BARD Detailed Modifications Summary

New materials on BARD

Braille materials—The more than 12,000 braille books and magazines currently available through Web-Braille are now on BARD. Braille materials will continue to be accessible through active links in the NLS catalog as well as through the web version of Braille Book Review. The current Web-Braille site will be phased out between three and six months after the new release of BARD.

Music books and scores—The more than 2,000 braille music materials currently available through Web-Braille are now on BARD. Most of these titles are scores (sheet music) for various instruments, including voice; there are also many standard music textbooks and method books. Braille music materials on BARD will have the prefix BRM.
            The audio materials that are now available are instructional guides by instrument or music-appreciation presentations. Audio materials from the NLS Music Section on BARD have the prefix DBM.

Locally produced materials—The more than 2,000 locally produced braille materials currently available through Web-Braille are now on BARD. Other materials that are submitted to NLS by network libraries and external agencies, mostly books and magazines of local and regional interest, will soon be available on BARD. These materials will be identified by the prefixes BRC, DBC, or DBN.

 

New features on BARD

Details page—The title in each summary listing is now a link to more detailed information about the item. This page features all of the information from the summary entry along with additional bulleted notes such as navigation information for audiobooks, the transcribing agency for braille books, and the producer (for both braille and audio titles), as well as other available information from the NLS International Union Catalog. After the bulleted notes you will find a link to download the title and a link to add the title to your wish list (described below). If a book has been removed from BARD because there is something wrong with the digital file, the date that NLS uploads the new, corrected file will appear on the details page below the Add to wish list link.

Wish list—The My Wish List page was created to provide a place where you can store and access titles that you want to download at a later date. To add titles to your wish list select the Add to wish list link which is located on the details page. Once added the titles will be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recently added title displaying first. Each title will be presented with its summary information and two links—one to download the title, the other to delete the title from the wish list. Titles will be automatically deleted once you have downloaded them. Titles that are already on your wish list will not display the Add to wish list link on the details page. A paragraph describing how to add an item to your wish list will appear on the wish list page when it is empty.

Previous downloads—The My Previous Downloads page will display a list of all of the titles you have downloaded in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Each title will have all of its summary information as well as the date that you downloaded it and a link to download the title again.

Author search—You can now access a list of downloadable books by the same author by selecting that author’s name on the title’s details page. BARD will search for all titles available by that author and display them in alphabetical order.

Subject search—You can now access a list of downloadable books in the same subject category by selecting the desired subject on the details page of a title. BARD will search for all titles available in that same subject category and display them in alphabetical order.

Narrator search—You can now access a list of downloadable books by the same narrator by selecting that narrator’s name on the title’s details page. BARD will search for all titles narrated by that person and display them in alphabetical order.

Series search—You can now access a list of downloadable books in a series by selecting the series title on the details page. BARD will search for all titles available in that series and display them in the series order.

Other changes

Display options
With the incorporation of braille materials on BARD you now have the ability to choose which format(s) you would like to display (braille and/or audio). To display either audio materials, braille materials, or both, select the Update Account Settings link toward the bottom of the page. Use the combo box labeled “display results,” to select Audio Only, Braille Only, or Both. Note that the default is set to Both.
            When your settings are set to display both audio and braille materials, braille listings will always follow audio listings with the exception of those in your individual wish and previous downloads lists. In the recently added and most popular books pages audiobook listings will be presented first, with a link at the top of the page to go directly to the braille results (Go to braille). Materials will be presented this way (audio first, then braille, with a link at the top to go to braille results) consistently throughout the search and browse functions except in the magazine title list—where they are presented in alphabetical order with the format following the title.
            Additionally you are able to limit your search and browse results to display only books that were either produced by or specially acquired by NLS using a check box. This search limitation will not apply to magazines. Note that the check box default is set to display all books on BARD.

Main page arrangement
The headings on the main page have been altered to include the new materials (braille music scores and sports schedules). Magazines will be included in the Recently Added Books list. There will also be several new links on the main page. One is a link to a page that will feature the music collection (instructional audio materials and braille scores) and will provide search and browse functions that result in music materials only. The second new link will be to a page that features your customizable wish list. And the third is a link to a page that will display your previous downloads.

Last Updated: November 26, 2012