News and Announcements

As of October 2024, the National Library Service (NLS) is requiring new applicants and existing patrons under the age of 18 to provide parental acknowledgment for NLS services and devices. The policy is being implemented at this time to bring NLS into compliance with a new Library of Congress policy that took effect in March of 2024.  

To avoid disruption to service for your child, you will need to provide parental acknowledgment in writing by January 1, 2025. If parental acknowledgment is not provided for existing patrons by January 1, 2025, your child’s account will be suspended, and they will not receive any materials. Your child’s account can be reinstated after that date by submitting the parental acknowledgement form. If you do not wish to provide the signed form, NLS devices and reading materials utilized by your child must be promptly returned to the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library.

Please note that providing parental acknowledgement will not give you access to your child’s reading and borrowing history. Your child will not be required to reapply for service upon turning 18. However, the responsibility for NLS services and devices must be transferred to your child at that time.

Parental acknowledgment must be submitted in writing. Written acknowledgment may be provided by mail or email. Verbal parental acknowledgment by phone will not be accepted. 

Requirements under the Parental Acknowledgment for NLS Services and Devices Policy

Parents/guardians of minors are asked to acknowledge and accept the NLS program terms:

• Your child will receive services and equipment and will have access to the entire NLS catalog of reading material without content-based limits.
• You will return all items loaned to your child (including digital talking book cartridges, hard copy braille, book players, and accessories) when no longer needed.  

Instructions for Existing Patrons

If a valid email address is associated with your child’s account, NLS will send a link for a parent / guardian to complete the required Parental Acknowledgment form.  

You may also do one of the following:

• Submit a Parental Acknowledgment Supplemental Form by mail or email, or
• Submit by mail or email a written statement of parental acknowledgment

If you choose to submit a written statement, you must include the following statement in your correspondence:  

As the parent/guardian of the patron, I acknowledge that my child will receive services and equipment and that my child will have access to the entire NLS catalog of reading material. I acknowledge that all materials and equipment (including digital talking book cartridges, hard-copy braille, book players, and accessories) must be returned when no longer needed.  

[Insert typed name, address, email address, and name of child]  

[Insert date]

Please make sure to include your contact information and your child’s name and contact information. 

Instructions for New Patrons

Please complete the Individual Application and the Parental Acknowledgement form. Submit both documents to the Talking Book and Braille Library.  

Additional Questions  

Please don’t hesitate to contact TBBL with any questions about this change. We’re happy to help!

Alternatively, you can contact the NLS Information Services Section by email at nlsref@loc.gov or by phone at 800-424-8567. 

We are pleased to let everyone know about a new software update that is available for the Zoomax eReader. The National Library Service (NLS) just released software version 2.13 to the public. This version is being referred to as a “hot fix” update, as it was created to deal with glitches in the software program that were making it difficult for patrons to navigate BARD using their Zoomax devices. Once installed, version 2.13 should enable users to access and download material from BARD and NFB Newsline without any problems. 

Update Your eReader 

There are two ways to update your eReader:  

1. Via the internet, or  
2. with a library-provided cartridge

If you do not have access to the Internet and need a cartridge, please contact TBBL, and we would be happy to send you one for updating your Zoomax.  

Below are the instructions for updating via the Internet: 

1. Connect your Zoomax eReader to AC power 
2. From the Zoomax main menu, navigate to device info 
3. Press Enter to select it 
4. Navigate to app update 
5. Press Enter to select it 
6. Navigate to version 2.13 
7. Press S3 to bring up the context menu 
8. Navigate to install 
9. Press Enter to select it and install the update 
10. When the "version installed successfully" message is displayed, navigate to OK and press Enter. In a few seconds, the eReader will restart and you will be at the top of the Main Menu 

If you have any questions, please contact us at TBBL and we will do our best to assist you. 

Zoomax Patron Listserv 

If you already belong to the NLS Zoomax Patron Listserv, then you may already know about the availability of this new update. If you do not subscribe to the Listserv, we encourage you to do so. It is an easy way to find out about any news regarding the Zoomax, including announcements about bug fixes. You can also learn from other Zoomax users or pose your own questions to the community.  

To subscribe to the Zoomax patron listserv, compose an email to the following  address: LISTSERV@listserv.loc.gov. Leave the subject of the message blank. In the body of the message, put the following text: 

subscribe NLS-ZM-EREADERPILOT FirstName LastName  

Be sure to replace the FirstName and LastName placeholders with your first and last name. 

Within a few minutes, you will receive a "Command confirmation request" email with a request confirmation link. Click on this link to complete your subscription request.

This month we celebrate the history of New York State and look particularly at the Dutch influence on this history. Our list includes titles for all ages, mostly nonfiction but with a few historical fiction titles as well. Read, learn, and enjoy!

The morning chair, DB043247, by Barbara M. Joosse

Bram is a little Dutch boy who lives with his parents in a seaside village. In 1950 Bram’s family gets immigration papers to move to America. Bram’s mother had told him about America while they sat in their morning chair and sipped tea. Now both chair and family have a new home. For grades K-3. 2017.

The Jews of New Amsterdam, DB030469, by Eva Deutsch Costabel

Early one September morning in 1654, twenty-three Jews escaping persecution in Brazil sailed into the harbor of New Amsterdam (now New York). The governor wanted to expel them, but his employer, the Dutch West India Company, gave them permission to stay. Restrictions were placed on their freedom, however. They could not own homes, join the army, or hold certain jobs. This book tells the story of how they adapted and progressed. For grades 3-6. 1968.

American Archaeology Uncovers the Dutch Colonies, DB071662, by Lois Miner Huey

Discusses archaeological finds at sites in New York and Delaware colonized by the Dutch between 1609 and 1664. Explains what scientists have learned from the garbage of ordinary settlers who lived in forts, towns, and farms. For grades 4-7. 2010.

New York, BR009011 and DB034611, by Donald H. Bragaw, R. Conrad Stein, Paul J. Scudiere, and Robert L. Hillerich

Since its founding as a Dutch colony, New York has served as the gateway to America. Millions of immigrants to the United States have passed through New York City. And millions have chosen to stay there, making New York City the largest city in the nation and one of the most culturally diverse in the world. New York state also leads in industry, agriculture, and commerce. An introduction to the "Empire State" for grades 4-7 and older readers. 1989.

Martin Van Buren 8th President of the United States, BR007999 and DB030108, by Rafaela Ellis

Martin Van Buren was born in 1782 in a small Dutch community in New York. Although Martin was needed to work in his family's tavern, he finished the academy and became a law apprentice when he was fourteen. He soon discovered politics and moved to New York City where he became a notable lawyer and politician. He was elected president in 1836. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1990.

The Mohawk, DB072686, by Nancy Bonvillain

History of the New York state Mohawk, the largest nation in the Iroquois Confederacy. Discusses the tribe's seventeenth-century fur-trading partnership with the Dutch and the English, skill at basketry, and adjustments to twentieth-century changes. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2005.

A Brief Political and Geographic History of North America: Where Is New France, New Netherland, And New Sweden, DB068569, by Lissa Jones Johnston.

Discusses three major colonies that played important but little-known parts in the history of North America prior to the establishment of the thirteen colonies that became the United States. Covers related geographic names and key leaders. For grades 6-9. 2008.

The Hudson: A History, DB062666, by Tom Lewis

An overview of the Hudson River region since its seventeenth-century discovery by Europeans and changes to the area over time. Details its geography from the Adirondacks to New York City. Discusses the waterway's importance in travel, commerce, industry, and war and as an inspiration to artists, writers, and environmentalists. 2005.

The Island at The Center of The World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and The Forgotten Colony That Shaped America, DB058272, by Russell Shorto

Portrait of the "first New Yorkers"--the earliest European inhabitants of Manhattan predating the thirteen "original" English colonies. From archival documents including letters, deeds, journals, and court proceedings, the author reconstructs the multiethnic Dutch settlement and clash of two seventeenth-century powers that ended in 1664 when England took over Manhattan. 2004.

A history of the Jews in America, DB036162, by Howard Morley Sachar

Begins with the transplanting of European Jews to the New World and the establishment of New Amsterdam in 1654. Also discusses subsequent Jewish immigration, especially from eastern Europe; challenges newcomers face adapting to a new world while retaining their heritage; milestones in Jewish life, such as the Holocaust and the Six-Day War; and Jewish involvement in society. 1992.

City of dreams a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and early Manhattan, DB064726, by Beverly Swerling

In 1661, English surgeon Lucas Turner and his sister Sally, an apothecary, arrive at the Dutch settlement on the island of Manhattan. Violence and betrayal soon make the siblings enemies, beginning a feud that resonates for generations. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2001.

Knickerbocker's History of New York, DB030658, by Washington Irving

Knickerbocker is an imaginary historian who records the early history of New York when it was still New Amsterdam, perceiving the traditions of the city in a comic manner. 1956.