Maine State Library-Talking Books Plus

08/26/2026

Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, was many things over her 60-year professional career: singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, cultural icon – and a tireless advocate for literacy. “Everywhere I go, the kids call me The Book Lady,” she said in a PBS interview. Parton’s Imagination Library has been sending books to children — one book a month until they turn five — since 1995. And on February 27, 2018, she came to Washington, D.C., to dedicate the 100 millionth Imagination Library book — a story she wrote, “Coat of Many Colors” — to the Library of Congress. (Watch and listen to the video of her appearance at https://www.loc.gov/item/2021687564?loclr=fbnls.) Imagination Library is still going strong; in 2023 it gifted its 200 millionth book.
Parton’s 1994 memoir, “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business (DB39868),” is a definitive account of her life, from her impoverished childhood in East Tennessee to her rise to fame in Nashville and beyond. Parton also told her story in last year’s “Star of the Show: My Life on Stage (DB133565).” “Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters (DB92810)” collects interviews with Parton going back to 1967, when she was 21.
Parton discusses her passion for fashion in “Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones (DB117524),” and she and her sister share favorite recipes in “Good Lookin’ Cookin’ (DB127729).”
The NLS collection also has children’s books by Parton, including the autobiographical “Coat of Many Colors (DBC32781)” and “Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big (DB114353),” about a bulldog with an ear for music.
“Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics (BR24608, DB102063)” is an annotated collection of lyrics from 175 of her songs. The NLS Music Collection has piano scores for “I Will Always Love You (DBM04628)” and “Hardcandy Christmas (DBM03726).” And Popular Music Lead Sheets, No. 132 (BRM37679) includes a braille score for “Jolene.”
Search the NLS catalog for many more books by and about Parton.
[Image: In a screenshot from a video of her appearance at the Library of Congress on February 27, 2018, Dolly Parton reads “Coat of Many Colors” to a group of children.]

08/05/2026

Join us on Zoom for a full slate of practical, patron-focused events this month! All take place at 7 p.m. eastern time. Get details on how to join each session and listen to recordings of previous sessions at the links below.
First up, on Thursday, August 13, is the Many Faces of BARD. This month’s topic is Updating the DA2, the next-generation NLS audiobook player. After the presentation and demonstration, we will take your questions about all things BARD for the remainder of the hour. https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard?loclr=fbnls
The topic for the Thursday, August 20, Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker program is Updated Preference Options in the My Talking Books Skill on Alexa, Part 2. A recording of Part 1 from last month is available at the link below. After the presentation and demonstration, we will answer any questions you have about the My Talking Books skill for Alexa-enabled smart speakers. Get details at https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/smart-speaking-to-the-smart-speaker?loclr=fbnls.
Finally, the topic for the Tuesday, August 25, That All May eRead program will be Previewing the New Features of Version 3.1 of the NLS Braille eReader. https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/that-all-may-eread?loclr=fbnls.

[Image: Close-up photo of a DA2 audiobook player in a patron’s hands.]

08/04/2026

Free Summer Reading Program WonderBoxes for NLS patrons are still available — although the supply is soon going to be extinct! For patrons ages pre-K to 2, there's the print/braille book “That's Not My Dinosaur“ as well as a Sprout microplayer loaded with two books: “Penny and Pip (DB132096)” by Candace Fleming and “How to Catch a Dinosaur (DB100999)” by Adam Wallace, both telling tall tales of kids encountering live dinosaurs! For patrons ages 3 to 6, there's a Pop-out Mini Playground plus a Sprout microplayer loaded with “Dinosaurs That Ruled the Earth (DB115250)” by Julie Murray, with fun facts about what Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Archaeopteryx and Oviraptor looked like, ate and more! WonderBoxes are available for free while supplies last. Order one today: www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/summer-reading/order-form?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: Cover of print/braille book “That's Not My Dinosaur“]

08/03/2026

Our Talking Book patrons receive their audiobooks using Free Matter postage. This service helps the Maine State Library send National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) material across the state of Maine at no cost!

NLS Director Jason Broughton was the guest on a recent episode of the US Postal Service podcast “Mailin’ It” to discuss Free Matter for the Blind mail and its importance to the NLS program. Broughton also talked about the history of NLS, how the program operates and the ways evolving technology has made it easier than ever for patrons to access audio and braille books whenever and wherever they desire. You can listen to the 30-minute podcast at https://usps-mailin-it.simplecast.com/episodes/free-mail-for-the-blind. And read more about the partnership between NLS and the USPS to improve the speed and efficiency of Free Matter mail in last fall’s issue of the NLS newsletter, at https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/quarterly-newsletter-news/news-july-december-2025?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: NLS Director Jason Broughton speaks at an NLS-USPS event this past February to celebrate the Free Matter for the Blind program.]

07/16/2026

Beautiful!

07/14/2026

What are you reading this summer?

I recently finished a beautifully heartwarming novel called "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans (DB 129105). This unique book is told entirely through letters, postcards, and emails.

"The story centers on Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer living alone in Annapolis, Maryland. Throughout her life, Sybil has cherished the art of letter writing, reaching out to family members, colleagues, and even beloved authors. As she faces the gradual loss of her eyesight, she pens a series of unsent letters to an unknown recipient, which adds a layer of mystery and emotion to her journey. It’s a touching exploration of connection and reflection that I think many would appreciate." - Wikipedia

[Image: A stack of letters is tied together with a ribbon. A butterfly, dragonfly, and two roses surround the letters.]

07/14/2026

07/14/2026

As we continue celebrating America's semiquincentennial, Digital Maine Library has you covered with History Reference Source. This rich, authoritative resource covers topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century. Find full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents by browsing and searching. Free online to Maine residents anywhere, anytime. https://digitalmainelibrary.org

06/23/2026

Press release for our friends at the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) of Boothbay. For this meeting, they will have a special guest from The Iris Network!

"The next monthly meeting of Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) will be held on July 7, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. in the Boothbay Region Community Center, located in the Meadow Mall on Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor.

Our guest speaker will be Aisha Hixon from Iris The Iris Network, whose mission is helping people with vision impairment or blindness attain independence and community integration. Community rehab services, Low Vision Center, and Iris Park Apartments are just a few of the programs the Isis Network provides. These and additional resources will be discussed at our meeting.

People with any type of vision issue are welcome to attend, along with their caregivers and drivers. Anyone with an interest in or questions about vision loss are always welcome.
For more information call Joan at (207)633-2498.
Need a ride? Call Kitty at (207)633-6355."

[Image: Director of Outreach Services at the Maine State Library speaking to the VIP members who are seated around a large table.]