Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Tape Inspection: More Than Just A Glance

For such a small item, a cassette can have so many things go wrong. At a recent tape repair workshop for libraries, many participants decided that it was not always worth the time and effort required to repair cassette tapes. Purchasing replacement tapes might be more cost effective in the long run. But even before that is deemed necessary, inspection must take place.

At the Connecticut State Library's Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) the majority of the collection is made up of audiocassette books and magazines. Patrons have come to expect that each book that they receive from the program is "listenable" just like local public library patrons expect the book they check out to be "readable". Covers intact, no pages missing or defaced.

At LBPH we have a full inspection/repair program made up of dedicated staff and volunteers. Every cassette book is inspected extensively when it is returned. Are the right cassettes in the right box? Are there any cassettes missing? Are the tapes rewound? (High-speed rewinders are used in this program.) Is there any damage to the mailing container or the cassette shell/casing? (Guide dogs and family pets have been known chew on them. Sitting on radiators or left in cars has melted some.) Are the labels intact? What is the condition of the pressure pad? Does the cassette rewind and fast forward? Did the patron include a note or mark the mailing label indicating a problem? Is the tape loose inside or outside of the casing? These are just some of the criteria for inspection.

Many of our volunteers are visually impaired or blind. They have developed methods of inspecting the books all their own. The books and cassettes are labeled with Braille for identification and also indicate how many cassettes should be in the box. The recorded announcements on the beginning and ending of each side of the cassettes give assistance to those inspectors who do not use Braille. Many problems can be detected by sound. Twisted or misaligned tapes can sound garbled, like a foreign language or have the sound drop off.

Because the library maintains a master collection, often a replacement can be duplicated for a missing tape. Loose tapes that come back to the library are filed in old card catalog files, perfect for tape storage. Often a copy of the missing tape is discovered there.

A staff member performs repairs on damaged tapes. Pressure pads are replaced. Broken shells can be replaced. Tapes can be untwisted or realigned. Broken tape can be spliced. When rewinding or fast forwarding is tough sometimes holding the cassette in your palm and rapping it on the tabletop several times can loosen it. Some repairs are simple. For a list of tape inspection/repair criteria and tips visit http://www.cslib.org/inspect.htm

Tape inspection and repair programs are not high tech but they make for happy "listeners."