From the Director’s Desk

Winter is approaching but the cold weather won’t slow us down! Kansas Talking Books (KTB) staff are already looking ahead to the coming year. In 2026, we’re focusing on improving the services you rely on and exploring new ways to welcome more readers to our library.

One of the first updates you’ll notice is a change to this newsletter. We’re shifting from a quarterly schedule to a bimonthly one, delivering shorter issues with more timely information. With only two additional issues each year, you can expect more frequent updates without feeling overwhelmed.

We’re also excited to introduce a new quarterly mystery book club, an addition suggested by several patrons. Our first meeting will be held on February 11. More details can be found below.

Finally, I want to thank you all for your support over the past year. I’ve been asked frequently by enthusiastic patrons, “How can we help?” The biggest thing you can do is keep doing what you’re doing. Continue to check out items, continue to download from BARD, continue to use Newsline, and continue to share with friends and neighbors what Kansas Talking Books means to you and how the service we provide makes a difference in your daily life. 

If you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to work with you. Call me at 620-341-6287 or email me at michael.lang@ks.gov. Have a safe holiday season, stay warm, keep reading, and thank you all for your support.

–Michael Lang, Director

Kansas Talking Book Updates

Help Kansas Talking Books feature real Kansans like you in our outreach photos! 

We are looking to feature pictures of you, your friends, and family reading Braille, using BARD or NFB-NEWSLINE on your phone or your talking books machine to promote Kansas Talking Books.

Close ups are great and we’d love to see your face, your screens or other Talking Books tools you use to stay connected and enjoy reading. Send your action shots showing where you have your reading adventures; at home, outside, with friends at the diner, hiking, taking a break from work … anywhere.

Each quarter we will randomly draw the name of a person who has sent in digital photos to receive a sturdy ceramic State Library of Kansas mug. There are four quarters and four mugs to give away in 2026. Email your photos and short descriptions about where you are and what Talking Books tools you are using to michael.lang@ks.gov between now and April 1, 2026, so you can be eligible for the first mug. You’ll hear reminders on our social media soon.

BARD on the DA2 Webinar Recording Available

Get the new books you want immediately on the DA2, the new digital talking book machine. Learn how by watching the recording of our webinar A New Way to BARD: BARD on the DA2. The presentation includes instructions on connecting to a Wi-Fi network, logging into your BARD account, navigating the BARD menu, searching for, downloading, and playing a book on the DA2. If you like what you learn, we have players we can send to you today. Give us a call for more information or to request a new DA2 for yourself. 

Newsline and You

How do you use NFB-Newsline? We want to share your stories about how the resources available on Newsline benefit you in your daily life to encourage others to give it a try! 

If you’ve got a story, send it to Sarah and tell her how Newsline helps you. Not yet signed up for Newsline? Sarah can help you get started. Drop her an email or call 620-341-6284.

Join the Discussion, Join a Virtual Book Club 

KTB outreach librarian, Maggie, facilitates two ongoing virtual book clubs and will launch a new mystery focused book club in February. All Kansas Talking Books patrons are welcome to participate. Clubs meet via Zoom, and you can join using a computer, smartphone, or touch-tone phone. If you are interested in participating in any of our book clubs, contact Maggie at 620-341-6281 or maggie.witte@ks.gov.

The quarterly book club meets four times per year. The next two meetings and books are:

  • December 10, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.: DB 52929 Skipping Christmas by John Grisham 
  • March 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.: Bring Your Own Book – Talk about a book or books you’ve read recently, a new or old favorite.

Mystery Readers Circle, a new virtual mystery book club for all our mystery lovers, will meet in February, May, August, and November on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:00 p.m. The first book we will be discussing is:

Details about the Quarterly Virtual and Mystery Readers Circle book clubs can be found on our Talking Books Programs page.

The VIP Book Club typically meets at 1:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. The next two dates and books for discussion are:

Find the list of all upcoming VIP books on our Talking Books Talk blog.

Warm Up with Friends During Winter Coffee Hours

Our virtual coffee hours return this winter! Mark your calendar for an hour to meet and chat with other KTB patrons about all sorts of topics, not just books. This come-and-go program meets twice a month, December through February, using Zoom (accessible by computer, smartphone, or touchtone telephone). Virtual coffee hours will be held:

  • December 2025:
    • Wednesday, 12/10, at 6:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, 12/17, at 3:00 p.m.
  • January 2026:
    • Thursday, 01/15, at 6:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, 01/21, at 3:00 p.m.
  • February 2026 
    • Wednesday, 02/11, at 6:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, 02/18, at 3:00 p.m.

Contact the office at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov if you have questions.

KTB Phones Out December 29 and 30

KTB phones will be offline December 29th and 30th as Emporia State University performance campus-wide network maintenance. We believe that our circulation system should remain functional, however, we may experience some delays in processing orders. We will have staff available to answer emails as they are able. We apologize for the inconvenience.  

News from NLS

Operational Status

NLS is back to work after the federal government shutdown.  They have resumed book/magazine production and distribution, reference and information services, music circulation, and Patron Engagement programming. Patience is requested as NLS works to fully resume operations. There is a large backlog of work to address.

NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program Application Window Open

NLS, supported by the National Library for the Blind Endowment, has launched a paid internship that offers individuals who are legally blind the opportunity to gain work experience and explore career options working in the areas of collections building, program delivery and business oversight and management. Application details can be found at www.loc.gov/nls/about/internship-program. The deadline for the summer 2026 session is March 1. All interns will have an opportunity for in-person or virtual employment.

Readers’ Advisor Recommends: Christmas Cookie Baking Delight

Many adaptive tools and assistive technologies can make cooking easier and more enjoyable, even with limited vision or mobility. Being in the kitchen, especially during the holiday baking season, is absolutely possible. Just ask chef Christine Ha, the blind cook who won MasterChef Season 3.

With winter holidays approaching, we’ve selected several Christmas cookie recipe books to help you get inspired. Pick a few favorites, bake a batch (or two), and you’ll be all set for your next cookie swap or family gathering.

DB 54501 Cookies for Christmas by Jennifer Darling.

Collection of more than one hundred Christmas cookie recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens test kitchen. Includes cutout, shaped, sliced, dropped, and bar cookies that feature old world favorites and new cookie ideas with a flavor twist. Also available in braille as BR 14218.

DB 55427 Joy of Cooking: Christmas cookies by Irma von Starkloff Rombauer.

Collection of over seventy-five recipes for various types of cookies including bar, drop, rolled, filled, hand shaped, and molded. Also shares recipes for icings and glazes and holiday drinks such as eggnog, hot cocoa, espresso, and mulled cider. Also available in braille as BR 14554.

DB 121381 Good Housekeeping: The great Christmas cookie swap cookbook: 60 large-batch recipes to bake and share by Samantha Cassetty.

A collection of recipes from the 'Good Housekeeping' kitchens for sixty different types of Christmas cookies, all yielding more than eight dozen cookies and perfect for a holiday cookie swap. Also available in braille as BR 25532.

DBC01685 Gluten-free Christmas Cookies by Ellen Brown.

125 Christmas treats which are made without flour. Includes cookies, brownies, meringues, macaroons and candies like fudge, pralines and truffles.

DB 107897 A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s tasty trip around the world by M. E. Furman.

An overview of the different kinds of holiday treats that await Santa on Christmas Eve. Includes recipes from across the globe for a multicultural celebration. For grades K-3.

 

Local Books on BARD

Check out these recently added books recorded by our fabulous volunteers and produced by KTB staff. 

DBC29569 Blue Collar Saint by Brenda Leigh White.

Brenda White’s verse resounds deeply, even in the dark places and in sentiments we Midwest working-class folk don't often like to share. One might say she gives voice to the masses, her verse capturing the light and dark of those who dare to dream, even when we suspect our dreams might end in disappointment. Only a true poet can turn life's harsh realities into line and stanza that move us to reflect, connect, and read again.

DBC29588 Strong Towns: A Bottom-up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles L. Marohn, Jr.

Strong Towns is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem.

 

Upcoming State and Postal Holidays

Christmas: Thursday, December 25. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.

New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 19. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.

Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 16. Postal Holiday.

 

Contact Information for Kansas Talking Books 

Address: 1 Kellogg Circle, Box 4055, Emporia, KS 66801 

Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-362-0699 

Local Phone: 620-341-6280 

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Email: KTB@ks.gov

Website: https://library.ks.gov/talkingbooks

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