Later this fall, the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) will begin rolling out a new talking book machine. The Digital Advanced Player 2 (DA2), will still play the classic talking book cartridges, but they will also connect to the internet so you can download books directly from BARD to your device. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is sending the machines to the WTBBL, which will then distribute them to Wisconsin program members. WTBBL will slowly phase out the old machines, but they will not take away your older model if you prefer to continue using that.
In addition to the ability to download books directly to your device, the DA2 has a few other new features. While they will still have a headphone jack, their on-board speaker is louder than that of the old machines. The buttons on the new machine will still have braille and high contrast labeling, but have been rearranged in a way that should be more logical for users. Because you will need to log in to your BARD account if you want to download books from the internet, the DA2 has a port where you can plug in a computer keyboard so you can easily type in your account information.
While you can still use the cartridges mailed to you by WTBBL, downloading books allows you listen to books right away instead of waiting for a cartridge to arrive in the mail. To download a book, turn on the DA2 and press the “Mode” button until you get to “NLS Collection.” From there, you can either search through their library on the machine or you can select a book from your wish list. Searching for a book through the machine itself can be cumbersome, so we recommend adding books to your wish list on your computer then downloading from that list on your machine.
WTBBL will have a limited number of DA2 machines to begin the rollout and will be getting more to replace the older models over the next year. If you have questions about the DA2, Certified Access Technology Specialist Jim Denham of the Council will be giving an online training and information presentation for WTBBL on Wednesday, September 3 at 11 a.m. To register, contact the library at 414-286-3045 or [email protected]. For more information, visit the WTBBL website at DPI.wi.gov/TalkingBooks.