Session 4: Page Numbering in Textbooks

Print Page Numbers

1. If you have a new braille page that also corresponds to a new print page, you braille the print page number in the last cells of the first line (following the same rules as normal, three blank cells between the page number and the text or running head)
2. If the print page ends on the last or next to last line of braille, start the new print page at the beginning of a new braille page.
3. For most braille pages, the braille page will start some place other than the beginning of the print page. The formatting for this is as follows:
   • End the braille line with the last word of the print page.
   • Preceded by a row of dots 3-6, put the new print page number at the far right margin on the next braille line. No space goes between the new print page indicators (dots 3-6) and the print page number. An example is included for your perusal.
   • if there is a heading on the print page, it should go below the new print page indicator without a blank line
   • if you have a blank line in braille to indicate a break in context or a transition to quoted matter, use these rules:
     • if the break occurs at the end of a page of braille, skip a line after the running head on the next page.
     • if the break occurs within a braille page, braille the new print page indicator then a blank line then the new text.
4. Continuations: equally common is a print page being continued onto the next braille page. The print page number should be brailled at the end of the first braille line, with a "continuation letter" in front of the number sign. The continuation letter is an "a",. "b", "c" as needed to present the carryover of the print material.
5. Do not include print page numbers on any preliminary pages, with the exception of prefaces, forwards, and introductions. The common sense rule for this is to think: "where might a teacher logically ask a group a students to turn to in a book?" It is unlikely that they might be asked to turn to a contents page (easy to find even for the braille reader), but it is possible that they might all be referred to the Introduction. Many textbooks place the chapter title, the unit heading, and other headings on a single page, with no other text on the page. In braille, this heading should be placed as a centered heading, then a blank line, then the text. The print page should use a combined page number, as shown in the graphic below (with an abbreviated line of print page indicator dots):

   16-17

   There are also times when you have print pages deliberately left blank or print pages that are not brailled (usually graphics pages). If this is the case, these pages are included on the next braille page using the combined page number, with the ending page number corresponding to the current print page.

6. There are also occasions where the textbook has unumbered or Roman number pages at the back of the text. If these are done with Roman numerals, follow the print numbering. Blank pages should be indicated with g1,g2,...., t1,t2,..., where the first letter is some identifying initial, such as "g" for glossary or "t" for test.
7. Cover materials: if there are materials in the front and/or back covers of the text, the transcriber needs to make some decisions as to its importance to the braille reader:
   
   • The material is ignored if it is deemed unimportant or it is included in the body of the text.
   • if the material is supplementary and/or it is referenced in the text, it can be put either on a preliminary page at the beginning of each volume, or it can be inserted into the text. Use of transcribers notes and reference indicators are useful. [A more detailed discussion of notes and other marginal materials will be presented in Session 9].

Braille Page Numbers

Rules for braille page numbering:

• Braille page numbers are written at the end of the last line of braille, with at least three spaces between the end of the text and the braille number.
• Preliminary pages are numbered "p1, p2, ...". The title page is the official "p1". The "p1" number goes on the title page. The "p" precedes the number sign without a space and without a letter sign.
• Text pages (including prefaces, introductions, etc.) are numbered with Arabic numbering, "1,2,3,...". It is often the case with textbooks that a large book will be divided among several transcribers. If this is the case, each transcriber should begin their section (each volume) with the Arabic 1.