Braille and Talking Book Library, Sacramento - BTBL

NLS has a full slate of patron-focused online events this month.
On Thursday, May 14, the monthly Many Faces of BARD program will explore Typing Text Using the DA2. After a presentation and demonstration, NLS staff members will take your questions about all things BARD (our Braille and Audio Reading Download service) for the remainder of the hour. The program will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and last for one hour. Get more information at www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard.
The topic for the Thursday, May 21, Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker online program at 7 p.m. eastern time will be Creating the Personalized Experience: Effectively Setting Volume, Speed and Tone in the My Talking Books Skill on Alexa. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/smart-speaking-to-the-smart-speaker.
Finally, That All May eRead resumes its regular schedule on Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. eastern time. Navigating DAISY Files on Your eReader is the subject of this month’s program. NLS staff members will answer questions about the Braille eReader for the remainder of the hour. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/that-all-may-eread.
[Image: Close-up photo of a person holding an NLS DA2 audiobook player.]

May the Fourth Be with You! On , awaken the force within you by enjoying books related to the Star Wars universe from the NLS collection. Start “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away” with “Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (DB11495)” by George Lucas, or its retelling in “Star Wars: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (DB83213)” by Alexandra Bracken. You can even whip up some comfort food with “The Star Wars Cook Book: Wookiee Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes (BR12243)” by Robin Davis. Or go metaphysical with "Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (DB92292)," a multi-author collection of essays looking at philosophical questions brought up by the Star Wars film franchise. The Library of Congress has also posted videos related to Star Wars, including a scholarly panel discussing “The Politics of Star Wars” and how its themes relate to American culture: https://youtu.be/WykUee_c06E.
[Image: A fan-made R2D2 droid takes part in the annual McMenamin’s UFO Festival parade in McMinnville, Oregon. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.]

Join us for this event!

If you’ve been hearing about the DA2 and wondering what it actually does, this is your moment to get clear answers.

Join us for a guided introduction to the new DA2 Talking Book Machine, led by Mike Marlin and Morgan Pershing from the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL).

They’ll walk us through what’s new, what’s improved from the DA1, and how features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and direct downloads from BARD can shape your reading experience.

You’ll also get clarity on eligibility and support options, with time to ask your own questions so you leave feeling informed and confident.

Register here: https://www.brailleinstitute.org/find-services/offerings/intro-to-da2-talking-book-machine/

The Braille and Talking Book Library’s Print/Braille collection features children’s books that are print books with braille pages included with each print page - so a braille reader and print reader can enjoy the book together! Learn more about how to access these materials: https://www.library.ca.gov/btbl/

Image Description: A Print/Braille volume of El conejito andarín – a Spanish-language copy of The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown – sits upright on a green table in the Braille and Talking Book Library reading room. The volume cover features Clement Hurd’s illustration of a little white bunny and his mother in the grass, with a braille overlay.