The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) hosted its first Book Club meeting Aug. 26. Due to COVID-19, we held the meeting virtually, and if the overwhelmingly positive response from participants is any indication, we will continue with this format.

The inaugural meeting included patrons from across the state and featured Trial by Fury by local author J.A. Jance. (Trial by Fury is available to patrons in both audio and braille.) Jance is one of the top-circulating authors from WTBBL’s local audio and braille collection, and her novel proved to be a great topic for engaging discussion as readers examined the Seattle of today vs. the Seattle of the ’80s. Everyone had an opportunity to connect with each other, and contribute and share their opinions and experiences.

The WTBBL Book Club offers participants entertaining and lively discussions about books by Northwest authors or that have a Northwest connection. We found the virtual format is an effective way to engage with homebound patrons and those who live outside the greater Seattle area. Plus we are still able to connect with our patrons while the library building is closed to the public.

The Book Club will continue to meet quarterly by telephone. We will announce our next meeting, and the next title, in the fall edition of Reading Matters. Both WTBBL patrons and the general public are welcome to join!

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library is a program of the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, and a regional library for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), of the Library of Congress. WTBBL provides services statewide, at the library and by mail, to any Washington resident unable to read standard print material due to blindness, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, physical disability (cannot hold a book or turn pages), or reading disability. Learn more at wtbbl.org.