Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL)

📚⛏️ There’s just ONE WEEK left to register for the 2026 WTBBL Summer Reading Program: Unearth a Story!

Youth patrons can join free reading challenges designed for Early Learners, Children, and Teens, with by-mail, virtual, and in-person activities running June 15 – August 15.

Register by June 8 to participate:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B979GR6

And stay tuned—we’ll be sharing exciting Summer Reading activities for all ages throughout the summer!

Today’s episode of Literary Notes will go great with our recent sunny PNW spring! Tom Fucoloro, founder and editor of the Seattle Bike Blog, came by to chat about his book, Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle Behind the Handlebars. It covers the history of the bike in Seattle from its status as a fad in the 1800s to the vibrant bike culture we have today. Library volunteer Merri Ann Osborne conducted the interview, and it’s available wherever you get your podcasts!

Join us next Tuesday, June 2nd at 4 p.m. PT for the next NLS Music Notes Webinar featuring Holly Connor! Learn about her journey as a musician, her passion for braille music, and her love of performing opera, art songs, and musical theater.

Join online: https://bit.ly/42Nah8M

⭐Virtual Training Alert: Lessons for Living with Vision Loss⭐
The Washington State Department of Services for the Blind's Independent Living Program is launching a new virtual training series this fall for adults who are blind or have low vision and want to build skills for greater independence.

Participants will join virtual group sessions led by an Independent Living Specialist and learn practical strategies for labeling, organization, adaptive cooking, cleaning, clothing care, recreation, and more using the book Lessons for Living with Vision Loss (DBC24872) as a guide.

You may qualify if you:
• Live in Washington State
• Are age 22 or older
• Are not currently working or attending school
• Have a vision impairment that impacts daily activities

Interested? Contact Kim Canaan by June 12, 2026 at 206-616-6789 or [email protected]. Spots are limited, so don’t wait!

Next Tuesday, May 26th, at 4 pm PT is the next NLS "That All May eRead" program.

Topic: Navigating DAISY Files on Your eReader. To access the program, visit: https://bit.ly/4c9LL7F

Volunteer Spotlight!✨Since 2019, Betsy Haddox has been a familiar face around our library. A dedicated volunteer narrator and editor for our audiobook production volunteer team - she has donated more than 300 hours of her time to the library!

In addition to her work behind the microphone, Betsy also founded the advocacy group, Friends of WTBBL, amidst the budget crisis that hit our library last year. The group’s advocacy efforts have been instrumental in helping us continue to highlight our need for stable funding. Though the fight for our library (and libraries in general) is far from over, we are overwhelmingly grateful for the hard work of volunteers like Betsy and everyone who came out over the last year to support us. Your efforts made all the difference.

If you or someone you know are interested in joining Friends of WTBBL, you can email [email protected]. To find out more information about ways to get involved, visit linktr.ee/friendsofwtbbl.

Read our full profile on Betsy in our newsletter, Reading Matters here: bit.ly/49RMSHo

This Thursday, May 21st, at 4 pm PT, is the next NLS Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker program. The topic: Creating the Personalized Experience - Effectively Setting Volume, Speed and Tone in the My Talking Book Skill on Alexa. After the presentation and demonstration, they will answer any questions you have about the My Talking Books skill for Alexa-enabled smart speakers.

For more information and the Zoom link visit: https://bit.ly/4aWBb0Y

The latest episode of Literary Notes is here! Novelist Jesse Q. Sutanto joins us to talk about her new book, Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block, where a former trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband. Sutanto discusses her writing process, living with ADHD, and how her upbringing inspired the book with library volunteer Ren Caldwell. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts!

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 14th, at 4 pm PT is the next NLS "Many Faces of BARD" webinar.

Topic: Typing Text Using the DA2. After the presentation, they will take questions about all things BARD.

To access the webinar, visit: https://bit.ly/436qx4E