Screen Readers

The search interface was designed specifically to be accessible to screen readers. If you experience any difficulties accessing the system with a screen reader, please email sbph@michigan.gov or phone 800-992-9012.

The search interface contains access keys for each of the search criteria fields.

• Alt + A = Author
• Alt + W = Word in Title
• Alt + X = Exact Title
• Alt + S = Subject
• Alt + N = Narrator

Username and Password

If you are a registered reader with a participating Michigan library for the blind and physically handicapped, you can order cassettes with this service or large print if your library carries large print. If you are a Braille reader anywhere in Michigan you can order Braille books with this service. Call your participating library and you will be provided with a user name and password. Check this list to determine which library serves you and if your library participates.

Searching for Materials

Introduction

There are five means of searching the database: by author, by word in title, by exact title, by subject, and by narrator. You may use only one search method at a time; if you use two search criteria the one that comes first will be the only one displayed (for instance, if you enter "Grisham" in Author and "Westerns" in Subject, Grisham's records will be displayed and the computer will ignore your request for Westerns). You may narrow your search by selecting which formats are displayed.

Selecting Format

You may limit each search to a single format, or leave it in the default position of searching all formats. If you only want cassette books, limiting your search to "Cassette" will give you more relevant results.

All Formats	This will yield results in all categories. For instance, if you type in "Gone with the Wind" in Exact Title under All Formats, results will include two cassette versions (RC), three Braille versions (BR), one large print version (LPK), and one described video (ET).
Cassette	Cassette books that have been produced by the National Library Service are designated RC. Volunteer-produced titles in Michigan are designated LM.
Braille	Braille books that have been produced by the National Library Service are designated BR. Volunteer-produced titles in Michigan are designated MB.
Large Print	These books are at least 14 point type and are designated LPK.
Described Videos	These are VHS movies, documentaries, and television show episodes that include a narrator who describes sets, characters, and actions not revealed through sound. Their prefix is ET. Patrons may have only one described video checked out at a time.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Searching by Author

To search for an author, type in the author's last name, then a comma, and their first name. Example: Roberts, Nora.

If you don't know the author's full name or are unsure of the spelling, please take a look at the suggestions below:

• You do not need to enter the full name. You can leave off the author's first name. For example: Is it Stephen King or Steven King? Here you could type in "King" and the system will generate a list of all books authored by anyone whose last name is "King." For closer matches you could type in "King, Ste" omitting the last part of the first name. The system would then generate a list of books authored by anyone whose last name is "King" and whose first name begins with "Ste." The more correct information you supply, the more accurate your search results will be.
  
  
• You can replace part of the name with an asterisk. Example: If you don't know whether an author's last name is spelled Anderson or Andersen, type Anders*n. You can also enter a last name and then a first name with an asterisk. Example: Anderson, Jo*n will find books by Joan Anderson and John Anderson, but not Joy Anderson. You cannot replace the entire last name with an asterisk (*,Mary would not display any results)
  
  
• Do not use an author's middle initial. You will usually get false search results of 0 titles found.
  
  
• For authors whose first names consist of initials, use the following format: Tolkien, J.R.R. Do not use spaces between the initials, just periods. However, if the first name consists of an initial and then a name, use a space between the initial and the name. Example: Cooper, J. David.
  
  

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Searching by Title

What's the Difference Between Word in Title and Exact Title?

There is an important difference between these two methods of searching for books by their title. In Word in Title you may search for only one word. Results will include all books containing that word in the title. This is a good search method when the title contains an unusual word such as "Hornblower" or "Mitford." It's not so good when you are searching for books like Where Are the Children? or Every Breath You Take as each of these words will result in many, many titles to wade through. Exact Title allows you to search for a book when you are certain of the first several words. You do not need to know the entire title to use this search field. Omit leading articles such as "the" or "a" and punctuation.

See below for more information about these methods of searching for books by their titles.

Word in Title

• You may search for any ONE word in a title. Maybe you are looking for that Michael Crichton book about the Andromeda... disaster? flu? experiment? project? code? Search for the word you know - "Andromeda" and all books in the collection with "Andromeda" in title will be displayed.
  
  
• Search words are always assumed to be incomplete. A search for the word "moon" will locate titles including the words moonrise, moonwar, moonflower, moonshell, etc.
  
  
• An asterisk (*) may always be used if you are uncertain about the spelling of a word. For example, if you are searching for a book with "Czechoslovakia" in the title you may type in C*vakia and all books with words beginning with "C" and ending with "vakia" will be displayed.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Exact Title

When you know the book's title, this is often the quickest method. Here are some tips for using the Exact Title search method.

• "A", "An", or "The" should be left off when they are the first word of the title.
  
  
• Do not use punctuation in a title search. Searching for WHERE'S JULIUS? will not retrieve any entries. To locate the book, simply enter WHERES JULIUS without the apostrophe and question mark.
  
  
• You may search for as much of the title as you know. For example, to find The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, you could type CAT WHO KNEW A CARDINAL or even CAT WHO. However, trying to search for CARDINAL alone would yield no results.
  
  
• The last word you enter is assumed to be incomplete. For example, a search for LITTLE PRINCE will retrieve both A Little Princess and The Little Prince.
  
  
• The asterisk (*) may be used as a wild card in a variety of ways. For example, if you are uncertain of the spelling of several words, you may use the asterisk to substitute for the letters you don't know. Perhaps you are looking for a book whose title is pronounced "The mammer zap and the donkey voo." A search for that spelling will not retrieve any records. However, a search for MAM*DON will result in the entry for The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-Vous. You may also use the asterisk at the beginning of a title. For example, a search for *MARK TWAIN will retrieve 24 titles, while searching MARK TWAIN will locate only 10 titles.
  
  

Searching by Subject

Here are some tips for searching by subject.

• To move through the list of subjects quickly, type the first letter of the subject you are searching for. For example, typing a W will move you to WAR-CIVIL/FICTION. If you are looking for Westerns, you may then use the down arrow until you reach WESTERNS.
  
  
• For children and young adults. When JUV appears in the name of a subject, it refers to juvenile books written at reading levels ranging from Preschool to Middle School. YA indicates books written for young adults or high school readers.
  
  
• Some subjects are very broad. A search may result in thousands of hits. Currently, the only way to narrow the results is to limit the search to a specific format. For example, a search for MYSTERY-OTHER and ALL FORMATS retrieves more than 5,000 titles. Restricting the format to cassettes will result in 3,000 titles.
  
  
• Some subjects contain many, many titles. The time it takes for the system to find and display a list of results depends on your search criteria and the speed of your Internet connection. You may experience several minutes of delay before your search results appear.
  
  

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Searching by Narrator

This search allows you to find titles recorded by your favorite narrators. In some ways it is similar to the Author Search. The following guidelines apply here as well:

• You do not need to enter the full name.
• You can replace part of the name with an asterisk (*).
• Do not type in the narrator's middle initial.
• For narrators whose first names consist of initials, use the following format: Linton, J.P.

HINT. Don't know the names of your favorite narrators? Try looking up a book that you know they recorded. The search results will display the narrator's name.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Search Results

Search Results List

The Search Results List contains each title that matches the search criteria you specified on the preceding page. At top, the number of entries found is reported. Each entry has four parts: Radio Button, Title ID, Author, and Title. The list is sorted alphabetically by author, then title.

• Radio Button. This is the circle in front of each title. To select a book, click on the radio button beside it; the radio button will be filled in. Only one book may be selected at a time. To select an entry using keystrokes, press tab until you enter the radio button field and then use the Up or Down arrow until the appropriate radio button is selected. When you've made your selection, click OK at the bottom of the page or simply hit Enter.
  
  
• Title ID. This is the letter-number combination that identifies each book. RC is cassette, BR is Braille, LPK is Large Print, and ET is Described Video.
  
  
• Author. The author's name is displayed as last name, first name, middle initial. For example, "Mary Higgins Clark" is displayed as "CLARK, MARY H."
  
  
• Title. Long titles may not display completely. For instance, Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry will be shortened to "STAR TREK CREATOR: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF GENE RODDENBE."
  
  

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Bibliographic Record for Each Book

Once you have selected a book entry from the results list by marking the radio button and clicking on OK (or pressing Enter), the bibliographic page for that book will appear.

The bibliographic page displays information about the book and an Order button. Below is an explanation of the various headings in the bibliographic record.

• Title ID. This is the letter-number combination that the library uses to identify each title. RC is cassette, BR is Braille, LPK is Large Print and ET is Described Video.
  
  
• Media. This lists the format of the book: cassette, Braille, large print, descriptive video (which is displayed as Electronic Text), or recorded or flexible disc.
  
  
• Author. The author's full name is displayed as last name, first name, middle initial.
  
  
• Title. Very long titles may have the ending cut off. All others will display in full.
  
  
• Annotation. Brief description of the contents of the book.
  
  
• Volumes. For recorded books (cassettes and discs), the volume number refers to the number of physical containers used to send or to store the tapes or records. For Braille, large print books and described videos, the number of volumes reflects the number of books or videotapes that make up the complete selection.
  
  
• Number of Tapes or Records. For recorded books, the Number of Tapes or Records refers to the total number of tapes or records that make up the entire book.
  
  
• Language. Indicates which language the book was recorded in. Most books are in English although we do carry some Spanish titles. To order books in another language, please contact your reader advisor.
  
  
• Fiction or Nonfiction. Fiction titles are indicated by the codes FIC for adult fiction or JFIC juvenile fiction. Nonfiction titles are indicated by a Dewey Decimal classification number.
  
  
• Recommended Reading Level. This indicates a suggested range of reading levels for the book. For example, the recommended reading level for most of the Babysitter's Club books by Ann Martin is "Fourth Grade to Seventh Grade."
  
  
• Library ID. Indicates the libraries that have a copy of this book in their inventory or on order.
  
  
• Status. Indicates the book's availability as Present or On Order in the collections of each participating library that have at least one copy of the book in their inventory or on order. See here for a more complete discussion of determining availability.
  
  
• Copies on Hand. Refers to the number of copies of the book currently available for circulation at each of the participating libraries.
  
  
• Unfilled Request. Refers to the number of people registered with each library who have requested that this book be sent to them at some point. Your order would take precedence over a request.
  
  
• Unfilled Reserve. Refers to the number of people who have this book on reserve. Reserved books are sent as soon as copies become available. If you were to attempt to send yourself a title that had no copies available and at least one person had already reserved it, you would follow them on the waiting list.
  
  
• Explicit sex. If a book is known to contain sexual descriptions, the word "Yes" is displayed in this field.
  
  
• Violence. If a book is known to contain descriptions of violence, the word "Yes" is displayed in this field.
  
  
• Strong Language. If a book is known to contain strong language, the word "Yes" is displayed in this field.
  
  
• Classification. Refers to the book's classification number based on the Dewey Decimal classification system. Fiction books will have FIC (for adult and young adult fiction) or JFIC (for juvenile fiction) in this field.
  
  
• Publisher. For recorded books, this field refers to the publisher of the print edition that was used during recording. Large print books display the publisher of that edition. Some older titles do not have information in this field.
  
  
• Publication year. For recorded books, this field refers to the publication date of the print edition that was used during recording. Large print books display the publication year of that edition. Some older titles do not have information in this field.
  
  
• Narrator. For recorded books, the name of the person who reads the book aloud appears in this field.
  
  
• Narrator Gender. Lists whether the narrator is male or female.
  
  
• Narrator Accent. This field is marked "Yes" when the narrator has a British or other accent.
  
  
• Recorded Speed and Tracks Per Tape. For recorded books, these fields indicate the speed at which the recording was made and the tracks (sides) per cassette. Normally, books are recorded at the speed 15/16 and there are four tracks per tape.
  
  
• Length. Indicates whether a book is long or short. Books that have more than 2 cassettes are considered "Long."
  
  

At the bottom of the bibliographic record there is an Order button. Use this button to log-in and send yourself a copy.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

How to Tell If Copies of the Book Are Available

Once you have located the book you would like to order and are viewing the bibliographic record, you will be able to determine if copies are on the shelf. If possible, your order will be filled by your participating library. If no copies are available at your library, or if your library does not carry the title, the Library of Michigan will fill the order. You will not be able to place an order for a title only available at a library other than your own or the Library of Michigan.

• First, locate the section where each line begins with "Library ID." This lists each library that has at least one copy of the title in their inventory.
  
  
• Status. Status will read one of two ways: Present or On Order. If the book is Present, continue to read horizontally. If the book is On Order, you may order yourself a copy that you will receive when the library's shipment arrives.
  
  
• Copies on Hand. Displays the number of copies of the book currently available for circulation at each of the participating libraries. If your library or the Library of Michigan has at least one copy on hand, you may order the book and it will be shipped to you the following day.
  
  
• Unfilled Requests. Refers to the number of people registered with each library who have requested that this book be sent to them at some point. Your order would take precedence over a request.
  
  
• Unfilled Reserves. Refers to the number of people who have this book on reserve. Reserved books are sent as soon as copies become available. If you were to send yourself a title that had no copies available and at least one person had already reserved it, you would follow them on the waiting list.
  
  

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Patrons may check out only one described video at a time for a period of ten days. Anyone receiving talking book or Braille service is eligible to receive described videos. If this is your first time ordering described videos, please phone your participating library before placing the order and ask to be registered to receive described videos.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Large print books are available only to patrons who are already registered to receive them. Only patrons of the Muskegon County library and the Upper Peninsula library may receive large print books through this system. If you have questions, please phone your participating library.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Placing an Order for Materials

Once you have located a book and are looking at the bibliographic record, you will be able to click "Order." You will be asked for your user name and password. After entering this information click OK.

If the book is available, it will be sent the following business day. If no copies are in, the book will be placed on reserve for you and shipped automatically when a copy is returned to us. The bibliographic record will tell you whether or not copies are available; see the section on How to Tell If Copies of the Book Are Available for more information.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Placing Books on Your Request List Rather Than Sending Them Immediately AND Ordering Books By Number

To place books on your request list, or to order titles by the RC or BR number, please use this form.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Troubleshooting

Requested Materials Have Not Arrived

The most common reason materials aren't shipped is that there are no copies available. If the books that you want are not in, the system will automatically reserve the next copy that is returned to us for you. See the section on How to Tell If Copies of the Book Are Available for more information.

It is also possible that an error in our inventory records will result in a bibliographic record that shows copies of a book available when there is nothing on the shelf. In these cases, the book order is reviewed periodically and will be filled as soon as possible.

Please allow seven business days for materials that are available to reach you. If after seven days you have not received the materials, feel free to call the library to check on the status of your book order.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Can't Locate Desired Materials

If you can't find the book you are looking for but think we have it, try searching for it in another way. If you searched by title, try searching by author instead. Follow the search strategies outlined above to improve your chances of success. Please phone your library for additional assistance.

Search the Talking Book and Braille Catalog

Please feel free to contact us with questions at:
sbph@michigan.gov or phone 800-992-9012.