Braille and Talking Book Library, Sacramento - BTBL

08/19/2026

We're kinda chic to offer services to people with print disabilities, to have an embosser, to have a recording studio and to have an electronic braille reader. Want to know more? Head to our webpage at https://www.library.ca.gov/btbl/

07/14/2026

07/07/2026

Check it out!

How do our experiences shape the way we understand the world?

Join us for a conversation featuring authors M. Leona Godin and Georgina Kleege as they explore blindness, perception, identity, and the connections between lived experience and scholarship.

Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 1:00 PM PT
Venue: Live on Zoom

Moderated by Mike Marlin, Director of the Braille and Talking Book Library in Sacramento, we’ll get to hear from two influential voices whose work has challenged readers to think differently about sight and perception.

Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/4xAGBda

07/01/2026

Disability Pride Month is observed every July to celebrate disability identity and community, mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and push for full inclusion in everyday life. The 2026 theme is “The World Works Better With Us.”

06/29/2026

Toe beans are purrfect for getting summer reading started!

Image description: An orange cat curled on a pad has her right paw placed on a braille picture book that's upside down to the viewer, with transparent braille overlay on the illustration of children in a park.

06/25/2026

In recognition of the achievements, contributions, and potential of people who are DeafBlind, the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC) celebrates the last week of June as “DeafBlind Awareness Week.” This year, DeafBlind Awareness Week runs June 25-July 1, 2026. Find out more at https://www.helenkeller.org/dbaw2026/

05/11/2026

NLS has a full slate of patron-focused online events this month.
On Thursday, May 14, the monthly Many Faces of BARD program will explore Typing Text Using the DA2. After a presentation and demonstration, NLS staff members will take your questions about all things BARD (our Braille and Audio Reading Download service) for the remainder of the hour. The program will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and last for one hour. Get more information at www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard.
The topic for the Thursday, May 21, Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker online program at 7 p.m. eastern time will be Creating the Personalized Experience: Effectively Setting Volume, Speed and Tone in the My Talking Books Skill on Alexa. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/smart-speaking-to-the-smart-speaker.
Finally, That All May eRead resumes its regular schedule on Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. eastern time. Navigating DAISY Files on Your eReader is the subject of this month’s program. NLS staff members will answer questions about the Braille eReader for the remainder of the hour. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/that-all-may-eread.
[Image: Close-up photo of a person holding an NLS DA2 audiobook player.]

05/05/2026

May the Fourth Be with You! On , awaken the force within you by enjoying books related to the Star Wars universe from the NLS collection. Start “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away” with “Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (DB11495)” by George Lucas, or its retelling in “Star Wars: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (DB83213)” by Alexandra Bracken. You can even whip up some comfort food with “The Star Wars Cook Book: Wookiee Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes (BR12243)” by Robin Davis. Or go metaphysical with "Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (DB92292)," a multi-author collection of essays looking at philosophical questions brought up by the Star Wars film franchise. The Library of Congress has also posted videos related to Star Wars, including a scholarly panel discussing “The Politics of Star Wars” and how its themes relate to American culture: https://youtu.be/WykUee_c06E.
[Image: A fan-made R2D2 droid takes part in the annual McMenamin’s UFO Festival parade in McMinnville, Oregon. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.]

04/17/2026

Calling all readers! Do you want to help make books accessible to your fellow Californians? Head over to https://www.library.ca.gov/btbl/ under the volunteer link to see the volunteer job postings in Idealist.

Video description: from the name plate of the BTBL recording studio the camera goes down a hallway into a door, where the door to the recording studio opens, revealing a volunteer, Caro, inside. It pans over the recording equipment and open, book, transitioning to a view from outside the studio by the staff member working the equipment and looking through the window into the studio with the volunteer speaking into a mic. The last shots are of the recording equipment and monitor the staff uses and ends with a flyer to volunteer.

04/16/2026

Join us for this event!

If you’ve been hearing about the DA2 and wondering what it actually does, this is your moment to get clear answers.

Join us for a guided introduction to the new DA2 Talking Book Machine, led by Mike Marlin and Morgan Pershing from the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL).

They’ll walk us through what’s new, what’s improved from the DA1, and how features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and direct downloads from BARD can shape your reading experience.

You’ll also get clarity on eligibility and support options, with time to ask your own questions so you leave feeling informed and confident.

Register here: https://www.brailleinstitute.org/find-services/offerings/intro-to-da2-talking-book-machine/