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In Focus

Summer 2021

News from the BSBP Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL)
702 W. Kalamazoo Street
PO Box 30007
Lansing, MI 48909

Prefer the downloadable version of this newsletter? Check out the PDF version or the Microsoft Word version.

Staff Announcement

Meagan Daniels has joined the BTBL team as our second Adaptive Technology Librarian. Meagan comes to us from the Texas Talking Book program where she worked for 4.5 years as a Reader Consultant/Adaptive Technology Specialist. Prior to moving to Texas, Meagan attended the University of Michigan where she received her Master of Science in Information in 2016 with a specialization in Library Science. Before pursuing her library degree, she worked for BTBL, Oakland Talking Book Service, and the Wayne County Library for the Blind.

Her duties consist of assisting patrons over the phone with book requests, resolving machine issues, and helping patrons with the BARD mobile app on their mobile devices as well as other assistive technologies.

Meagan is a native Michigander and is glad to be back in Michigan where she is closer to family and friends, and farther away from the hot Texas weather. She enjoys adaptive technology because it is always changing, and there are always new things to learn. Meagan says she likes being a librarian because she likes to read and to help others find books that they enjoy reading.

She can be reached at 1-800-992-9012 or danielsm8@michigan.gov.

Technology Corner

There are so many new accessible options for use in your home available, it’s hard to know what is what. Are they useful? Should I spend the money? We did a little research on a few that are of interest to patrons. We also reached out to some current users of these devices, to find out what they thought. This month, we will introduce a few that we like: Nest, iGrill, and Tovala.

Nest is a thermostat that can be made accessible by pairing it with different smart devices, such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, and iDevices. You may also use the Nest app on your smart phone or tablet to control the thermostat. Using an app or your voice, you can control the temperature in your home. Another bonus for this device is that in some areas, you can get energy rebates from your power company. Consumer’s Energy, for instance, is offering up to $50 in rebates. It is well labeled and works well with voiceover, however there is less testing on the Android accessibility.

The Weber iGrill is a device that allows you to measure the temperature of the food you are cooking. Using this Bluetooth Smart grilling thermometer, you'll know when your food is ready from your mobile device. It has a probe that you place in the food. You can choose from several preset temperature alarms or make your own. Though this device works well, and the app is available for both iOS and Android, the price is a bit steep at nearly $75 for a meat thermometer.

Tovala is a meal service and accessible oven combined. All the features on the oven are accessible and the oven’s buttons are tactile. You can select what meals you want from the app, and they will be sent to you. Once they arrive, you scan them, do the less than five-minute prep, and the oven does the rest. It sets temperature and time so that everything is cooked to perfection. One of our patrons says it is a great system and generally accessible through the app. However, it is $11.99 for each single serving meal so it may not work well for the whole family.

Youth Interest

Youth Summer Reading Program Ends

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. This year BTBL had 27 individual youth participants, and more than 20 campers with the collaboration of Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind summer camp. The creativity shown in the construction and writing contests blew the BTBL staff away, and to our avid readers out there--keep it up! The randomly drawn grand prize winners this year are: Elijah E., Skyler C., Dakota R. and Elizabeth S.! To read one of the essays submitted, see page 13!

School Accounts

If you are a teacher for the visually impaired, special education teacher, or other interested school staff member, please consider joining us for one of our back-to-school Zoom meetings. We will discuss school account recertification, new eligibility changes, and BARD downloading. This will be a good refresher for returning teachers, as well as for those who are new to helping students with BTBL service. Currently, we have two Zoom sessions scheduled:
• August 19 from 1 - 2 p.m.
• September 22 from 4 - 5 p.m. (make-up session, if enough staff are interested)
Email turnerb9@michigan.gov for the Zoom link details.

Print-Braille Board Books

BTBL has a collection of print-braille board books available only to our Michigan patrons! If you have a child learning braille, these books can be fun for the whole family. Braille-reading adults can also share stories with sighted children, as these books have bright and colorful pictures that are sure to capture children’s attention. From “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” to “Five Stinky Socks,” these are stories families are sure to love.

BTBL Calendar 

BTBL Club Info

Clubs are currently virtual only. Computer and Book Club meet the second Saturday of the month at 10:30 and 1:30, respectively. Club dates are always subject to change, especially around the holidays.

As always, you may join our clubs by dialing 1-888-278-0296 and entering the access code 5836578. Or you can also now join meetings via Zoom by contacting the library to request the meeting invite.

BTBL Calendar of Events:

Aug. 17:  Network Meeting, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. We will not be available at this time to take your calls due to staff training. Feel free to leave a voicemail message or call back in the afternoon for assistance.

Aug. 19:  Back-to-BTBL Zoom for Teachers, 1 - 2 p.m. – Alternative date and time available. See page 4 for more details.

Sept. 6: Labor Day – Library closed for the holiday.

Sept. 11: Technology Club – Tovala smart oven presented by Kellie Blackwell of MI Disability Rights Coalition/MI AT program

Sept. 11: Book Club – Book Smackdown, tell us about a book you read over the summer

Oct. 9: Technology Club – iOS update presented by Al Puzzuoli and “What things you can say to Alexa” presented by Jim Nuttall

Oct. 9: Book Club – TBA

Oct. 21:   Consumer Involvement Committee (CIC) Meeting – This call is open to all patrons. We encourage your participation! Use the dial-in information listed above, and join us from 1-2:30 p.m.

Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day – Library closed for the holiday.

Nov. 20: Technology Club – Holiday Shopping presented by J.J. Meddaugh of AT Guys

Nov. 20: Book Club – TBA

Nov. 25-26: Thanksgiving break – Library closed for the holiday.

Michigan Books

These new Michigan-related novels in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) general collection are all available on digital cartridge or for download from the NLS online Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) database: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/

DB103463 - Dead of Winter by Stephen Mack Jones - When the dying owner of Authentico Foods calls Detroit ex-cop August Snow to a business meeting, August isn’t expecting to be asked to buy the business. August isn’t interested in the purchase but wants to know who is blackmailing the owner to sell it to them. Sequel to August Snow (DB87398) and Lives Laid Away (DB94769). Violence. Commercial audiobook. 2021. (8h 33m)

DB100828 - Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall - Joseph "Ziggy" Johnson spends his time through the Great Depression to after World War II as the gossip columnist for Detroit’s African American newspaper and emcee for one of the hottest nightclubs in the Black Bottom neighborhood. On his death bed, he compiles Black Bottom’s list of saints. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020. (12h 22m)

DB100112/ BR23300 - Malorie by Josh Malerman - Twelve years after Malorie and her children rowed up the river to safety, a blindfold is still the only thing that stands between sanity and madness. Now Malorie is shocked to learn loved ones she thought dead are still alive. Sequel to Bird Box (DB79311/ BR21868). Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2020. (8h 47m)

DB 100103 - The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman - When Abby and her family move in next door to Iris, neither is expecting the other to change their lives. Iris was widowed during World War II, and Abby’s husband deals with trauma from Iraq. As they interact, secrets of their lives come to light. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020. (11h 29m)

Patron Book Picks

This issue’s Picks feature recommendations from BTBL patrons! You can recommend a book to other library patrons for a future InFocus newsletter by emailing your short review to btbl@michigan.gov or calling the library to share your thoughts and have us write it up for you. Call a BTBL Reader Advisor at 800-992-9012.

DB48415 – Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh. Lord Peter Wimsey, newly married to Harriet Vane, investigates the murder of a beautiful young woman. Theatrical producer Laurence Harwell’s wife, Rosamund, has been found strangled. Wimsey must sort through the alibis of a painter, an infatuated poet, and several blackmailers, among others, to determine the actual killer. The mystery was begun by Sayers in 1936 and recently finished by Walsh. 1998.

“The Lord Wimsey and Harriet Vane series contains at least 20 books. It is an example of a great English writer where it is the language and the writing that gets you.”– Wayne N., BTBL Patron

DBC18160 –The Prodigal Daughter by Ginna Gray. When Harvard-educated supermodel Maggie Malone returns to her hometown of Ruby Falls, Texas, after a seven-year absence, she finds that nothing has changed: the citizens of Ruby Falls still can’t forget that she was once the town’s "wild child." After considerable argument, her ailing father grudgingly agrees to let Maggie step into his shoes in the family’s failing business. Some descriptions of sex. 2000.

“This book has it all: Romance, a little bit of violence, along with some mystery, and some family drama. I absolutely loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. There are a number of twists and turns in the story that will keep you listening all the way to the end. The book was recorded in Texas and the narrator is excellent and suits the book well. Happy reading everyone!” – Carrie C., BTBL Patron

DB101866 – Keep Sharp: How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta. Neurosurgeon debunks myths about aging and cognitive decline, explores whether there's a "best" diet or exercise regimen for the brain, and discusses whether it's healthier to play video games that test memory and processing speed, or to engage in more social interaction. Addresses brain disease, particularly Alzheimer’s. Includes a twelve-week program of brain-strengthening strategies. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2021.

“I normally do not recommend books to read (it's just not my thing). However, as a visually impaired, two-time brain surgery patient, I am recommending this book to EVERYONE. In my opinion, this book is the bible for brain health...and your overall health. I gained important information about protecting the brain--exercise, diet, sleep, living a life with purpose, etc. The audio book is narrated by Dr. Gupta in a listener-friendly tone that is easy to understand. Excellent book. Ten stars!” – Nadine M., BTBL Patron

DB97349 – A Sister’s Secret by Cydney Rax. In the four years since the loss of their mother Greta, the Reeves sisters have been meeting bi-monthly to keep their family connected, especially for youngest sister, Elyse. Now nineteen, a secret of Elyse’s threatens to tear the sisters even further apart. Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

“This book captures the true relationship of sisters--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Each sister has a different life that is drama-filled and family-oriented. The layered characters allow each sister to relate to each other's different life experiences and relationships. This book really reflects what today's women are going through.” – Delphine J., BTBL Patron

DB70523 - I, Sniper: Bob Lee Swagger series by Stephen Hunter. The FBI suspects Vietnam-era sniper Carl Hitchcock murdered four aging leaders of the 1960s antiwar movement. When Hitchcock is found dead during the investigation, they ask retired sniper Bob Lee Swagger for insight. Swagger believes Hitchcock was innocent and hunts for the real culprit. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2009.

“The strong character, Bob Lee Swagger, keeps bringing me back to this series. The author does a great job of describing the ballistics details and action sequences.” – Scott N., BTBL Patron

BTBL News

90th Celebration and the History of Michigan BTBL

You may have heard the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) turned 90 this year, but do you know the history behind our very own Michigan network?

On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed into law the Pratt-Smoot Act establishing NLS and the nationwide network of libraries. At that time, nineteen libraries were chosen across the United States to circulate books, two of which were established in Michigan; one served Wayne County, and the other served the rest of Michigan from its location in Saginaw.

Since that time, we have seen many moves and name changes. In 1963, the Michigan State Library for the Blind was moved from Saginaw to Lansing. In the 1970s, the program expanded with the development of subregional libraries, local libraries designated to provide library service to the blind and handicapped in a specified part of the regional library's service area. The first to open were Traverse City and Ann Arbor, followed by 11 other locations within a decade, most of which are still operational to this day as Advisory and Outreach Centers (AOCs)!

In 2009, BTBL service moved from the Library of Michigan administration to the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (formerly the Michigan Commission for the Blind), which is still our parent agency to this day.

Foreign Language Collection

Thanks to the Marrakesh Treaty, NLS is now adding more foreign language books to the catalog than ever before. To help both patrons and network libraries locate these titles, NLS is pleased to announce a new online publication: Foreign Language Quarterly (FLQ).  FLQ, which will be posted on the NLS website every three months, will feature a selection of the most popular foreign language titles recently added to the NLS collection. The FLQ page will also feature a Print button that will generate a printer-friendly version for the convenience of users.

The inaugural FLQ issue features 84 books in seven languages. NLS is especially excited to have added the original Arabic of Ahmad Sa’dawi’s award-winning novel, Frankenstein in Baghdad (DBG16527), via Marrakesh. Other highlights include converted commercial versions of some classics in Mandarin Chinese—like Great Expectations (DB102079), The Great Gatsby (DB102077), and The Godfather (DB102078)—and, in Spanish, the 2020 Alfaguara prizewinner, Saving the Fire (DB102055) by Guillermo Arriaga Jordan.

Around the State

The following programs may be offered only to patrons within the counties served for each library location. To find out if a program is available to you, refer to the library listings on page 14 or call the location in question to verify.

Talking Book Library @ Traverse Area District Library
610 Woodmere Ave, Traverse City, MI 49686
1-877-931-8558

Office Hours and Staff. Currently, our office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm. Also, please welcome Anita Chouinard to the TADL Talking Book Library! She will take over when Polly O’Shea moves to a new position in the youth department in late August. 

Support Groups. The Traverse City Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) group meets monthly. Contact Melinda Hollands at 231-590-0986 or mhollandstc@gmail.com for more information. This is a very active group that is interested in getting out and exploring pertinent topics and trends. The Cadillac Area Low Vision group has returned, meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at the Wexford County Council on Aging, 10-11 a.m. Contact Connie Payne at 231-779-0149.

TADL’s Dial-a-Story. Dial 231-642-8385 to listen to local poets and authors reading their own works. Call any time of day and press 2 for adult readers. Then decide if you want to hear a poem or tidbit of a story. Enjoy! 

Oakland Talking Book Service @ Rochester Hills Public Library
500 Olde Towne Rd, Rochester, MI 48307
1-800-774-4542

Book groups by phone. Looking for an opportunity to discuss great books and network with other Oakland Talking Book Service patrons? Consider joining one of our book discussion groups. One meets on the first Monday of the month, the other on the second Wednesday of the month, and both are currently meeting remotely. If you have questions about our book discussion groups or would like to receive one or more of the books, call 248-650-5681.

Macomb Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped @ CMPL
40900 Romeo Plank, Clinton Township, MI 48038
1-855-203-5274

Book Discussion Group by Phone. We have a book discussion group by phone on the first Monday of every month (excluding holidays) for Macomb County residents. If you would like to join in the discussion, we will distribute the audiobook to you a few weeks prior to the discussion date. Registration for these discussions is required. If you would like to join in on our fun and informal discussion, please call the library at 586-‑286-1580 for more details.

Vision Network Group. Connecting with other people who have vision issues can be a good way to realize you are not alone with your daily challenges. The Macomb Library for the Blind hosts a Vision Network Group by phone on the third Monday of every month for Macomb County residents. The phone meeting is moderated by our facilitator, Marie, and for 90 minutes, the group discusses issues that people with vision challenges face daily. Callers share solutions and experiences with one another in a friendly and informal environment. If you would like more details, please call the library at 586-‑286-1580.

Story Phone. We have partnered with our host library, the Clinton ‑Macomb Public Library, to create a new phone option that you are welcome to try. It is called Story Phone for Grown-Ups. Just call 586-‑226-‑5006 to hear short stories, poems, excerpts and more. To hear a story, press 4 for the Story Phone for Grown-Ups option. Options will change weekly and will be read by our storytelling team. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Genesee District Library Talking Book Center
G-4195 W. Pasadena Ave, Flint, MI 48504
1-866-732-1120

Call or Email. Please call the Talking Book Center for book requests and questions! We are 100% open and looking forward to your visit or phone call. Call 810-732-1120 or email tbc@thegdl.org for assistance.

Braille and Talking Books @ Taylor Community Library
12303 Pardee Rd, Taylor, Michigan 48180
1- 844-307-1621

In-Person Programming is back starting this September!

• Audio Described Movie Days return every 1st Wednesday of the month at 12 - 2 p.m. Watch the newest and best in cinema with descriptive audio tracks enabled.
• Brown Bag Book Discussion. Meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 12 p.m. Please call for titles.
• Visually Impaired People's (VIP) Support Group. Meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at 12 p.m.
• Remote Access to BTB events will remain available via conference call. Call: 712-775-7031, Access Code: 965803 or online at bit.ly/TCLbtbcall 

Library for Assistive Media and Talking Books (St. Clair County)
210 McMorran Blvd, Port Huron, MI 48060
1-800-272-8570

5K with the Blue Water League of the Blind.  On September 18, the Blue Water League of the Blind welcomes all to a 5K benefit that will help fund the purchase of a HumanWare 120 Juliet braille embosser for the LAMTB service of the St. Clair County Library System. This printer will be able to produce text in braille for hospitals, schools, places of worship, businesses, nonprofits, or any interested party that may need braille.

The 5K Walk, Run, and Roll event encourages those of all ages and abilities to participate in a fun-run in the great outdoors. It will take place on Saturday, September 18 and begin at 10:00 am, at the Fort Gratiot Pond Park, located on Parker Road between Keewahdin and Carrigan Roads in Fort Gratiot (also known as the field behind Meijer). To volunteer, please contact either LAMTB or Bob Furtado, Vice President of Blue Water League of the Blind at bobthebrailler@yahoo.com or (810) 334-0512.

With a new embosser, we will be able to make braille available for anyone in our service area, so feel free to forward your requests to LAMTB. We will also have our new newsletter available in braille. We are looking to have this set up by the end of 2021.

Detroit Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
3666 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208
1-313-481-1702

Closed to the Public. The Douglass Branch's LBPH Department is currently closed to the public.  Detroit LBPH staff are available to answer phone calls and take orders for talking books and other materials.  Currently, there is no proposed date for re-opening the branch to the public.

Phone Book Club. Join us by phone on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 1 -2:30 p.m.  Two books are discussed at each Book Club phone meeting.  More programming is coming soon!

Great Lakes Talking Books
1615 Presque Isle, Marquette, MI 49855
1-800-562-8985

Grand Opening Celebration! Join us for the grand opening celebration of the Victoria E. Wolf recording booth on Monday, September 27th from 5-7 pm at the Peter White Public Library, Heritage Room. The recording booth is shared with the Peter White Public Library to provide a free community resource to meet public audio recording needs.

The grand opening is a pre-conference event for the 2021 Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan Libraries (UPRLC) Annual Conference. UPRLC works to improve library services in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. Please call 1-906-228-7697, ext. 0 (Toll Free 1-800-562-8985, ext.0) for more information.

Recording Studio Updates. Our first locally recorded and produced book, DBC 19551, The Last Northwoods Reader by Cully Gage, narrated by Mark Hamari, is now available for download on BARD. Marquette native Mark Hamari co-owns Marquette Wallpaper & Paint with his brother Darryl. He is a member of several local bands including The Union Suits and the Marquette Rockestra. He lives in town with his wife T. and their dog Taika. He hopes patrons enjoy listening to the book as much as he enjoyed narrating it.

Writing Contest Entry

My Pet Lioness
By Dakota R. (age 15)

One day my mom and I went to the zoo to visit the animals.  My favorite animals are the lions and lionesses.  I love to hear them say “Roarrrrrr”.  I sit and listen to them for hours.  But this day was different because one of the lionesses escaped from her enclosure, followed us to our van and jumped into the back.  We didn’t know she was there until we got home.  We quickly took her back to the zoo but she kept escaping and running back to our house.  The zoo director decided that we could keep her as a pet since she wouldn’t stop running away.  So we named her Ms. Jody and welcomed her into our home.

I love cats of all kinds and had 3 housecats already.  We live in a ranch style house with a basement, upstairs and a medium-sized fenced in yard.  Our housecats are indoor/outdoor cats so I wanted to let my new lioness be able to go outside too.  Unfortunately, we live in a quiet neighborhood in the city and our neighbors were not very happy about having a lioness living next door.  We had to build a 20 foot fence around our backyard so everyone would feel safe. 

I wanted Ms. Jody to be happy so I thought about what our housecats like to do for fun and exercise.  They love playing with yarn and balls and climbing on high furniture and cardboard boxes.  Ms. Jody is much bigger than our other cats so she was bored using their small toys.  I bought a thick long rope instead of the yarn.  I gave her basketballs to bat around.  The cat trees were too small so we built her a big, tall treehouse in the backyard.  We saved large furniture boxes for her to play in. 

I quickly realized that we had more problems.  Where would Ms. Jody go to the bathroom?  Our litter boxes are too small.  So we bought a plastic kiddie pool and filled it with litter and put it in our basement.  I hate scooping poop so I gave that job to my mommy.  I know that lionesses love to eat raw meat but that cost lots of money and is gross.  Instead, I will feed Ms. Jody a box of cat food 3 times a day and give her a raw steak for a snack.

We love having Ms. Jody as our pet.  It’s lots of hard work but it’s fun too.  Sometimes we take her to the zoo to have play dates with her other lion friend.

Michigan Talking Book Libraries

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Braille and Talking Book Library
1-800-992-9012
Counties served: Alcona, Allegan, Arenac, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Emmet, Gladwin, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Iosco, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lake, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Mason, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, Shiawassee, Saint Joseph, Van Buren

Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled @ AADL 1-734-327- 4224
Counties served: Washtenaw

Great Lakes Talking Books
1-800-562-8985
Counties served: Alger, Alpena, Baraga, Chippewa, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft

Oakland Talking Book Service @ RHPL
1-800-774- 4542
Counties served: Oakland

Genesee District Talking Book Center
1- 866-732-1120
Counties served: Genesee

Kent District Library Talking Book and Braille Center
1-616-784-2007
Counties served: Ionia, Kent, Montcalm

Traverse Area District Library & Talking Book Library
1- 877-931- 8558
Counties served: Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford

Library for Assistive Media and Talking Books (St. Clair County)
1- 800-272-8570
Counties served: Huron, Saint Clair, Sanilac, Tuscola

Muskegon Area District Library for the Visually and Physically Disabled
1-231-737-6310, 1-877-569-4801
(Ottawa) Counties served: Muskegon, Ottawa

Macomb Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped @ CMPL
1-586-286-1580
Counties served: Macomb

Braille and Talking Books @ Taylor Community Library
1-734-287- 4840
Serving Wayne County

Detroit Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
1-313- 481-1702
Serving cities of Detroit and Highland Park

Library of Michigan Foundation

By making a gift to the Library of Michigan Foundation, donors can help the BSBP Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) better serve thousands of Michigan residents statewide who are visually impaired or have other disabilities. Donors may also opt to provide for the Library of Michigan Foundation in their wills. By doing so, donors are able to make a larger gift than what might be possible during their lifetime, become eligible to receive tax benefits, and enjoy recognition and thanks now for their planned charitable contributions later. To make a gift of support, please send a check to the Library of Michigan Foundation, P.O. Box 11027, Lansing, MI 48901, or contact Darlene at 517-335-1488.

The Library of Michigan Foundation is a non-profit organization which offers financial support to the BSBP Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) program.

If you would like to receive future mailings and information from the Library of Michigan Foundation, please sign below and return to:

Library of Michigan Foundation
P.O. Box 11027 Lansing, MI 48901

The Braille and Talking Book Library provides library services for individuals unable to use standard print materials. 

You may reach BTBL by:
Phone: 800-992-9012 (toll free)
Fax: 800-726-7323 (toll free)
Email: BTBL@michigan.gov
Web: Michigan.gov/BTBL
BARD: NLSBARD.loc.gov (to download digital books)

The In Focus newsletter is made possible by your generous donations to the Library of Michigan Foundation. The Braille and Talking Book Library is part of the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons.