STAYING CONNECTED
Newsletter of the Oregon Talking Book
and Braille Library
State Library
of Oregon
250 Winter St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 378-5389
Toll Free: (800) 452-0292
Fax: (503) 373-7439
Issue 88 · Spring 2024
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NEW TO THE CATALOG: “CHEESE WAR: CONFLICT AND COURAGE IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY, OREGON”
The Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library’s recording studio is back at it with another edition of, “New to the Catalog”. This time, we are excited to share our newly narrated edition of Cheese War: Conflict and Courage in Tillamook County, Oregon, by Marilyn Milne and Linda Kirk, printed by Oregon State University Press in 2022.
Have you ever pondered the bucolic beginnings that would eventually lead Tillamook to national success for having some of the best cheese and dairy in the country? This exciting new story gives the inside scoop on a favorite Oregon dairy, Tillamook Cheese!
Written and extensively researched by two daughters of Tillamook County, this book details the little-known local history and fascinating story of the tense conflict and fraught, years-long legal battle between the head of the Tillamook County Creamery Association, Beale Dixon, and the sisters’ own father, George Milne, a well-respected farmer, and board president of the Tillamook Cheese Association (TCA) cooperative.
Narrated by studio volunteer Jennifer M. Imai, the final run time for Cheese War is approximately 6 hours and 51 minutes. Cheese War (DBC08809) is available for download now, or you can request to have it added to your next cartridge.
RA CORNER: HOW TO BE A MODEL PATRON
Have you ever wondered what happens when you leave us a voicemail? With only two Readers Advisors helping over 4,400 active users, we do most of our work through a voicemail system. On average, Andrea and Jennifer listen to over 1,180 voicemails and call back more than 640 patrons a month. With numbers that big, we aim for efficiency to help as many people as possible. How can you help us? Here are some tips!
- When we say “leave it to us and consider it done” we mean it! If we can do what’s requested with the information you’ve given us, we handle it as soon as we get your voicemail and we do not return your call. This way we can spend more time on the phone solving more complex issues, a bit like the triage process in a hospital.
- Avoid playing phone tag by leaving us as much information as possible in your voicemail, starting with your name and your phone number. Next, please tell us what you need help with: we really appreciate having the information so we can get right to work.
- Since the library is closed on the weekends, we don’t listen to voicemails from Friday night until Monday morning. We do our best to catch up, but the turnaround at the beginning of the week can be a bit slower, so please be patient with us. If you’re able to email your questions and requests, we can work through those a bit quicker!
We’re so happy to help and genuinely enjoy making daily connections with our patrons, so please don’t hesitate to call and leave a message for us at 1-800-452-0292, or email us at:
talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.
DVDS WITH DESCRIPTIVE AUDIO
Did you know that we have an extensive collection of DVDs with descriptive audio available for you to borrow? These are commercially available movies with an additional audio narration track describing the visual elements of the film without interfering with dialog or sound effects. Discover our complete collection and other optional extras at:
https://www.oregon.gov/library/print-disabilities/Pages/Optional_Extras.aspx.
SUMMER READING WITH AUTHOR ANGELINE BOULLEY
All patrons are invited to attend an Author Talk on Zoom with
New York Times bestselling author Angeline Boulley, Thursday, July 25, 4:00 p.m. PT. Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Her two novels,
Firekeeper’s Daughter (
BR24040,
DB102762) and
Warrior Girl Unearthed (
BR25116,
DB114761) are contemporary thrillers that aim to tell the stories of indigenous girls and women.
Registration is required to attend so please email us for the link at:
talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov. The recording will be available for two weeks following the event. Patrons are welcome to submit their questions for Angeline Boulley to
NLSPES@loc.gov before Friday, July 19.
OREGON CENTER FOR THE BOOK SELECTS 2024 TITLES
Did you know that we are the first Talking Books library to be selected as a Center for the Book affiliate? Center for the Book is a Library of Congress program promoting reading, libraries, and literacy. As Oregon’s Center for the Book, we select two titles each year for a nationwide list of “Great Reads from Great Places.” These Oregon-authored reads reflect our diverse, multigenerational readers and we’re excited to share them here!
LaoLao’s Dumplings by Dane Liu (Children’s Selection)
Millie loves to help LaoLao cook, especially her favorite dish: dumplings! They gather fresh ingredients from Chinatown. The seasons change, and LaoLao feels too tired to make dumplings. But can Millie make them without LaoLao? And will her dumplings come out delicious, and make LaoLao happy, too?
Full of humor, heart, and wholly original illustrations, this story is a timeless celebration of family, food, community, and the different ways we share love. There's also a recipe for Liu Family Shrimp Dumplings at the end!
Invisible Son by Kim Johnson (Teen Selection)
Andre Jackson is determined to reclaim his identity. But returning from juvie doesn’t feel like coming home. His Portland, Oregon, neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying, and COVID-19 shuts down school before he can return. Andre’s suspicions about his arrest for a crime he didn’t commit taint his friendships. He sets out to uncover the truth about his own arrest, but in a world where power is held by a few and Andre is nearly invisible, searching for the truth is a dangerous game.
Critically acclaimed author Kim Johnson delivers another social justice thriller that shines a light on being young and Black in America.
TALKING BOOKS CLOSURES
Talking Book & Braille Library will be closed on the following holidays:
- Memorial Day on Monday, May 27
- Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19
- Independence Day on Thursday, July 4
- Labor Day on Monday, September 2
Holidays can delay mail service deliveries, so it may take extra time for books to make their way to you. We recommend putting book requests in a little earlier if you want new books to read over the holiday!
This newsletter is available in large print, audio, Braille, or on our website. Contact the Talking Book & Braille Library if you would like to change the format you currently receive.
Any mention of products and services in Staying Connected is for information only and does not imply endorsement.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY
Please let us know how you think we’re doing and what we can do to improve the library by completing our annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.
We depend on your feedback to improve our program, and while we may not be able to make every change that is recommended, we truly appreciate your honest opinions. Your constructive feedback helps us grow and your positive words make us glow! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
To take the survey, please visit the following link at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tbookscss2024. Surveys must be received by Friday, June 28th.