News and Announcements

Learn more about how to use the Zoomax eReader, the latest device for braille readers offered by TBBL, the Talking Book and Braille Library, in conjunction with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). 

On Tuesday, July 30, at 7 PM eastern time, the Patron Engagement Section of NLS will launch a new monthly program called That All May eRead on Zoom. This program, occurring the last Tuesday night of each month, will focus on using the NLS Braille eReaders. Each session will begin with a brief demonstration of a feature or use case. The rest of the hour will be spent answering patron questions about any aspect of the Zoomax or HumanWare Braille eReaders. The meeting is also recorded for later viewing. 

For more information about the program please visit: Patron Services and Events - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)

Don't miss your chance: Join the Talking Book and Braille Library for an exciting library adventure this summer!

The second annual NLS Summer Reading Program is well underway. Register and attend a scheduled event and see how many of our fun online activities you can complete.

Scheduled Events:

All events are accessible online and open to the public. Sign up for all events.

Thursday, July 18, 4:00 p.m. eastern time, Story Time and Music by Turtle Dance Music (K–3rd grade)

Invite your young family members, neighbors and friends to join the Turtle Dance Music man, Matt Mazur, in music and story time.

Thursday, July 25, 7:00 p.m. eastern time, Author Talk: Angeline Boulley with Andrea L. Rogers (YA and Adult)

Are you looking for a book full of suspense, mystery, and maybe even a dash of romance, with a strong, quick-witted female protagonist? Dive into one of Angeline Boulley's books and register to meet the author!

Submit your questions for Angeline Boulley to nlspes@loc.gov before Friday, July 19. Boulley is the author of Firekeeper’s Daughter (BR24040, DB102762) and Warrior Girl Unearthed (BR25116 in process, DB114761). 

More Online Activities:

Think you have the smarts to escape from the Whispering Library? Bring along your family members or friends and see if they can save the day! (For families or all-ages groups).

Find your next favorite book with the Choose Your Reading Adventure game. Readers can receive additional book recommendations by filling out the survey at the end of the game. Our Summer Reading committee members are eager to create a personalized reading list for you based on your preferences. Give it a try!

Play the game and request a list for school-age children and young adults.

Play the game and request a list for adults.

Can’t visit Washington, D.C, in person? Take the audio-described tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress (YA and Adult), available on BARD as DB121189. You may also listen to it on the Summer Reading Program webpage, embedded in a media player right at the top of the Online Activities section.

As we approach the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris, we had a patron ask for books about the Olympics. We decided to make a mini bibliography of some titles surrounding several aspects of the Olympics and their history. Enjoy!

How to Train with a T. Rex and Win Eight Gold Medals, BR019007, by Michael Phelps and Alan Abrahamson

Michael Phelps describes his six years of physical training to win eight gold medals in swimming at the 2008 Olympics. Measures his eating in calories and pizzas, his swimming practice in meters and miles, and winning his last race by a fingernail! PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2009.

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, DBC09714, by Pat Zietlow Miller

Growing up in the segregated town of Clarksville, Tennessee, in the 1960s, Alta's family cannot afford to buy her new sneakers--but she still plans to attend the parade celebrating her hero Wilma Rudolph's three Olympic gold medals. For grades K-3. 2021.

The Gold Medal Mess MVP book 1, DB087575, by David A. Kelly

Five friends are ready for their school's Olympics field day. But not everyone wants to play fair, and someone is trying to ruin the events. The kids in the Most Valuable Player club must solve the mystery in time to save the Olympics. Commercial audiobook. For grades 2-4. 2016.

Hour Of the Olympics: Book 16, Magic Tree House, BR014203, and DB054426, by Mary Pope Osborne

When Jack and Annie travel back in time to ancient Greece to find a lost story, they arrive during the Olympics. They discover that girls did not have many rights in those days. For grades 2-4. 1998.

Going For Gold, BR012816, by Andrew Donkin

Provides a brief history of the Olympic Games and discusses six sporting events. Includes information on athletes in each sport, including track legend Jesse Owens, gymnast Kerri Strug, and tennis champion Jennifer Capriati. For grades 2-4. 1999.

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, DB043739, by Kathleen Krull

African American Wilma Rudolph weighed only four pounds when she was born in 1940, and she had nineteen older brothers and sisters. Childhood polio left her leg paralyzed, but Wilma exercised until she not only walked but became an Olympic gold medal runner. For grades 2-4. 1996.

On The Court With...Shaquille O'Neal, BR015063, by Matt Christopher and Glenn Stout

Describes the life and career of the basketball superstar and center for the Los Angeles Lakers up until the 2002 season. Tells how O'Neal became a professional player winning many awards and championships, including a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 1996 Olympics. For grades 4-7. 2003.

Who is Simone Biles? DB114357, by Stefanie Loh

In 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games after experiencing the 'twisties'--a scary feeling during which gymnasts lose control of their bodies while mid-air. Audiences had expected Simone to dominate these games. That summer, however, Simone became more than just a legendary athlete. She became an advocate for mental health and protecting yourself even when the world is watching. Commercial audiobook. For grades 3-6. 2023.

Special Olympics, DB056862, and BR015084, by Mike Kennedy

Concise history of Special Olympics--the winter and summer athletic games held every four years for competitors who are mentally retarded. Discusses this condition and explains how these special participants are chosen. For grades 3-6. 2002.

Olympic Dream, DB045362, by Matt Christopher

Fourteen-year-old Doug loves to eat, and his body shows it. Then he meets Red, a medical student who is serious about cycling. Through Red, Doug develops an interest in bicycle touring and racing that changes his attitude about many things. For grades 4-7. 1996.

Olympic Games, DB008775, by Wolfgang Girardi

Survey of the Olympics from 776 B.C. to 1972. Emphasizes the drama and excitement of the 20th-century contests. For grades 5-9. 1972.

Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany, DB097507, by Andrew Maraniss

Recounts the history of first-ever US Olympic basketball team, in the 1936 Summer Games in Germany. Spans from the invention of basketball by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to the events and propaganda surrounding the sport's Olympic debut. Commercial audiobook. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2019.

The Summer Olympics, DB024673, by Caroline Arnold

Describes the beginnings and the organization of the Olympic games and eight main events of the summer games. Simple reading for junior and senior high readers. 1983.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice: the Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, DB098792, by Deborah Riley Draper, Travis Thrasher, and Blair Underwood

Set against the turbulent backdrop of a segregated United States, sixteen black men and two black women are torn between boycotting the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany or participating. Follow five of these athletes, who knew that attending meant representing an America that considered them second-class citizens. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

Berlin 1936: Sixteen Days in August, DB093361, by Oliver Hilmes and Jefferson S. Chase

A German historian examines the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin from the point of view of Nazi leaders, foreign diplomats, journalists, competitors, and ordinary Berliners. Translated from the 2016 German edition. 2018.

The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph, DB119093, by Oksana Masters and Cassidy Randall

Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in the shadow of Chernobyl with the odds stacked against her. She came into the world with one kidney, a partial stomach, six toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep, and no thumbs. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was missing both tibias. Relinquished to the orphanage system by birth parents, salvation came at age seven when American Gay Masters, rescued Oksana from her circumstances. In America, Oksana endured years of operations that included a double leg amputation. Determined to prove herself and fueled by a drive to succeed, Oksana is now considered one of the world's top athletes, and is the recipient of seventeen Paralympic medals, the most of any US athlete of the Winter Games, Paralympic or Olympic. Commercial audiobook. 2023.

Amazing Athletes: An All-star Look at Canada's Paralympians, BRG04485, by Marie-Claude Ouellet, Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott

Though the Paralympics are the third largest sporting event in the world, they don't always get their due. Chantal Petitclerc, Benoît Huot, Alison Levine, Ahmad Zeividavi and many others tell us about their journeys as athletes, challenges they've faced along the way, and insights into the particularities of parasports. Created in collaboration with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Amazing Athletes promotes the Paralympic movement that continues to change perceptions of excellence, diversity, and disability around the world. Profiles athletes from across Canada representing diverse cultural and social backgrounds, from newcomers to veterans in their sports. The portraits are inspiring and positive, and encourage determination, perseverance and doing your best. Includes photos. 2021.

The Watermen: the Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold, DB118959, by Michael Loynd

In the early twentieth century, few Americans knew how to swim, and swimming as a competitive sport was almost unheard of. That is, until Charles Daniels took to the water. On the surface, young Charles had it all, but the scrawny teenager suffered from extreme anxiety. His only source of joy was swimming. But he struggled with technique-until he caught the eye of two coaches determined to build a competitive U.S. swim program. Set in the early days of a rapidly changing twentieth century, The Watermen-a term used at the time to describe men skilled in water sports-tells an engrossing story of grit, of the growth of a major new sport for Americans, and of a young man's determination to excel. 2024.

The Games: A Global History of the Olympics, BR022356, and DB091775, by David Goldblatt

An expert on the sociology of sports looks at the history of the modern Olympic Games. From the founding of the contemporary Olympics in 1896 in Athens through the grand spectacles of more recent years, he stresses the political and social forces that impacted the games. 2016.

Starting in mid-June, patrons will notice a change in how they receive their audio magazines on cartridge.  

All audio magazines on cartridge will now be mailed directly from our library, the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL). To differentiate them from book cartridges, each magazine cartridge will have a small red or green circle sticker on the front and will arrive in a gray mailing case.  

Patrons should disregard the instructions at the beginning of the audio, which will direct them to return the cartridge in a red case and to use the reverse side of mailing card to send the item back. The cases already have our return address sticker on them, so simply removing the mailing card and placing the cartridge back in the container will ensure that the items will be returned to TBBL, just like our audiobooks. The one exception is the Talking Book Topics, which will still be sent out by Potomac Talking Books in a red case and will have their return mailing address sticker on the container. The National Library Service is working on removing that outdated introductory recording from future orders. 

Magazine cartridges will go out weekly. The limit for cartridges is the same as for audiobooks, in that you may have up to three magazine cartridges out at a time, after which you will need to return some of those cartridges to receive more. 

Please note that we will be sending only current magazine issues, so those interested in requesting back issues of magazines should contact us with their specific requests. For questions, call 1-800-342-3688 or email tbbl@nysed.gov. 

We are pleased to let everyone know about a new software update that is available for the Zoomax eReader. The National Library Service (NLS) just released software version 2.1 to the public. This version of the software will add new features such as access to Bookshare for those who have an account, the ability to operate the unit in one-handed mode, and the ability to use a USB keyboard to input usernames and passwords. There are some important bug fixes included, as well.   

Update Your eReader 

There are two ways to update your eReader:  

1. Via a library-provided cartridge, or  
2. over the Internet 

If you do not have access to the Internet and need a cartridge, please contact TBBL, and we would be happy to send you one for updating your Zoomax.  

Below are the instructions for updating via the Internet: 

1. Connect your Zoomax eReader to AC power 
2. From the Zoomax main menu, navigate to device info 
3. Press Enter to select it 
4. Navigate to app update 
5. Press Enter to select it 
6. Navigate to version 2.1 
7. Press S3 to bring up the context menu 
8. Navigate to install 
9. Press Enter to select it and install the update 
10. When the "version installed successfully" message is displayed, navigate to OK and press Enter. In a few seconds, the eReader will restart and you will be at the top of the Main Menu 

One important thing to note about installing the latest Zoomax software update is that an unintended consequence of the update is that the braille type on your device will revert to uncontracted braille.  However, you can go to the Settings menu to change it back to contracted braille.  

From the Main Menu, open Settings by navigating up and down until you reach Settings or press s (dots 2-3-4). When Settings is displayed, press Enter to open it. The third item on the Settings Menu is Braille Settings. There are then 3 categories including “device”. Here you can choose between “contracted” and “uncontracted” for the default setting. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at TBBL, (tbbl@nysed.gov or 1-800-342-3688) and we will do our best to assist you. 

Zoomax Patron Listserv 

If you already belong to the NLS Zoomax Patron Listserv, then you may already know about the availability of this new update.  If you do not subscribe to the Listserv, we encourage you to do so. It is an easy way to find out about any news regarding the Zoomax, including announcements about bug fixes. You can also learn from other Zoomax users or pose your own questions to the community.  

To subscribe to the Zoomax patron listserv, compose an email to the following  address: LISTSERV@listserv.loc.gov. Leave the subject of the message blank. In the body of the message, put the following text: 

subscribe NLS-ZM-EREADERPILOT FirstName LastName  

Be sure to replace the FirstName and LastName placeholders with your first and last name. 

Within a few minutes, you will receive a "Command confirmation request" email with a request confirmation link. Click on this link to complete your subscription request. 

The Summer Reading Program Kicks off on June 24! 

Join us on a Summer Reading Program adventure from June 24 to August 9, 2024! Throughout the summer, the NLSBPD (National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled) will host story times, activities, music, author events, and more! 

The program kicks off on June 24 with a virtual event for all ages. Events will be held online, and while age suggestions are listed for each event, every program is open to all! Please visit the NLS Summer Reading 2024 Program for more information and to register.

Kickoff Event (all ages) 

Monday, June 24, 4:00 PM eastern time 

NLS Director Jason Broughton will kick off this year’s summer reading program with a warm welcome and Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden will delight our young readers with a picture book reading of The Adventures of Marshmallow and Peter (DBC30393) by Peter Heath.

Story time and music by Turtle Dance Music (K-3rd grade) 

Thursday, July 18, 4:00 PM eastern time 

The Turtle Dance Music Man, Matt Mazur, is back! Matt will lead us in singing and dancing and treat our young readers to a reading of Saturday (BR23018, DB98170) by Oge Mora. 

Author Talk: Angeline Boulley with Andrea L. Rogers (YA and Adult) 

Thursday, July 25, 7:00 PM eastern time 

New York Times bestselling author Angeline Boulley will discuss her books Firekeeper’s Daughter (BR24040, DB102762) and Warrior Girl Unearthed (BR25116 in process, DB114761) in conversation with the moderator, the award-winning author Andrea L. Rogers. The recording of this event will be available for two weeks following the talk. 

The Spring 2023 issue of the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library’s Upstate Update is now available! This issue includes information on the new National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled Spanish-Language website.

Subscribe to Upstate Update to stay current on TBBL news and programs. 

Are you a braille reader who would like to own some of your favorite books from the NLS braille collection?

As part of its braille modernization initiative, NLS has launched a new Braille-on-Demand pilot project. This project allows all active TBBL patrons to request and receive 5 hard-copy braille titles per month.

Braille-on-Demand books will not need to be returned. Titles will be limited to any braille title that is currently available on BARD. NLS will print the Braille-on-Demand books from the BARD electronic braille files and mail them directly to patrons in a cardboard mailer.

Fill out the NLS Braille on Demand Request Form to receive monthly books.

For questions, please contact TBBL.

The Winter 2023 issue of the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library’s Upstate Update is now available! This issue includes information about new and exciting initiatives through the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, publication updates, and popular reads.

Subscribe to Upstate Update to stay current on TBBL news and programs. 

The NLS Patron Engagement Section (PES) will host a series of informational sessions through its new Patron Corner. The Patron Corner offers programs and resources to help enhance your library experience. Quarterly sessions share information around a specific topic and provide an opportunity for patrons to learn more about library services directly from NLS staff. The most recent session from December, “Do You Hear What I Hear: The NLS Music Section Is Not Just for Musicians,” highlighted music resources available to all TBBL patrons. Register for upcoming events and enjoy recordings of previous sessions by visiting the NLS Patron Corner.

In addition to the Patron Corner, the NLS Music Section will start hosting a quarterly virtual event where patrons can learn in depth about selected music topics. Beginning in the spring, the quarterly Music Notes Meeting will occur on the fourth Tuesday of the first month of each quarter, at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. The 2023 sessions will be on April 25, July 25, and October 24. Each hour-long Music Notes Meeting will begin with a pre-recorded conversation about a topic covered in the NLS Music Notes blog between the blog author and the Music Section Head. A live question-and-answer session with the blog author will follow. The topic for April 25 is “Time Out for ‘Take Five.’” Music Section Head Juliette Appold will talk with Music Reader Services Librarian Brian McCurdy about this famous piece of music and its relevance to the NLS Music Collection. Does this make you curious? Check out the blog post, "Song Stories: Time Out for “Take Five,”" by Brian McCurdy.

Stay tuned for more information about these programs from the NLS!