National Talking Newspapers and Magazines

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Good Practice for Talking Newspapers

Introduction
1. Management
2. Infrastructure
3. Editorial
4. Presentation
5. Reading
6. Recording
7. Copying
8. Packing and Posting
9. Returns
10. Reactions
11. Repairs
12. Health, Safety and Electricity
13. Public Relations
14. Finance
15. Development

9. Returns

Routines
A regular routine is essential, although the actual details depend on the frequency of publication and other management arrangements.

With a monthly publication, the cassettes can be returned in time to unpack and re-use them, their wallets (pouches) and labels, for each issue.

A fortnightly TN can follow the same routine, but the availability of a second label, wallet and cassette will help to maintain continuity of service to the late returner. Weekly publications certainly need two, and possibly three, labels to ensure continuity of supply.

Deliveries
The Post Office can agree to collect and hold returning wallets at their sorting office, then deliver the sack(s) on a certain day and time, although the latter may need prompting. This service is invaluable to the intermittently staffed TN office. If the room is on an upper floor, the PO may only manage to get the bags into the ground floor which means that an able-bodied volunteer will be needed after each delivery.

Sorting
For sorting, tables need raised edges to stop the wallets sliding off when the bags are tipped out and the top of the table can be covered with something like felt. See Photographs 5. Divider strips are helpful when trying to match wallets with the mailing list order. Plastic window boxes are a very good method of storing wallets, the 3 feet (900mm) long version taking 100 wallets standing up. Any wallets delivered direct to the TN's HQ by listeners themselves must have a box or a 'standard' place for storage when returned to avoid them getting lost in the office.

Identification
If the TN produces more than one publication, each post will contain a mix of the returned wallets. Speedy sorting can be achieved with coloured spot coding on the labels, or having a different coloured wallet for each publication, or a combination of both systems.

Health and safety
Wallets will be dirty and possibly have sharp bits of plastic to catch fingers. Gloves can help, as can a convenient washing facility or tissue wipes. Jagged and split wallets should be replaced to protect listeners and volunteers.

Contents
The contents of the wallets will be extremely varied and the volunteers unpacking them will need to have somewhere to put each type of article. Normal returned cassettes are best unloaded into plastic crates for removal to the copying room.

Cassettes with recorded messages (usually indicated by having an elastic band or piece of paper around them) need to be identified with the sender's name and address written on a piece of paper and attached with a rubber band by the unpacker. This will aid processing the listener's message later by another team member. Sometimes the listener records their name and address at the front of the tape, but forgets that there is an 8 second leader!

Money
Donations may be found in the wallet or tucked behind the label. A name and address note needs to be written and attached to the money, then taken to the Treasurer for acknowledgement. Standard letters and stamped envelopes can be kept available so that the administration staff can send out an acknowledgement immediately, with the Treasurer following up with a more individual letter later.

Changes
Changes of address, both temporary and permanent, need to be written into a Daybook for reference by other teams and immediate changes made to the labels.

Notifications of deaths or withdrawal from the service will arrive by various methods, and need very conscientious entry into the records to avoid the embarrassment and annoyance if cassettes are not discontinued immediately.

Other cassettes
Inevitably, cassettes from other TNs and organisations will turn up in the delivery and may need a little effort to establish the correct address for return. This is where small identity labels on the cassettes come in very useful! Hopefully, other groups will be equally helpful in reverse.

Storage
With more than one cassette publication there will be an initial sorting operation when mailbags are emptied. Pigeon hole racks are useful to store the less frequently published wallets in mailing list order. Stacking plastic crates are an invaluable aid to sorting and storing wallets, and particularly for collecting the cassettes and moving them to the bulk eraser (de-gausser) and then to the copying positions.

Method
A regular routine needs to be established covering delivery, turning labels, unpacking wallets, writing down messages which affect other members of the team in a proper daybook, ticking off returns in the mailing register, and ending up with everything in its designated space, and the studio/office clean and tidy for when the next group of volunteers come in.

TNAUK Registered charity number: 293656