Open Book for Libraries: April 2024

Open book for libraries

In this issue:

Letter from CELA’s Executive Director

This month, and all year long, we are celebrating CELA’s 10th anniversary. When CELA was formed on April 1, 2014, the reading landscape was much different for people with print disabilities. Over the past 10 years so much has changed. Everything from our collection, which now has more than 1.3 million titles, to the technology like EasyReader and Envoy Connect, and who we can serve, has evolved to improve access for the 5.2 million people who have difficulties reading print.
These changes have come about for many reasons.

Collaborations with libraries, publishers, awards programs and colleagues in accessible reading have been instrumental in moving our services forwards. Support from our users, and from advocacy groups who represent them help us tailor our services to meet the diverse needs of people with print disabilities. And funding from all levels of governments helps us build stable services and undertake important projects to ensure we can continue to offer choices in accessible reading. 

If you haven’t seen it, I invite you to visit our blog to read about 12 ways the equitable reading landscape has changed over the past decade. If you’ve got stories to share about CELA since its inception we would love to hear them. You can send them to our feedback@celalibrary.ca address. 

Even as we celebrate the last ten years, our work continues to improve accessible reading options for our users. We are working on some new and important projects, including developmental work for the smart speaker solution which was tested last year as part of our Expanded Delivery Options Project. Because of the complexity, this project will take us some time, but our goal is to provide our users with an additional option to listen to their audio books. As always, we commit to keeping you informed about any new services we will be adding.

We have recently welcomed some new folks to CELA. Natalie MacDonnell has joined us as a Project Coordinator, Denise Scott is working to support our Summer Reading Club programs and Matthew Twohig is our practicum student joining us from the Library & Information Technology program at Langara College. As we look back on the past decade I wanted to thank our Board, and our staff, some of whom have been with CELA since its inception, for their continued commitment to serving our users. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.

Happy Reading!
Laurie Davidson, Executive Director

Awards update!

Cover of the book Small in the City by Sydney Smith.Congratulations to illustrator Sydney Smith who is the first Canadian to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award. We have his beautiful books in our collection. Read more about the award winning author and illustrator in the Canadian Children's Book Centre's article.

Congratulations to the authors nominated for the Carol Shields Prize shortlist which celebrates the creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in Canada and the United States. The winner will be announced May 13, 2024.
The nominated authors include: 

  • Eleanor Catton for Birnam Wood
  • Claudia Dey for Daughter 
  • Kim Coleman Foote for Coleman Hill 
  • V. V. Ganeshananthan (Brotherless Night),
  • Janika Oza for A History of Burning 

Read them in accessible formats in our collection.

Congratulations to the poets on this year's Griffin Poetry Prize shortlist. We are delighted to have 4 of them in our collection.

On our blog

the words Our Tenth Anniversary appear below a cloud of confetti.How have things changed in the ten years since CELA was established?

Check out our latest blog to read 12 of the most notable changes to accessible reading and to CELA’s services.

Books to promote at your library

Megaphone on a blue background.Are you looking to promote some new accessible titles in your newsletters, social media feeds, or as part of an in-branch display?

Download our printable book list or forward the link to your colleagues.

Find the new list, updated monthly and featuring links to new books in our collection, on our For Libraries page.

Plan an Accessible Summer Reading Club

Illustration of two children dressed as astronauts swirling in space. Planets and stars are floating in the background.Summer reading club is coming up quickly. Is your library ready to support participants with print disabilities who may need audiobooks, ebooks or braille?

Anyone who has worked in a children’s department knows that kids don’t like to wait for their books. They will often say “no thanks” to placing a holds request because they want something they can take home that day. This is true for kids with disabilities too. Readers who use CELA’s services can get the material without coming into a library by downloading it to their mobile devices or having it shipped directly to their homes. But kids with disabilities enjoy the experience of coming into the library for books just like their peers. That’s why it’s important to have accessible reading materials on hand.

Having accessible materials available also creates an opportunity to discuss accessibility with all children. You can talk about the different ways that people read and learn. Or, how it’s possible to read not just with your eyes but also with your fingers or ears.

We know that library budget and spacing constraints can make it difficult to have an extensive collection of accessible materials. That’s where CELA comes in. You can use your library’s CELA account to request materials for patrons to browse and check out from within your branches. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Contact members@celalibrary.ca if you don’t know your library’s CELA 6-digit username and/or password.
  2. Log into CELA, choose a title and pick a format from the dropdown menu.
    1. CDs, braille or printbraille will arrive at your library in the mail.
    2. Digital audio, etext or electronic braille files will appear in My account under the “Available ZIP files for download” link. Transfer to patron’s device.
  3. Loan physical items out based on your library’s loan periods. Mail back CDs and printbraille books to CELA, but you make keep the braille books. Visit our Delivery options page to learn how to return materials.

Learn more about how your library can offer books and magazines using your library’s CELA account: Accessing books for your patrons.

The Festival of Literary Diversity

Three young people, one wearing a hijab are talking. They all wear blue FOLD t-shirts.CELA has been a partner of the Festival of Literary Diversity (The FOLD) since its early days. This year, we are excited to congratulate the FOLD on it's ninth anniversary.

The FOLD is Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and storytellers.  It provides one-of-a-kind events for kids and adults that engage readers, inspire writers, and empower educators by highlighting important and underrepresented voices.

We are delighted to have a number of featured FOLD titles in our collection. They are excellent books to promote! 

Check out the FOLD's website to learn more about the events which are offered both in person and virtually. The FOLD runs April 28 to May 5th.

Celebrating Independent Book Stores

A brightly lit book shop with plants in the window and tables and shelves full of books.For Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, April 27th, 2024, we want to celebrate the work that small and indie book sellers do day-to-day to support and nurture Canadian publishers, authors, and illustrators.

In 2021, CELA refocused where we purchased many of the print books that would be turned into the DAISY, braille, printbraille and e-text formats you love and enjoy reading. This also supports our ongoing work as an organization to be more inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

Since 2021 CELA has focused on purchasing Canadian Indigenous titles, books by authors from racialized communities and titles with an LGBTQ2S+ focus from similarly focused independent Canadian bookstores. We’re happy to report that more than 200 individual print copies have been purchased since the project began. We want to thank the booksellers we work with for their support and their commitment to offering customers like us a wide selection of excellent books to choose from. 

Webinars

Are there topics related to accessibility that you would like to see included in our webinars? We regularly update our content and always appreciate hearing ideas from library staff. Send your suggestions to members@celalibrary.ca.

Don’t Keep CELA a Secret! Tips for promoting your accessible reading resources

Learn about ways to promote CELA and remove barriers to information about accessible reading resources. Discover resources CELA has available to help your library promote accessible reading materials and services to your community. The webinar will provide information on the following:

  • What barriers might exist when promoting accessible reading materials and ways to address them 
  • Tips and resources for accessible communications and promotions  
  • Resources CELA has available to help your library promote accessible reading materials and services to your community. 

Wednesday, May 8 2:00-3:00pm EDT

Visit us at the SLA Conference

Saskachewan Library Association logo.Stop by the CELA booth at this year's Saskatchewan Library Conference and say hi to Rachel, our Manager of Member Services. We would love to hear about the exciting accessibility initiatives happening in your library.

This year Rachel also has the honour of announcing the winner of the TD Summer Reading Club Accessibility Award at the SLA Conference Awards Luncheon. The Award recognizes excellence in summer programming for reading clubs. This year's winner had a fantastic accessible reading club in 2023!

Featured title for adults: The Women: A novel

Cover of the book The Women by Kristin Hannah.From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women —at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing.

But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant.

In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm's way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Read The Women by Kristin Hannah.

Top five books

Cover of the book The Whispers by Ashley Audrain.Most popular with our readers last month:

  1. The Whispers: A Novel by Ashley Audrain, Suspense and thrillers
  2. Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page, Biography
  3. The Fury by Alex Michaelides, Suspense and thrillers
  4. The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose, General fiction
  5. The Bittlemores by Jann Arden, General fiction

Featured title for kids: See It, Dream It, Do It

Book cover See it, dream it, do it by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac.From award-winning author Colleen Nelson, and literacy advocate Kathie MacIsaac, twenty-five profiles present a plethora of jobs, and people, making it easier than ever for young people to see their dreams and to live their dreams!
Read See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 people just like you found their dream jobs by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac.

Top five for kids

Cover of the book The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson.Most popular with kids last month:

  1. The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga Book #1) by David A. Robertson, Fantasy
  2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Fantasy
  3. Harry Potter: Cinematic Guide by Felicity Baker, General non-fiction
  4. The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Award-winning fiction
  5. The City of Ember: The First Book Of Ember by Jeanne Duprau, Science fiction

Top five for teens

Cover of the book Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.Most popular with teens last month:

  1. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas, Adventure stories
  2. The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry, Science fiction
  3. One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus, Mysteries and crime stories
  4. Hatchet: Hatchet series, book 1 by Gary Paulsen, Adventure stories
  5. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, Bestsellers (fiction)

New videos for you!

Fingers type on the keyboard of an open laptop with the CELA logo displayed on the screen.We have recently added some new videos to our YouTube channel including:

If you have missed recent webinars or just want to learn more about CELA services, our recordings are a great place to start!

We also have a series of short videos, perfect for introducing new staff to CELA, or for use in your marketing, promotions or social media!

Holiday Hours

CELA and its Contact Centre will be closed on Monday, May 20 for the Victoria Day weekend. We will resume usual hours on Tuesday, May 21. Enjoy your holiday!

Service Tip

We can help! If you have questions about your library's CELA service, please contact members@celalibrary.ca. By using this email, rather than contacting staff individually, any of our staff can help and provide an answer in a timely manner.

Stay connected!

Facebook and twitter logos.Visit CELA's social media, including Twitter, Facebook and our blog, for more news about what's happening in the world of accessible literature.