yes. Cleveland LBPH offers our readers 18 years of age and younger an opportunity to join summer and winter reading Clubs. Here, our younger patrons have an opportunity to read books they like and receive great prizes for participating. Even if they have an adult share and read along with them, it counts towards receiving fun reading club prizes. Books that count toward reading club goals include any Braille, large print, or talking book titles. Please contact LBPH if you know of any young reader who may be interested in signing up for our reading clubs.

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Yes. The link for the LBPH home page is http://lbph.cpl.org.

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No. Please contact yoru local public library for CDs and audiotapes. NLS does have large print and Braille scores and instructional manuals. For more information call us at 1-800-362-1262.

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Yes. The Bible Alliance gives out free copies of the Bible on tape; however, we must request it for you. If you would like us to request one for you contact us. Be sure to tell us which version of the Bible you wish to have.

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No. You may write your book order on any piece of paper but remember to include your name and address on each sheet. We receive a lot of order forms without identification or the name of the person filling out the form rather than the registered patron.

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No. In fact, we appreciate you NOT returning them.

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No, simply discard it.

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Yes. Call or write us to change format.

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Contact LBPH so we can adjust your reading interests.

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Call us. If you are planning to stay in Ohio, we can update your address so you will receive your material. If you are moving out of State, we can arrange to transfer your service to your new local LBPH agency.

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You can call us and place your service on hold until you return. If you are vacationing for more than two weeks, instead of placing your service on hold, you can have book sent to your vacationing address, even if you are planning to go out of State.

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Regardless if the order is placed with LBPH, magazines are sent directly from the publisher.

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Materials are mailed as "free matter" through the U.S. Post Office, and can take anywhere from seven to ten days to arrive in your mailbox. Materials returned can take anywhere from two to three weeks to arrive back at LBPH.

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If you were unable to read the book that you wanted, please call LBPH and we will send you a replacement copy. When returning the tape, please mark the mailing label near the punched hole (the side addressed to LBPH in black ink) to indicate a damaged or missing tape.

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It is important to rewind your talking books when you are finished with them, so that the next person who receives it will have a rewound copy.

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It is important to include a note when you return your machine explaining why you are returning it. For example, are you canceling your service, or do you need a replacement machine, etc. Plus, it is important that you make sure to send your machine to the appropriate lending agency that originally gave you your machine. If you are unsure who your machine-lending agency is, call LBPH.

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No. Due to financial limitations, we cannot inpect the 600,000 books that are returned to us annually. We rely on the integrity of our readers to return their books on time, complete and rewound, or to alert us of damaged/incomplete book by marking the address label.

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LBPH serves 16,000 patrons. Many times, all copies of a title will be in circulation and readers must wait their turn to get the book. Should you really need the book for school or a reading group, please tell us and we will make an effort to find a copy from another source. Our computer randomly selects your titles from what is available on the shelf. If you need a particular title right away, then please emphasize this when you place your request. You may have the maximum number of items available for loan on your account. If you would like to increase this number, call LBPH.

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Keep phone calls as short as possible. Our phone lines are set up per minutes used. TIP: Make yourself a list of books you wish to order, rather than paging through the catalogs while on the phone with us. If the list is longer than 25 items, mail the list to us.

Before you start listening to a new book, be sure you have placed all tapes from the book you finished back into its box. Replacing one missing tape costs LBPH over $3.00 to duplicate (staff time and materials cost). Return books as soon as you have finished reading them. This will save the library from having to inter-library loan books for other patrons who wish to read the book, and will save us from having to send out overdue notices.

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