Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

MSLA Logo

Library for the Blind and Print Disabled

Welcome Morgan Miller!

The Maryland State Library Agency welcomed Morgan Lehr Miller as the new State Librarian on June 26, 2024.  Miller joins MSLA after serving as Executive Director of the Cecil County Public Library, and follows in the footsteps of Irene Padilla, who retired at the end of June after twenty-two years of state service.  MSLA includes the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled.  

Morgan began her professional career in the publishing sector before joining the Cecil County Public Library as Adult Services Library Associate in 2005. She spent the following years working her way up through the library system, eventually becoming Executive Director in 2016. Among the highlights of her work as Executive Director is the construction of a new 43,000-square-foot library branch and administrative headquarters for the Cecil County Public Library in North East.  Morgan also served as President of the Maryland Library Association in 2020-2021 and was a strong supporter of the Freedom to Read Act, passed by the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Wes Moore in April 2024.  

Irene leaves a legacy of growing the Maryland State Library Agency’s role in supporting the library community across the state.  Among the highlights of her career was the creation of the MSLA as an independent state agency in 2017 and the passage of the Freedom to Read Act in 2024.  She was given a distinguished service award by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in 2017 for her support of LBPD and its patrons throughout her tenure as State Librarian. 

Please join LBPD in congratulating Irene on her retirement and welcoming Morgan as our new State Librarian.

Collection Highlights

Done and Dusted, by Lyla Sage

DB 120230

For the first time in her life, Clementine "Emmy" Ryder has no idea what she's doing. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape. Luke Brooks is Meadowlark's most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. As Emmy's older brother's best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It's been years since he's seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can't take his eyes off her. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?

The Excitements, by CJ Wray

DB 119517

Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. This time it's a trip to Paris to receive an award for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.

Happy Place, by Emily Henry

BR 24897 ; DB 114742

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. Except, they broke up five months ago. And still haven't told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group's yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they'll all have together in this place. They can't stand to break their friends' hearts, and so they'll play their parts. It's a flawless plan. After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week...in front of those who know you best?

Marylandia Updates

Watermen, by Randall S. Peffer, narrated by Pat Higgins Adelhardt

DBC 12572

For three hundred years, generations of Tilghman Islanders have lived by harvesting the waters of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. They are watermen, an old English term for commercial fishermen, and their lives today retain much of the spirit and simplicity that characterized their land's first Anglo-Saxon settlers. "Watermen" is the story of their lives told by Randy Peffer, a young writer who came to Tilghman Island to search for his ancestral roots and left a year later with the makings of this book.

For Adults

Two Great Programs

1. Summer Reading Challenge: The 2024 Summer Reading Challenge is here. "Adventure Begins at Your Library!" Adults and youth who read and attend events this summer will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge here: https://msla.maryland.gov/Pages/LBPD-Summer-Reading-Challenge.aspx 
2. Virtual Hike Through the Appalachian Trail: This summer, read, walk, or hike through Western Maryland's Appalachian Trail - virtually! Attend programs, read great books, complete virtual activities, and you could win a great prize! Learn more about the Virtual Hike here: https://msla.maryland.gov/Pages/Virtual-Hike-Through-the-Appalachian-Trail.aspx

Accessible exhibit

Founding Fossils, on view May-December 2024 at the Peale, 225 Holiday Street, Baltimore Maryland.

Maggie Colangelo and Dr. Bernard Means published "Founding Monsters", an innovative comic book about the surprising role that archaeology played in the politics and understanding of species extinction at the dawn of the United States. Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, a Baltimore-based archaeologist and accessibility consultant joined forces with Means and Colangelo to make the art and stories of these graphic novellas accessible to a wider audience. The “Founding Fossils” exhibition reproduces the artwork and the fossils collected by early American leaders in a 3D-printed format so that they can be touched. The exhibit includes framed pictures and tactile objects with both print and braille labels. QR-codes can be scanned to load an audio tour onto your smartphone via the Smartify app. Visit https://www.thepeale.org/exhibition-founding-fossils/ for more details about the exhibit.

Youth Highlights

Summer Fun Has Begun!  "Adventure Begins at Your Library" Summer Reading Challenge

Join us on Zoom for the 2024 National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) kickoff programs! NLS Director Jason Broughton will open the Summer Reading Program with welcoming remarks, followed by Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, who will read a children’s book for our young participants. Afterward, we will have fun singing and moving to the music provided by Matt Mazur of Turtle Dance Music. Sign up now: https://loc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_czrEzNhES5ewZbdGeEg9lA.

Are you looking for a book to read? Try your luck with our reading adventure game “Escape from the Library: Can you find something to read?” Make choices, answer questions, and get book recommendations from librarians! School Age and Young Adult Readers Game Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem6kkbJG8HfEo9qJYKSWD6gUwDJYTKX_gFrYRuhSzcl1C5Rg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Take a virtual hike with other LBPD travelers as we explore several National Parks from the Wilderness Inquiry. You can join the adventure in person or virtually. Coffee and doughnuts will be served for LBPD participants who attend in person. Each adventure is a one-hour virtual presentation. Chat with other adventurers as you snack on doughnuts and sip warm coffee. All in-person events will be held at (LBPD) 415 Park Avenue, Baltimore.

Our first adventure is to Yellowstone National Park. Within Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, visitors observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. 

Yellowstone National Parks Virtual Hike Time: Jul 8, 2024 11:00 AM Eastern Time Zoom Link:https://marylandlibraries.zoom.us/j/96286195864?pwd=4nqPOaqlNPEBDP94I2ubxqdsQjh5un.1

Meeting ID: 962 8619 5864

Passcode: 840119

One tap mobile+13017158592,,96286195864#,,,,*840119# US (Washington DC)+12678310333,,96286195864#,,,,*840119# US (Philadelphia)

Dial by your location• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)• +1 267 831 0333 US (Philadelphia)

Technology User Group Meetings

The next three Technology User Group meetings will be held on:

• Saturday, July 13-  iOS Games
• Saturday, August 10 - TV Apps and Streaming
• Saturday, September 14 - BISM

All meetings begin at 10:00 a.m., and can be accessed by either calling in or via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://marylandlibraries.zoom.us/j/6562037293

Meeting ID: 656 203 7293

Call in Number:

Latest Podcast

Enjoy our latest podcast:

Contact the Library

Telephone: 410-230-2424

Email: reference.desk@maryland.gov

Website: https://msla.maryland.gov/Pages/LBPD.aspx