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SEPTEMBER 2025
News from the Michigan Braille and Talking Book Library
New Circulation System – What it means for patrons
On Monday, September 8, BTBL switched circulations systems. We are working hard to ensure minimal impact on service to our patrons, and we thank you for your understanding and patience while we learn this new system. To accommodate this, we have updated our phone hours and can now serve patrons Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., or in our lobby by appointment.
Most of the changes impact BTBL staff and behind the scenes work only. However, we do encourage patrons to call if they notice a difference in the type or amount of books being received. We welcome patron calls and want to ensure that you continue to receive the same great service on our new platform!
Representative Scholten’s Recognition
On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Representative Hillary J. Scholten addressed the House of Representatives to congratulate the Kent District Library’s Talking Book & Braille Center for becoming the 2025 Advisory and Outreach Center of the Year awarded by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS).
Photo Caption: Rep. Scholten (left) presents a proclamation to Library staff Shelley Roossien (right).
This award recognizes libraries that excel in providing accessible reading materials and services to those with visual, physical, or print disabilities. Representative Scholten highlighted many of KDL’s Talking Book & Braille Center achievements in her speech as well as thanking them for their outstanding service. BTBL would like to echo that sentiment and congratulate KDL on a job well done! Below is a short excerpt directly from Representative Scholten’s speech:
“KDL has incorporated numerous accessible resources, including video magnifiers, adaptive gaming controllers, and wearable artificial-vision devices. Additionally, they have introduced LEGO Braille Brick kits in both English and Spanish. KDL is a pillar of our community, year after year, their commitment to academic excellence and innovative programming has helped generations of children and adults to reach their full potential. Their Talking Book & Braille Center has long been a vital resource for West Michiganders who are often underserved in traditional library systems. I am incredibly proud that our very own Kent District Library has set the gold standard. On behalf of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, congratulations to those at the Kent District Library’s Talking Book & Braille Center who continue to maintain a strong dedication to serving readers with disabilities. This Center has touched the lives of over 750 children and adults across our state. Today and every day, we thank this institution for its lasting impact on our West Michigan community.”
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Local Recording Studio Updates
We are excited to announce new locally recorded books are available on BARD or through the mail on cartridge. These titles were recorded and edited right in our Lansing recording studio with the help of dedicated volunteers.
How it happens by Jean Alicia Elster (DBC16225). Born in Tennessee in 1890, Dorothy May was the middle daughter of Addie Jackson, a married African-American housekeeper at one of the white boardinghouses in town, and Tom Mitchell, a commanding white attorney from a prominent family. Through three successive generations of African-American women, Elster intertwines the fictionalized adaptations of the defining periods and challenges race relations, miscegenation, sexual assault, and class divisions in her family's history. Some strong language. For High School and Adult.
Tallulah: Mermaid of the Great Lakes by Denise Brennan-Nelson (DBC16226). Tallulah doesn't look like the other young mermaids living in the ocean. Her tail is a dull gray. And when all the other mermaids go on a quest to find the special gemstones that make their tails sparkle with color, Tallulah doesn't find her gemstone at all. When Turtle suggests that Tallulah searches the Great Lakes she is eager to give it a try, even though the other sea creatures believe mermaids don't belong in lakes. Tallulah explores the Great Lakes from north to south and east to west, until she finds a beautiful Petoskey stone and she realizes that she is finally exactly where she belongs. For grades 3-6. 2015.
Send Unused Equipment Back
Do you have old equipment that you are no longer using? Please return it to us free of charge using USPS. We can mail or email you a return label or box to make this process easier. Please reach out to the library with questions, or to request your return label at btbl@michigan.gov or 1-800-992-9012.
BARD 2 Offers New Features for Patrons
BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download website, now offers expanded functionality and will serve as a gateway to exciting new services in the future.
BARD 2 became available to patrons beginning September 9. If you’re not a BARD user, this is your chance to sign up for the service and get instant access to hundreds of thousands of audio and braille books and magazines for reading with an NLS digital talking-book machine, a personal smart device with BARD Mobile, a Braille eReader, or your PC with the BARD Express player.
Features of the new website include:
- Reorganization of the Wish List, Reading History, Subscriptions, and Account Settings under one menu.
- New sorting capabilities of book lists. You can now search through book lists and refine the results by format, language, and subject.
- An updated search engine, so finding books is easier and faster than ever before.
- Advanced search functionality.
If you have any questions, need assistance, or just want to tell us about your experience with BARD 2, contact us at btbl@michigan.gov or 1-800-992-9012.
Patron Recommendations – Summer Reading
As part of our Summer Reading program, patrons had the chance to submit book reviews to be entered to win a prize drawing. Congratulations to our randomly selected winners—Theresa O., Carrie C., Elizabeth B., and Peggy W. Check out a submitted review from each winner, featured below.
Ebony Swan by Phyllis Whitney (DB034037) - Twenty-five years ago, after the violent death of her mother, Susan Prentice's father spirited Susan away from her grandmother's home in Virginia. Now that her father has died, Susan feels compelled to return to her ancestral home and to become reacquainted with her grandmother. But Susan's visit stirs up long-suppressed memories within her, her grandmother, and other members of the community. Is the carving of the ebony swan the connection? 1992.
“In this story by Phyllis A. Whitney, the author takes a different direction. She focuses the narrative on two different characters instead of the usual one. The author sets this story in Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay. This is a story where past and present collide. It also pulls ideas from many themes. Read the story and learn how it all is tied together.” – Theresa O., BTBL Patron
The Accidental Veterinarian: Tales from a Pet Practice by Philipp Schott (not yet available) - With insight and humor, Dr. Philipp Schott shares tales from the unlikely path he took into his career of veterinary science and anecdotes from his successful small-animal clinic. Dr. Schott brings to his writing the benefit of many years of expertise. Wisdom he imparts on readers includes the best way to give your cat a pill, how to prevent your very handy dog from opening a fridge, and how to handle your fish when it has half-swallowed another. Through these and other experiences, Dr. Schott also learned that veterinary medicine is as much, if not more, about the people as it is the animals. And he will have you laughing and crying as you embark on this journey of discovery with him.
“The author used antidotes but also did a lot of education within the book, like explaining vet bills, etc. It was a good mix of educational content and amusing storytelling that came across as down to earth and understandable.” – Carrie C., BTBL Patron
- Note: While this book is not currently available in the BTBL collection, it has been requested. In the meantime, consider reading the Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery series by this same author (DB122703, DB122580, DB122985).
Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee (DB129145) - Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she's tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, their bond grows. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision. Thirty years later, the day after his father's funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker's past.
“Christian historical fiction that explores the culture of the Appalachian environment from the perspective of one family in the 1940s, and re-introduced this lifestyle to a fictional rockstar character 30 years later. This book was filled with intrigue around the subjects of midwifery, adoption, and what it means to be a family. It was easy to relate to every character in this book, which added to the delight of reading this novel. A little romance is thrown in to delight the reader. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I have recommended it to several friends.” – Elizabeth B., BTBL Patron
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves (DB096481) - Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery--the Chocolate Moose--they figure it'll be a piece of cake. But then the unlikable health inspector is found murdered in their kitchen. RUB rated - Some Violence. Commercial audiobook. 2018.
“I would recommend this book to others. It was interesting to hear how they had to make the cheesecakes. I enjoyed the characters because they were quite interesting. It was a quick read.” – Peggy W., BTBL Patron
Additional 5-star recommendations from our Summer Reading patrons:
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