Connecticut Volunteer Services for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc.
Tel: (860) 567-8578
President: Peggy Reventlow
CVSBH, Inc.
Oliver Wolcott Library, South Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
Connecticut Volunteer Services for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc. (CVSBH) is a non-profit corporation that works with the Connecticut State Library's Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) to record books, pamphlets, and magazines onto cassette tape for those who cannot hold or read printed material.
CVSBH is an all-volunteer, statewide program with over 250 members using five studio locations for recording in East Hartford, Litchfield, Milford, Ridgefield, and Southbury. Contributing time on a regular basis and a dedication to a long term commitment are required of each volunteer. Patience, normal hearing and vision, a command of the English language (foreign languages are helpful also), and a background in literature are necessary to translate the written work to its audible meaning. Auditions are required for narrators.
Three volunteers work together to produce a recorded book. A narrator prepares and reads the material into a microphone in a soundproof booth. A monitor operates the reel-to-reel tape recorder outside the booth and directs the narrator while following along with a second copy of the material. Between recording sessions a reviewer listens to the recorded material while following the text to check for accuracy and quality. If the reviewer finds any errors, mispronunciations, or extraneous noises, the monitor and narrator must make these corrections at the beginning of the next recording session.
Each completed reel, and each completed recorded book (possibly containing 16 or more reels), is appraised by an evaluation panel made up of volunteers and talking books users. The panel forwards their comments to the recording team, and if they notice any problems, the tape is returned for more corrections.
Once the recordings are accepted, they are then duplicated onto cassette and the cassettes are labeled in print and Braille, packaged, and shipped to the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The titles produced by Connecticut's volunteer recording program are also submitted to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) Union Catalog. This catalog lists the circulating collection of titles in Braille, cassette, and disc produced by NLS, and in addition, materials produced by cooperating libraries in the NLS network. It is available online and is distributed on CD-ROM disc to all libraries in the network. The catalog allows access to locally produced works by users throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. LBPH has received requests from Canada and the Netherlands for some of the titles recorded by CVSBH.
An average-sized book of about 250-300 pages takes one full year to record, including its evaluation time and duplication from reel to cassette for circulation. Since 1974, CVSBH has recorded over 1,500 titles, using NLS recording procedures and standards. The books are selected to supplement the materials produced by NLS with emphasis placed on titles related to Connecticut and New England by author or subject and library patron requests. Connecticut Magazine is also produced.
CVSBH has received several awards for their enthusiasm and excellent standards to ensure that print-handicapped readers have access to the same range and quality of reading materials as the public library patron. Among these honors are the Hartford Courant's annual Volunteer Recognition Award in the category of Arts and Humanities, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' award for outstanding volunteer organizations in New England.
Volunteer Opportunities | Recording Studios
| Board of Directors |
Cumulative Catalog of CVSBH-recorded
books (PDF)