Handling Blank Lines Around Page Numbers in Braille Formatting

[Soo Ja Kim]

In Braille formatting, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) guidelines state that if there is a blank line in the printed book, the transcriber should include that blank line in the Braille version. How should a transcriber handle blank lines with three stars that appear before or after the page number in a book? Should these blank lines be preserved in the Braille transcription, or is it acceptable to adjust them for clarity or readability?

Thanks.

[claurent]

If I understand correctly, your print has something that looks like this:

*** 3 ***

for print page 3. Or maybe like this:
***********

3

**********

Either way, the asterisks and blank lines are ignored.

What guideline are you looking at that references blank lines and headings? BF does say that centered headings need blank lines before/after...but that does NOT apply to print page numbers.

Cindi

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by claurent.

[Soo Ja Kim]

My question may not have been clear. I was referring to a specific rule and was wondering if it applies to any of my examples.

1.9 Paaragrapgh Format

1.9.5 Follow print when print uses a blank line to show a break in context. Follow print when the break in context is shown using some type of print symbol. Center the braille equivalent on a separate line. If print uses more than one symbol, place a space between each symbol. If print uses a symbol for which there is no braille equivalent, use a transcriber-defined symbol.

ex 1) The blank line is between the context

....Some text in a paragraph.

(blank line)

Another paragraph after the break.

 

ex 2) *** are the end of page or beginning of the page.

page 1

....Some text in a paragraph.

***

or

page 2

***

....Some text in a paragraph.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

[claurent]

If every paragraph in a book has a blank line before or after it, you can ignore those. If the blank line is being used as a break in context, then rule 1.9 applies and that blank line is retained in braille. With the blank lines before/after a print page, the same concept is true. If it represents a break in context or a change in thought, then retain it. If it is consistently that way throughout the book but does not appear to represent a change in context, ignore it.

Cindi

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