12.06.08 Feature segment on OETA's "Oklahoma City Metro" in Oklahoma City.
Gerry Bonds (GB): We just love it when somebody in the metro gains national
attention for good work. The Oklahoma Library for the Blind has produced the
first locally recorded audio book accepted by the National Library Services with
the Library of Congress. The audio recording is of the book “When Turtle Grew
Feathers” by our great friend, author Tim Tingle. With me to talk about this
latest accolade for Oklahoma is Nancy Cheper, the narrator of the book and Paul
Adams, the Director for the Oklahoma Library for the Blind, and we thank you
both for being here and what a great honor this is to have this book accepted.
It’s such a big accomplishment though, it started me to think, how do you get
something like this accomplished, how is a book accepted, Paul?
Paul Adams (PA): Well, first of all we pick a book that we think the Library of
Congress would be interested in and that’s why Tim Tingle. He does have an
Oklahoma connection, which we also like to focus on, but the Library of Congress
already had a book by Tim Tingle in their collection and so we chose this award
winning children’s book, and after we recorded it, we sent it off to their
quality assurance division in Cincinnati. They critique it, they send us back a
sheet saying here’s how your audio levels looked, here’s how your narrator
sounds, here’s a section we’d like for you to rerecord.
GB: So what happened? Did you have to rerecord a whole bunch of it?
PA: We had to rerecord about one or two sentences, and it was just because they
felt like our narrator could have put a little different emphasis here and a
little bit of voice pattern here. Also, what they look for is a credible
narrator. Now, the Library of Congress, when they record books on a national
level, they’re using paid actors and professional studios and so here where our
budget is limited, we look for volunteers, we’re always needing them, Nancy came
to us about a year ago.
GB: Brag a little bit about her. Is she pretty special?
PA: She is very special, she’s done several books for us and she just connected
to the story, and that’s one of the things they look for, they look for a
narrator connection to the story.
GB: Nancy, how did you get involved in not just reading this book, but others
for the Library for the Blind?
Nancy Cheper (NC): Well, it’s something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I got a
request for a donation fundraiser in the mail, and the brochure said they
accepted volunteers, so I called up there and offered to volunteer. They invited
me to come up, I met Paul, we chatted for a little while and they handed me a
book, and as far as I’m concerned that was the start of everything.
GB: Now, in this case, Tim Tingle’s book, what struck you about it? Because we
think he’s just absolutely fantastic.
NC: Well, the very first book they gave me was a Tim Tingle and I fell in love
with his style at that point. This is my second of his books. This is the
ancient Greek fable classic with a truly Native American twist that is funny!
GB: Yeah.
NC: It’s the humor in this book that really attracted me.
GB: And we should tell everybody the title is “When Turtle Grew Feathers,” but
it’s “The Tortoise and the Hare” kind of thing.
NC: Yes, it is.
GB: I’m going to have you read a sample in a minute, but I want to go back to
the NLS a little bit and the scope of that and it’s reach, that’s why this is
such an incredible honor, isn’t it?
PA: It is, there’s 130 to 135 Libraries for the Blind throughout the country,
some of the larger states have several, here in Oklahoma we have the one that
serves the entire state, and the books are always available for inner library
loan, but when NLS picks up a title like they did this one, it’s very special
because then it doesn’t cost Oklahoma money to get the book to other libraries,
they pick up the tab.
GB: And I understand that this is the key here, this is the new digital format.
It looks a little bit like a cassette, but it’s nothing like a cassette.
PA: Right now we’re in cassette technology, we have been since the 70’s and the
NLS has purposely, very carefully, studied what technology to go to. They
skipped CD’s on purpose, and they ended up with this digital format. It’s really
a flash drive in that cartridge and the reason they made the cartridge the shape
it is, is because that’s almost the exact size and weight of a cassette, so that
our patrons will be used to it and the quality is phenomenal.
GB: And the quality is fantastic. Alright, so you got to read “When Turtle Grew
Feathers” on digital format and let’s give everybody a sample, because anybody
who’s heard an audio book knows all the nuances of characters and stuff, just a
quick little sample.
NC: “Turkey pulled his wings and legs into Turtle’s shell. He drew his head
inside and peeked out the front. In the flick of an eye, rabbit burst into the
clearing. I’m real fast, I’m ready to race. Who wants a little mud in his face?
He spotted Turtle’s shell lying on the ground. How ‘bout you Turtle, how ‘bout a
little race? Turkey lay hidden in Turtle’s shell and didn’t say a word Rabbit
moved closer, I said, how ‘bout you Turtle, how ‘bout a little race? Finally,
from where he hid in the grass, Turtle yelled get it on!”
GB: That must be so much fun to do, I think you’ve hooked me already. I think
that we need to let our whole audience know about the Oklahoma Library for the
Blind because one of the big surprises to me was that it’s not just for the
Blind.
PA: That’s correct, the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped is a division within the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation
Services and we serve 5,800 people right now across the state of Oklahoma.
GB: But they’re not just Blind people.
PA: Not blind, doesn’t just have to be a visual impairment, anything that keeps
you from being able to read standard print. It could be arthritis, or you’re not
able to hold a book, any other physical disability that would prevent you from
turning the pages even, and so we’re out there to support these folks’ reading
needs.
GB: And the services are free?
PA: They are free, totally free.
GB: The mailing of the books?
PA: The mailing of the books is free, we even furnish the tape player and the
books, all of this is free for as long as they want to use it and after the
first of next year when the technology switches over, we’ll be getting in the
new talking book players which will play these digital cartridges and we’ll be
furnishing those free also.
GB: Well, again, congratulations to you and thank you so much for entertaining
us as well and telling us this little story.
NC: Thank you for having us here.
GB: I hope we’ve enlightened a whole lot of people.
PA: Thank you very much.