Talking Book History

AFB founded 1921
WWI - blinded soldiers = ^in blind Americans
Few ppl could read braille - poor library resources
Talking books = greater access for blind

1924, Talking books were being produced as 78 RPM (held 3-5 minutes/side) - mostly for those becoming blind late in life as it isharder for them to learn Braille
Robert B. Irwin, Exec. Director AFB discovered 33 1/3 Long playing record was being patented by Frank L. Dyer
15000 words/side of 12" disc at 33 1/3 RPM
Two men worked together to make "Talking-Machine Record" patented in May, 1927
Happening at a time when sound recording industry was blooming via talkies

Late 1920's, AFB is looking for studio to produce talking books, but not profitable enough > forces AFB to produce recordings itself

1928 - 20% read Braille, only 10% well enough to enjoy reading it

1932 - Carnegie Corp funds exploration of recording program to produce talking books for blind
Jackson O. Kleber was hired, former electrical engineer at RCA Victor recording laboratories to create affordable, durable solution for talking book
Design decisions - 12" records bc die presses were readily available 33-1/3 chosen bc that speed of motors readily available Sturdy cardboard mailing containers - 12# each original TB machine container made of plywood covered with gray plastic weighed 30#15" square and 11" deep/ could be carried like suitcase
First TB machines were electric, then spring driven machine created due to demand. Overseas models ran on batteries.

Result = 12" 33 1/3 rpm vinylite disc. = 12.5 minutes/side
150 grooves/inch and slower RPM speed allowed much more info to be stored than 78 RPMs grooves any closer together create overlap - ghost in the machine
1930 - Pratt-Smoot Act: bill requesting funds to produce reading material for blind. Helen Keller lobbied congress in support of bill
1931 - Pratt-Smoot Act becomes law authorizing LOC to designate local distribution centers for materials for blind - 18 libraries and 15 titles to be brailled
1932- Robert B. Irwin writes to LOC asking them to consider producing Talking Books
3/3/33 - law passes setting aside $10000. for production of Talking Books out of $100000 budget for blind materials for LOC
By 1934, 5000 Talking Book Machines were in 17 states, so LOC released funds for production of Talking Books
Royalties not required if titles recorded for blind only, nominal fee of $25./title collected
First books were Four Gospels, The Psalms, The DOI, Constitution of USA, Shakespeare, classic and popular fiction
1940's wide variety of talking books recorded
1935 - WPA created
3/31/1935- Helen Keller mysteriousy decides to support Talking Books
9/19/1935- FDR signed signed executive order alloting LOC over $200000. for manufacture of Talking Book machines as WPA project
12/1935 - 1942 AFB manufacture of 23505 machines, needles and repairing machines in Manhatten workshop employing sighted and unsighted workers
AFB does major research to improve fidelity since listening can tire a person out if elocution is not good esp. pt sounds = improved technology of vinyl recording
1936 American Printing House for the Blind starts to produce Talking Books for children
1942 WWII halts WPA project and production of machines. Congress approvfes $20000. for machine repair performed by AFB
5/15/1945 Congress holds conference to improve TB technology vis a vis blinded WWII vets
1946 AFB stops producing machines, still producing recordings along with APH, starts researching new technologies for TBs
1948 Long playing records made available to general public by CBS - last time blind are ahead in technology
1948 - Anne T. McDonald conceived Recording for the Blind (now RFB&D [recording for Blind and Dyslexic]) NYPL Women's Auxiliary got letters from wounded WWii vets. GI Bill guaranteed education, but textbooks inaccessible to blind - NYPLWA recorded textbooks on vinyl
1950's volunteers start to record book readings for blind via AFB and RFB&D
1951 LOC owns and loans 30000 TB machines it was possible for ppl to purchase machines at cost from LOC, as well
1951 AFB starts to use magnetic reel to reel to record, then transfer to vinyl = double productivity and 40% fewer mistakes
AFB improved needle technology = needles lasted through 40 records = about 4 books
1955 Eisenhower uses TB machine while convalescing from HA. First non-blind allowed to use machine.
1959 TBs produced as 10 inch, 16 2/3 RPM to enable 30 minutes of recorded info/side
Machines grew three speeds, detachable lids and freestanding speakers
In case design concern was lighter and sturdier
early 1960's - LOC Division for Blind starts to offer TBs on open reel magnetic tape not a successful medium since blind had difficulty threading tape themselves
1965 First 3 speed TB machine could play all incarnations of TB records
7/30/66 - amendment to Pratt Smoot extended TB service to all print disabled
1968- AE5 TB machine plastic case 12# with removable speakers with transistor
1969- NLS starts circulating TBs on audiocassette Initial test with cassettes = commercial tape players and BooksOnTape
Then GE produces TB tape machine with 4 trach technology = more info and not copyable
Initial cassettes had tone indexed sections, somewhat meaningless voice indexing only audible in FF
Voice indexing only way reference books - dictionary was possible
1973 All TBs being recorded at 8 1/3 RPM about an hour/side
Design concern - more info/side = less $ to produce and lighter to mail rechargeable nickel batteries for those sans electric recharged by NLS
Never produced reel to reel bc blind have dificulty threading and test reels came back a mess
1974 Oils hortage slows production of new TB tape machine via petroleum product shortage - plastic
1976-C-76 is produced with auto shut off, won't turn on when upside down and variable speeds
1978 LOC reorg TBs now under NLS/BPH
1978 R&D begins on a combo disc/cassette machine
1980's all TBs are recorded as 4 track recordings to stop copying and fit twice as much info on each tape
1980 C-80 tape machine buit in pitch restoration for all speeds never really works out
1981 E-1 machine sliding controls for elderly/disabled unable to operate other machines
1981 C1 machine has ff, rewind, end of tape sensor and trach selector switches
1981 NLS produces 200 solar powered machines for ppl in remote areas
1987 all new recordings produced on cassette tapes
1988 - idea for DTBs comes from Swedish Library of TBs and Braille (TPB) due to dissatisfaction with audiocassette formats
1992 - CT-1 First talking book machine and cassette player combo is produced automatic reverse and track switching, no user intervention needed. Push down on needle to retract = less damage to disc
1994 - TPB releases first DAISY prototypr
May 1997 NLS, AFB and other blindness orgs meet to develop digital TBs
2002 standard for DTBs (Digital Talking Books) developed by LOC, AFB and others
Batelle, HumanWare, Canada and NFB develop a player that will accomodate flash cards and easy use for diverse array of ability
2006 - DTBs download test launched DTBs are much preferred due to ability to access chapters, section markers, etc.
DTBs are still sent through mail in blue, smaller containers for those who do not download
Moves backward and forward by time increments and allows electronic bookmarking inc. "highlighting"
Titles are transitioning to flash memory cards - transition completed 2012
9/2007 DTB machine = Victor Reader Stream $329.
Tech savvy blinds love audible.com, but have a softspot for TBs from NLS
Current DTB standard is ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2005
Braille E-Reader concept raises E-ink dots via electronic impulse - no funding, of course

LaBelle, Shannon. (2007, March 27). Audiobooks and access to information for canadians with print disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.slais.ubc.ca/


Library of Congress, American Foundation for The Blind. (2009). Talking book exhibit New York, NY: American Foundation for The Blind. Retrieved from http://www.afb.org/talkingbook/talkingbookgallery.asp?GalleryID=37