Browsed by
Tag: Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

New scanner to support braille production at WTBBL

New scanner to support braille production at WTBBL

At the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL), the Braille Department focuses on transcribing standard print books into braille for patron use. Braille transcription is a technical and time-consuming process that requires skill and great attention to detail. In order to expedite this process, WTBBL purchased a new scanner with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software included. The scanning process allows a trained operator to scan an entire 300-page book in less than an hour, accelerating a process that would…

Read More Read More

WTBBL kicks off summer programs

WTBBL kicks off summer programs

Last month, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library’s Youth Services Librarian Erin Groth took a trip to Bellevue for a very special presentation at Cherry Crest Elementary. Around 100 second graders and their teachers enjoyed learning about braille, tactile illustrations, and the library. Not only did everyone get to explore some of our materials — and marvel at the four (!) volumes of braille which make up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — but they also got to learn…

Read More Read More

Big wins for WA libraries in the 2019 legislative session

Big wins for WA libraries in the 2019 legislative session

The 2019 legislative session has ended, and thanks to the hard work of many people, libraries across Washington will benefit immensely. The Office of the Secretary of State, which oversees the Washington State Library, played a huge part in making that success a reality. There is so much good news to report! First, thanks to library advocates everywhere. Lawmakers included eleven rural libraries around the state in the capital budget. Each of these libraries will receive funds to improve their…

Read More Read More

Remote Braille Proofreading Succeeds at WTBBL

Remote Braille Proofreading Succeeds at WTBBL

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) Braille Production Department has been increasingly busy in the past several months with new local books being transcribed, proofread, and made available to library patrons. A big part of this is due to WTBBL’s stellar volunteers, who are flexible and willing to explore new ways to improve the braille production process. In fall 2018, WTBBL launched a pilot program to test the feasibility of having volunteer teams perform offsite proofreading. The first…

Read More Read More

Competition and puppies at the 2019 Braille Challenge in Seattle

Competition and puppies at the 2019 Braille Challenge in Seattle

On Saturday, Jan. 12, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library — a program of the Washington State Library, which is a division of the Office of Secretary of State — hosted a fantastic celebration of braille literacy: the annual Regional Braille Challenge. Students came from across Western Washington to compete in five categories, ranging from spelling to reading tactile charts & graphs. The Braille Challenge is organized by the Braille Institute, and Washington’s winning students became eligible for a…

Read More Read More

Braille Challenge competitions coming to Seattle and Spokane

Braille Challenge competitions coming to Seattle and Spokane

The 2019 Braille Challenge, an academic competition for students in grades 1-12 to show off their braille literacy and qualify for a national competition during the summer, comes to the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) this Saturday, Jan. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can also register until Jan. 23 for a February Braille Challenge WTBBL will host at the Spokane Public Library. At the Jan. 12 event at WTBBL, students from King, Kitsap, and Snohomish…

Read More Read More

The Federal Communications Commission answers Washington questions

The Federal Communications Commission answers Washington questions

Officials from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a U.S. government agency which regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable, visited the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) on September 18th to answer patrons’ questions about telecommunications and broadcast matters. It was a great opportunity for WTBBL’s patrons to get answers to questions such as: What do I do about unwanted robocalls? How can I keep my favorite television stations after the upcoming broadcast transition? Or whom should I complain…

Read More Read More

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library goes to Fiestas Patrias

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library goes to Fiestas Patrias

On September 15th and 16th at Seattle Center, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library hosted an outreach table at Fiestas Patrias, the annual commemoration of independence for Latin American countries, many of which celebrate independence days in the month of September. The theme of Fiestas Patrias for 2018 was “Sin Barreras” or “Without Barriers.” The festival is an expression of Latino culture through music, dance, cooking demonstrations, a health fair, and food and community vendor booths. WTBBL staff and volunteers…

Read More Read More

Boy + dog from Emerald City Pet Rescue
A pet-tastic day at Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

A pet-tastic day at Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library held a paw-some event Saturday, May 5! Emerald City Pet Rescue, a pet rescue agency based in Seattle, presented its services and brought some special-needs dogs for WTBBL’s youth patrons to meet. Caregivers of the pets from Emerald City Pet Rescue shared the unique stories of the dogs, emphasizing that we all have special circumstances and challenges to overcome. The children learned about the rescue and care of pets with special needs and…

Read More Read More

WTBBL’s 2016 Annual Report is out

WTBBL’s 2016 Annual Report is out

If you want to see how Washington Talking Book & Braille Library is doing and how it helps patrons, check out its recently released 2016 Annual Report. You can view the report here. It also can be viewed in an electronic-braille format or audio format. The WTBBL report shows the library in fiscal year 2016 circulated 289,492 audiobooks and 4,858 braille books, and had 86,606 Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) audio downloads and 3,043 BARD braille downloads. The report…

Read More Read More