Maryland State Library Agency

Double Spaced Braille List Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Librarian Double-spaced braille can be a useful tool for new braille readers. Where there would normally be one blank line, double spaced braille uses two blank lines to help isolate different parts of the text. This way, the reader can clearly focus on reading one line at a time. Listed below are all of the double-spaced...

Director's Corner: Wrapping up 2021 Contributed by John Owen, Director This has been a tough year.  Let's just put that upfront.  More than most years, any successes were truly earned through flexibility, resilience, and creativity.  But I don't put the metaphorical pen to paper here to give difficulties any more space than needed.  I want to share what we have overcome togethe...

Read for a Better World: Winter Reading Challenge Contributed by LaShawn Myles, Youth Services Librarian The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled is participating in Beanstack’s Fifth Annual Winter Reading Challenge, sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group. "Read for a Better World" encourages readers of all ages to explore diversity, empathy, and action through literature. Our com...

Technology User Group Meeting: January 8th Contributed by Jerry Price, Assistive Technology Training Coordinator On Saturday, January 8th, the Technology User Group will have a special presentation by the creators of the Audiojack app.  This smartphone app allows users to mix imagination, art, and sound to generate stories and promote creativity. The presentation will be virtual and may be jo...

Accessible Gaming:  Tabletop Roleplaying  Contributed by Matthew Nixon, Business Office Manager When I’m not working at LBPD paying bills and manning the reference desk, I enjoy reading and playing collaborative storytelling games like Dungeons and Dragons.  So, I was fortunate to attend a recent online convention hosted by Knights of the Braille: https://knightsofthebraille.com/ An...

Collection Highlights: Winter Holiday Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian Learn more about the world’s celebrations of Three Kings’ Day, Epiphany, Boxing Day, and more with the books below! Learn more about the world’s celebrations of Three Kings’ Day, Epiphany, Boxing Day, and more with the books below! Winter Holidays Children’s BR 19004 – The Storyteller's Candle :...

Collection Highlights: Kwanzaa Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian Learn more about Kwanzaa’s history and how to celebrate with some of the books listed below! Kwanzaa Children’s BR 15035 – My First Kwanzaa , by Karen Katz A young girl describes how she and her family celebrate the African American holiday of Kwanzaa, explaining the significance of each of its seven d...

Season’s Readings from Bookshare PUBLISHED DECEMBER 8, 2021 by Laura Deck, Bookshare Communications Cozy up with your favorite books during the holidays – or discover new ones – to make your days merry and bright Welcome to the best time of year for snuggling up with a book! During the holiday season, it’s fun to revisit treasured classics and discover new f...

   Collection Highlights: Christmas Reads Contributed by Jordan Farinelli , Collection Development Librarian .... This list of Christmas-themed books includes classics, romances, historical fiction, and newly published stories. Children BR 23192 ; DB 47536 ; DB 72998 (Spanish language) – How the Grinch Stole Christmas , by Dr. Seuss The Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, tries t...

E ffects of the Coronavirus on College Students. Report available at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/20210608-impacts-of-covid19.pdf Recently, I had a brief conversation with several print-disabled college students about how they were affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Although things are slowly becoming better, the students presented common complaints about ZOOM, lack of acces...

College 101: Navigating through the College Process College 101: Navigating through the College Process Contributed by LaShawn Myles, Youth Services Librarian College brings a new chapter in a young adult’s life. But with all the excitement, comes new responsibilities, deadlines, and processes. Couple this with navigating this process as a student with a disability. According to an article by...

Partner Post: Center Stage of Balitmore - Touch Tour/Audio Described Performance Center Stage: Touch Tour and Audio Description: Fires in the Mirror Shared by Bethany, Center Stage This is Bethany from Baltimore Center Stage with a reminder for our  Touch Tour and Audio Described performance of Fires in the Mirror on Sunday December 12th @ 2pm. Furthermore, we offer Audio Description for...

Patron Services: BARD Mobile Download Limits Contributed by Amanda Gonzalez, Patron Services Librarian  BARD mobile download limits If you enjoy downloading books and magazines from BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download), you know that BARD gives you instant access to the entire NLS collection through your computer, tablet, iPad, and smartphone. With BARD, there’s no need to wait for...