CT Library for Accessible Books Newsletters
Current Newsletter: July and August 2026
CT LAB News
CT LAB Book Club
The next CT LAB book club will meet virtually on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Our selection is a fiction book, titled The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. This title is available as a Talking Book cartridge and from BARD as DB129518. A summary of the book follows. One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink. Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong’s writing – formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness – are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance. Please register for the book club by calling Paula McLean at (860) 704-2216 or (800) 842-4516. Participants will receive the Zoom meeting link or dial in phone number approximately one week before the book club meeting.
Most Popular Books on BARD
Most Popular Fiction Books on BARD
Note: The books listed below are the most popular fiction books on BARD within the last thirty days. All titles are available on BARD and can be sent on a Talking Book Cartridge.
- Theo of Golden: A Novel by Allen Levi. DB131887
- It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica. DB136531
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. DB103718
- Judge Stone: A Novel by Viola Davis and James Patterson. DB136049
- The Crossroads by C. J. Box. DB136427
Most Popular Nonfiction Books on BARD
Note: The books listed below are the most popular nonfiction books on BARD within the last thirty days. All titles are available on BARD and can be sent on a Talking Book Cartridge.
- Goodbye to Inflammation: Your All-Natural Plan to Reclaim Health, Lose Weight, and Feel Better Than Ever by Sandra Moñino. DB136316
- Complete Spanish Step-By-Step: The Fastest Way to Achieve Spanish Mastery by Barbara Bregstein. DB136572
- Mysteries of the National Parks: 35 Stories of Baffling Disappearances, Unexplained Phenomena, and More by Mike Bezemek. DB136924
- Acupressure Points Handbook: A Patient's Guide to the Locations and Functions of Over 400 Acupuncture Points by Deborah Bleecker. DB133366
- Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan. DB135286
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Updates
2026 NLS Summer Reading Program
Registration for the 2026 NLS Summer Reading Program, presented in partnership with Braille Institute Library, is officially open! The program runs for nine weeks from June 15 through August 11. Visit the NLS Summer Reading Program for more information and registration.
This year's theme is Unearth a Story — an invitation to explore the histories, landscapes, and voices hidden just beneath the surface of the world around us. At the heart of this year's programming is a deep focus on the National Parks Service and America's public lands, woven throughout an exploration of ecology, environment and stewardship; human stories embedded in place; and the role of science, observation and memory in how we understand the world around us.
This year features two exciting ways to participate.
Webinars
Join live conversations over Zoom with authors, artists, national park rangers, and other compelling voices. One of the authors that will be joining us is Peter Heller, the author of The Dog Stars (DB075493), which is being released in August as a major motion picture directed by Academy Award-winning director Ridley Scott.
- The Summer Reading Program 2026 Kickoff event on Monday, June 15 at 4 pm ET.
- The rest of the webinar sessions will be held every other Tuesday at 4 pm ET, starting June 16.
- Register once to access the entire series.
Register online via Zoom for the 2026 NLS Summer Reading Program. Please note that Zoom's registration page requires an email address.
If you do not have an email address, register by calling toll-free 888-245-2471 to leave a voicemail with your information, and Braille Institute Library staff will register you.
Narrated Soundscapes
A truly special collaboration between Braille Institute Library, National Parks Service Rangers, Library of Congress sound designers and select NLS network librarians who narrated their own state's episode. Narrated Soundscapes take you on pre-recorded, immersive audio journeys through the landscapes of four national parks, with narration provided by some of the NLS's own network library staff. A new Soundscape drops on Braille Institute Library's Summer Reading Program page every other Monday starting June 22 — once posted, each one stays available so you can explore at your own pace. No registration required — just hit play whenever you're ready.
BARD Express Turns Two!
Released in the summer of 2024, BARD Express turns two this season. BARD Express transforms a PC computer into a talking book player, allowing downloaded NLS audiobooks and magazines from BARD to play directly on the PC computer. Within BARD Express, users can adjust the narration speed; jump to navigation points such as part, chapter, and article; create bookmarks; and much more.
To learn more, visit Welcome to BARD Express.
Sign-Up for Collections Connections
Do you need summer reading ideas? Sign up for Collections Connections! Collections Connections is a monthly e-newsletter from NLS highlighting a diverse range of titles available for download in BARD. Each month focuses on a particular theme and spotlights books that are newly available on BARD. It also comes with a quarterly audio supplement that takes readers on a deeper dive into that month’s theme.
To receive Collections Connections by email, please send a request to connections@loc.gov.
To explore previous editions, visit Collections Connections.
Upcoming NLS Programs
Get to Know the Many Faces of BARD
NLS staff members offer tips, answer questions, and demonstrate new features of BARD, the BARD Mobile app, and BARD Express each month during The Many Faces of BARD. This online event is open to all patrons and is held at 7 p.m. eastern time on the second Thursday of every month.
Get program details, login information, and recordings of previous programs at the Many Faces of BARD web page.
That All May eRead Program
NLS presents a monthly program called That All May eRead on Zoom. This program, scheduled monthly for the last Tuesday night of each month, focuses on using the NLS Braille eReaders. Each session begins with a brief demonstration of a feature or use case. The rest of the hour is spent answering patron questions about any aspect of the Zoomax or HumanWare Braille eReaders. Get program details and access recordings of previous programs at the That All May eRead web page.
Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker
NLS presents a monthly program called Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker. This program, held on the third Thursday of each month, focuses on assisting patrons using the My Talking Books skill on their smart speaker. Get program details and access recordings of previous programs at the Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker web page.
Connect with CT LAB
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Phone: 860-704-2220 or 800-842-4516 (toll free in state only)
Email: csl.AccessibleBooks@ct.gov
Mailing Address: 786 South Main St., Middletown, CT 06457
Upcoming CT LAB Holiday Closings
Friday, July 3, 2026 – Independence Day observed
Monday, September 7, 2026 - Labor Day
