Open Book for Libraries: March 2024

Open book for libraries

In this issue:

Letter from CELA’s Executive Director

As we welcome spring, we look forward to our partnerships with various literary programs and awards. One eRead Canada is one of these partners. Each year, One eRead Canada chooses a title and invites people from across Canada to read it and participate in local and national events. This year’s featured title, Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah, is available in our collection in both English and French. We hope you enjoy the book and the conversations it sparks.

This month, we say goodbye to three of our team members whose contracts have concluded. We want to thank Tim Sullivan, Holly Pickering and Charmaine Co who have been instrumental in completing some important projects and who have provided excellent customer service to our member libraries and users. We wish them all well in their next endeavours.

Finally, 10 years ago, on April 1st 2014, CELA was launched as a new library to serve people with print disabilities across Canada. A lot has changed over the last 10 years, both for CELA and our users, and in the accessible reading landscape. Over the next few months, we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary by taking a look back at some of these changes and how they are shaping the future for people with print disabilities in Canada.

As we celebrate our anniversary, I wanted to offer heartfelt thanks to CELA’s Board (both past and present), our previous Executive Directors and all our team members over the years for their dedication, leadership and hard work over the past 10 years. Their contributions have been invaluable in guiding CELA to where it is today. And I want to thank our member libraries and our users for your ongoing support and feedback which has helped CELA grow and evolve to the service it is today. We are looking forward to the next 10 years!

Happy Reading!
Laurie Davidson, Executive Director

Awards updates

Cover of the book The Future by Catherine Leroux.

Congratulations to Catherine Leroux whose book The Future won this year's Canada Reads debates. The book was defended by author Heather O'Neill. 

Holly Hogan won the 2023 BMO Winterset Award for her non-fiction book Message in a Bottle. The award celebrates excellence in writing in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Canadian authors Suzette Mayr and Emma Donoghue have made the shortlist for the $147K Dublin Literary Award for their novels The Sleeping Car Porter and Haven.

The Writers Trust awards announced the shortlist for the Shaughnessy Cohen Awards. The winners will be announced on May 7, 2004.

Congratulations to Irish author Paul Murray who has won the inaugural £30,000 Nero Gold prize. Judges selected The Bee Sting as the entry they would "most want to recommend to others for their quality writing and readability”.

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominees. The award honours the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television produced in 2023. Read some of the nominees in accessible formats in our collection.

And lastly, if you are an audiobook lover, check out the winners of this year's Audie Awards.

Plan an Accessible Summer Reading Club

Illustration of two children dressed as astronauts swirling in space. Planets and stars are floating in the background.Have you started planning your programs and events for your summer reading club? The planning stage is the perfect place to consider accessibility so that inclusion is built in from the ground up. Keeping accessibility in mind now means there will be less need to implement adaptations on the fly this summer.

Consider the ways you can integrate inclusion now into everything from the books to the activities to staff training and your internal and external communications. Are there things you can do so families can enjoy the programs without even having to ask for accommodations? Removing that hurdle of requesting accommodations is one way you can make your library a welcoming space for all and particularly for families who deal with disabilities.

When you consider accessibility ahead of time, you create a more welcoming environment for everyone. And it benefits everyone! More people can use a ramp than stairs. Colouring pages and paper-based crafts aren’t always fun or accessible for kids with vision loss, mobility disabilities, or some learning disabilities. But everyone’s senses are engaged when you incorporate different textures, sounds, or large craft items like pom poms.

Planning for accessibility may be overwhelming, but we’re here to help. With a few adjustments to what you were already planning, your summer reading club will be more accessible and inclusive for everyone!

To help you get started, consult the Planning for Accessibility page from the TD Summer Reading Club and the Resources for Supporting Kids and Teens page on CELA’s website. We are creating some new resources that we are excited to share. And if you have questions, reach out to the Child and Teen Library Accessibility Interest Group. Stay tuned to Open Book and our Facebook and X (Twitter) account throughout the summer for more tips on improving accessibility

Promote One eRead's title in accessible formats

Cover of the book Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah.

One eRead Canada kicks off April 1st!

When you are promoting this program in your library, don't forget to include the accessible versions of Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah available in audio and braille in both English and French.

Let people with print disabilities know about accessible formats  on your social media channels, in branch displays and registrations for any One eRead programming! 

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.

CELA at your fingertips: All about CELA’s braille collection

Have you ever wanted to learn more about CELA’s braille collection? Join us for this hour-long webinar about the braille reading delights that are at the fingertips of CELA users. This webinar is for anyone using braille or supporting new or experienced braille readers. By attending this webinar you will learn about:

  • The value of braille in developing literacy skills
  • CELA’s and Bookshare’s braille books, text magazines and specialized braille magazine collections
  • Braille formats, delivery options and compatible devices
  • Understanding human transcription and automatic transcription and how to choose which one you want to receive.

To register for this webinar select the link below:

Wednesday, April 17 2:00-3:00pm EDT

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 7 2:00-3:00pm EDT

A webinar for library staff in Quebec

ABQLA logo.On April 4th, from noon until 1:00PM EDT, Jessica Desormeaux from CELA and Geneviève Mangerel from BAnQ will co-present about accessible public library services for people living in Quebec who are experiencing a print disability.

At this bilingual online event, Quebec library staff will learn about the services and resources that are available to patrons with a visual, physical, or learning disability that prevents them from reading conventional print. Register to find out how you can better support your patrons who would benefit from these services. This event will be hosted by the Public Libraries section of the ABQLA.

Register for Services for Your Library Users with Print Disabilities.

Come see us at the BCLA conference

BCLA logo.CELA will be at the BCLA conference in April. Stop by to visit us at our booth #34. Or catch our Executive Director, Laurie Davidson and Tami Setala, Licensing and Business Development Manager, from the BC Libraries Cooperative at their presentation on Committing to Accessibility in the Licensing of Digital Resources. The session happens April 24 at 1:45 pm. 

Megan Toye, CELA's Accessible Digital Asset and Metadata Coordinator, will present her poster Metadata for Accessible Digital Resources. Posters are available for viewing in the Harbourfront Foyer on April 25 between 10:15 and 2:45. 

Cover of the book The heart of a super fan by Nav Bhatia.The Raptors' story is an underdog story—and the same is true for their greatest superfan. This instant #1 bestselling memoir offers a courtside view into the extraordinary life of Nav Bhatia. You know him as the Raptors Superfan, but Nav Bhatia's story is bigger than basketball. Nav immigrated to Canada from India after experiencing many hardships—only to face a host of new challenges. Life as an immigrant was gruelling and grey... and then, a new basketball team came to town. As Nav cheered on the Toronto Raptors at game after game, as they lost, as they won, on the good days and the bad, he discovered inspiration and community in the greatest game on Earth, formed life-long bonds with many of the best players the sport has ever known, and solidified his own place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

In this memoir, Nav shares his incredible personal story of triumphing over adversity, as well as the lessons that propelled him to success in all facets of life: as an entrepreneur, movie producer, humanitarian, son, father and husband, and the Raptors' most dedicated supporter. And woven throughout the book are intimate, colourful behind-the-scenes stories about the Raptors—from their very first game in 1995 to their 2019 Championship win, and beyond—that only the Superfan could know. This is a book about loyalty, perseverance and the power of sports to unite us across differences—and, most of all, about how following your passions can lead you to the most extraordinary places.

Read The Heart of a Superfan by Nav Bhatia.

Top five books

Cover of the book The Fury by Alex Michaelides.Most popular with our readers this month:

  1. The Fury by Alex Michaelides, Suspense and thrillers
  2. The Whispers: A Novel by Ashley Audrain, Suspense and thrillers
  3. Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page, Biography
  4. The Bee Sting: A novel by Paul Murray, Serious and literary fiction
  5. Denison Avenue by Christina Wong, Multi-cultural fiction

Cover of the book Mission to Mars by Eric Walters.Houston Williams was thrilled to win a scholarship to attend a space program at NASA. What he didn’t realize was that organizers were recruiting people for a top-secret research project aimed at studying how space travel affects people of different ages. After months spent on the International Space Station conducting a variety of experiments, Houston is surprised to learn that he and his two friends Ashley and Teal have been chosen to join a highly political mission to Mars.

But after tragedy strikes, the teens are forced to continue the mission on their own.

Read Mission to Mars (Teen Astronauts #3) by Eric Walters. 

This is the third book in the Teen Astronauts series, following Houston, Is There A Problem? and Boldly Go.

Top five for kids

Cover of the book Boonoonoonous Hair by Olive Senior.Most popular with kids this month:

  1. Boonoonoonous Hair, by Olive Senior, Laura James Multi-cultural fiction
  2. Stargazing by Jen Wang, General fiction
  3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Fantasy
  4. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Timmy Failure #1) by Stephan Pastis, Mysteries and crime stories
  5. Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure! (Flat Stanley #1) by Jeff Brown, Macky Pamintua, Humourous fiction

Top five for teens

Cover of the book One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.Most popular with teens this month:

  1. One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus, Mysteries and crime stories
  2. Hatchet: Hatchet series, book 1 by Gary Paulsen, Adventure stories
  3. Fictional Father by Joe Ollmann, General fiction
  4. The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry, Science fiction
  5. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Ghost and horror stories

Kids reading programs

Cover of the book Forever Birchwood by Danielle Daniel.The spring is a busy time in the world of Canadian Kids Lit. Major award programs like the Forest of Reading, Hackmatack, the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards and BC's Red Cedar awards open their voting sessions so kids can choose their favourites. CELA has a wide selection of books from awards across the country.

Check our Kids and Teens Award page for more great reads.

New videos for you!

Fingers type on a 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

A white rabbit sits in the grass behinds a selection of coloured eggs.CELA and our Contact Centre will be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1 to observe Good Friday and Easter Monday. We will reopen with our regular hours on Tuesday, April 2. 

Enjoy your holiday!

Service tip: Need help with CELA?

Our site has a whole section devoted to supporting libraries, which you can find through the For Libraries link at the top of every page.

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.