 Technology User Group - hands reading an electronic braille reader.
Technology User Group
The next three Technology User Group meetings will be held on:
- Saturday, March 14 - Hable Smartphone Remote Controller
- Saturday, April 11 - Double Tap podcast hosts
- Saturday, May 9 - Advanced Features of Victor Reader Stream 3
All meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and can be accessed by phone or Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 656 203 7293
Call in Number:
1-301-715-8592
Meeting ID: 656 203 7293#
One Tap Mobile:
+13017158592,,6562037293#
 Podcast - microphone on black background
Listen to the latest podcast!
Youth Highlights
Checkmate! The Maryland LBPD Youth Chess Club
The inaugural session of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) Youth Chess Club saw strong initial participation. Two youth, accompanied by their families, joined Coach Marc as he introduced the fundamentals of the game. It may have been the coldest day of the new year, but inside LBPD, youth were warming up as Coach Marc provided an overview of the basics, helping new participants understand board setup, piece movement, and core strategies. The next Chess Club meeting is scheduled for April 25 at 10:30. Come and join us! Register here to be part of the fun for the next Chess Club.
Chess isn't just a game; it's a doorway to new skills, connection, and pure enjoyment! Check out these excellent reading selections from LBPD.
The Queen’s Gambit
Walter Tevis
DBC 17656
Shy, plain Beth Harmon loses her mother at age 8 in Lexington, KY, and is sent to an orphanage. Beth is lonely and unhappy, despite the medications given to the children to keep them manageable. One day, she discovers the janitor playing a strange game in the basement, and they gradually become friends as he teaches her the game of chess. Beth becomes obsessed with the game and, at age 16, is competing in national chess competitions. But while she rises in the ranks of the professional circuit, her personal and emotional life suffers. [Adult Reading Level]
Chess: Beginner to Expert
Larry Evans
DB 10323
An international grandmaster presents a step-by-step technique of learning to play chess. Includes notation, basic openings, game studies, and other advice.
Winning Chess Tactics & Strategies
Ted Nottingham
DB 52571
Presents tactics and techniques for playing this ancient board game. Discusses openings, middlegame and endgame strategies, forks, pins, skewers, and examples from the games of world champions. For grades 5-8 and older readers.
The Middle Game in Chess
Reuben Fine
BR 006029
A world authority turns his talents to the heart of chess, the middle game. Emphasizes developing the ability to analyze a position and to proceed accordingly. Includes sections on mating attacks; combination play; handling superior positions, even positions, and inferior positions; continuation of the openings; and transition to the endgame.
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2026 Virtual Hike: Mexico
The 2026 Virtual Hike invites participants on a month-long, accessible cultural journey through Mexico and Mexican American heritage. Running from April 1, 2026, through April 30, 2026, this virtual experience allows participants to take part in a reading and cultural exploration challenge designed to engage the senses, spark curiosity, and build community.
The hike is open to individuals of all ages!
Learn more about the hike here.
Magazine Highlight
Please contact the library to subscribe to this or any other magazines. The following magazine is also available on BARD.
American Indian
Featuring Native American art and culture, this publication engages readers with diverse articles on the histories of American Indian nations and the contemporary challenges facing Native peoples across the Western Hemisphere. Quarterly via audio.
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Hadley Partnership
The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD), a division of the Maryland State Library Agency (MSLA), is proud to announce a new partnership with Hadley, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources, social connection, and support to individuals experiencing vision loss.
Through this partnership, Maryland LBPD patrons will gain access to Hadley’s wide range of resources at no cost. With Hadley’s on-demand and live services, patrons will have access to daily living skills, recreation, braille education, and employment tools. Hadley also provides its members with a supportive peer community where they can share experiences and insights as they live with vision loss.
Some offerings from Hadley include:
- Daily living courses that cover reading, cooking, orientation & mobility, labels, guide dogs, and more.
- Adjusting to vision loss courses that cover various eye health concerns, seeking medical assistance, and communication tools for families.
- Recreation materials that cover gardening, gaming, birding, sports & exercise, and crafting.
- Technology education courses that cover Android, iOS devices, computers, books & TV, and smart speakers.
- Braille education by touch and by sight.
- Employment skills workshops covering assistive technology, how to talk with employers about low vision and blindness, and how to navigate common software applications.
To gain access to all of Hadley’s free resources, please click on this link. Providing your information will enable Hadley to contact you and tailor services to your needs. If you’re having difficulty navigating the Hadley website, please contact Ashley.Biggs1@maryland.gov (410-230-2430).
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AppleVis.com is where you can learn about new accessible apps for your iDevice. You can also check out a complete list of preferred apps to aid in everyday life. Need help getting started
with your new Apple device? AppleVis can assist with this, too, by helping you become familiarized with your iDevice’s accessibility features and answer many of your initial questions. Visit AppleVis.com to learn more.
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The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc. (MWE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the state of Maryland. MWE provides reading and information services, and training for blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled people who cannot effectively read print, see plays, watch television programs and films, or view museum exhibits.
The Ear’s services are available to anyone qualified as unable effectively to read ordinary print because of visual or physical limitations. To sign up for service, call (301) 681-6636, fax us at (301) 625-1986 or email us at info@washear.org. Be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. You may also use our online application for services at application for services.
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 Collection Highlights
Women’s History
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, by Anika Denise
DB 112410
Nonfiction picture book about the life and legacy of Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. For grades K-3.
Wise Gals: the Spies who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, by Nathalia Holt
DB 113006
In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organization that we now know as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the "wise gals" by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humor and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. Wise Gals sheds light on the untold history of the women whose daring foreign intrigues, domestic persistence, and fighting spirit have been and continue to be instrumental to our country's security.
Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine, by Olivia M. Campbell
DB 112026
In the early 1800s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake fought for a woman's place in the male-dominated medical field. Women in White Coats tells the courageous history these women made by becoming doctors, detailing the boundaries they broke of gender and science to reshape how we receive medical care today.
 Marylandia Updates
U.S. History
September Mourn: the Dunker Hill Church of Antietam, by Alann Schmidt narrated by Susan Rittenhouse
DBC 12477
Dunker Church is one of the most iconic structures of the American Civil War and one of the most notable houses of worship in American military history. On September 17, 1862, during the battle of Antietam, two mighty armies grappled across the rolling hills, fields, and woodlots surrounding Sharpsburg, Maryland. The ensuing combat killed, wounded, or left missing more than 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers. Ironically, the small whitewashed building dedicated to peace, equality, and the brotherhood of man stood in the epicenter of the bloodiest day in American history. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the full story of the monumental battle and the community who lived through it.
Keeping your NLS talking book machine clean helps ensure clear sound, smooth button function, and long-term reliability for patrons. Regular light cleaning also prevents the buildup of dust and debris in high-touch areas. Always turn off and unplug the machine before cleaning.
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Wipe the exterior with a soft, slightly damp cloth (water only); dry immediately with a clean cloth.
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For sticky spots, use a cloth lightly dampened with mild soap and water—never spray liquid directly onto the machine.
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Gently clean around buttons and speaker openings with a dry, soft brush or microfiber cloth.
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Do not use alcohol, bleach, ammonia, aerosol sprays, or abrasive cleaners.
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Never submerge the machine or allow moisture inside ports, jacks, or the cartridge slot.
Collections Connections is an e-newsletter assembled by the staff of the Collections Division of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) to highlight books and resources of diverse interest that NLS patrons can download instantly from BARD, the Braille and Audio Reading Download website.
To sign up, you can use the subscription box below or send your name and email address to the Collection Connections team at connections@loc.gov. (You can also unsubscribe yourself from Collections Connections at any time.)
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