CT Library for Accessible Books Newsletters
Current Newsletter: March and April 2026
CT LAB News
CT LAB Book Club
The next CT LAB book club will meet virtually on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Our selection for April is a nonfiction book, titled The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This title is available as a Talking Book cartridge and from BARD as DB 70661. A summary of the book follows.
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, producing the first continuously replicating human-cell samples for research. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits.
As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.
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 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.
- The Widow by John Grisham. DB 133042
- The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly. DB 133660
- Nash Falls by David Baldacci. DB 133328
- Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child. DB 133326
- Gone Before Goodbye: A Novel by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben. DB 133207
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.
- Unseen: How I Lost My Vision But Found My Voice by Molly Burke. DB 134008
- The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon. DB 13349
- Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. DB133461
- Star of the Show: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton. DB 13356
- 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke and Tal McThenia. DB 133638
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Updates
NLS Digital Advanced (DA2) Player
The free DA2 is the newest player from NLS and offers built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to BARD, Bluetooth connectivity, 28GB internal storage, embedded Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine with TTS voice options, buttons with high-contrast color, braille and print labels for keypad controls, sleep timer, built-in audio instructions, bookshelf feature and audio playback from NLS cartridges and USB thumb drives.
CT LAB has DA2 units available right now. For more information about DA2 units call CT LAB at (860) 704-2220 or toll free for in-state callers at (800) 842-4516.
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, April 3, 2026 – Good Friday
