Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library

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BREAKING NEWS: The Fall 2023 Wolfner Newsletter Is Now Available

The fall season has definitely arrived, and so has the Fall 2023 Wolfner Newsletter. Be "in the know" with everything that's happening through our Fall 2023 Wolfner Newsletter. It's filled with the latest updates, announcements, recommendations for audiobooks, and events for all ages during October, November, and December.

The newsletter is available in both online and audio formats at the following link: https://www.sos.mo.gov/wolfner/wolfnews.

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Wolfner Welcomes Reader Advisor Vanessa Lengyel

Wolfner Library is proud to have added a new Reader Advisor, Vanessa Lengyel, to our team in the past month. As usual, we let new Wolfner staff members introduce themselves on Facebook so you can get to know the voice you may hear when you call us.

BIO

"I’m originally from Southeast Missouri and grew up with the Mark Twain National Forest in my backyard. After high school I attended College of the Ozarks and majored in philosophy and religion. Since then, the years have included a growing family, plenty of travel, and living in Missouri, Illinois, and Washington."

WHY WOLFNER?

"When I was young I had a hearing impairment. This made learning to read print a difficult task and frustrated my early teachers. I was lucky enough to have a mom that regularly made use of the public library and continued to bring book after book home. Reading each night with family was what I needed to encourage a love for books, increasing my desire to read independently. This journey, along with years of books stacked by my bedside, led me to explore serving at a school library. Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library is where I landed in this great adventure!"

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT WOLFNER?

"Definitely the amount of great conversations I’ve had over the phone with patrons. It's always fun to meet a fellow booklover who shares a favorite author or wants to talk about a shared love for good coffee."

FIRST FAVORITE

"The first book I remember loving was "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak. I was enamored with the Russian landscape and gritty characters. This set me on the course to read works by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, who to this day still make up my favorite 'winter reads'."

FAVORITE AUTHORS/GENRES

"Some of my favorite fiction writers are John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Kimberly Brubake Bradley; for non-fiction, Adam Grant and Tom Holland. I’ll read nearly any genre, but lately I have been enjoying histories of medical fiascos."

HOBBIES

"Doing anything outdoors, trying new coffee shops, and, of course, reading!"

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Wolfner Library is a free library service for Missourians of all ages who are unable to read standard print materials due to visual impairment, blindness, physical disability or reading disability, either temporary or permanent. There is no charge whatsoever to the patron for the following:

Loan of audio, Braille and large print books and magazines

Loan of digital audio players

Audiobook downloads available 24 hours a day through the website

Accessible newspapers and magazines

Shipping through the United States Postal Service

Currently, over 9,000 Missourians actively use Wolfner Library.

The library's collection includes fiction and nonfiction audio, Braille, and large print books for all ages. Over seventy (70) magazine subscriptions are available, and the library loans digital playback machines to those using audiobooks.

Wolfner Library is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is located on the second floor of the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center at 600 West Main Street in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Online Services

If you have access to a computer, tablet, mobile device, or third-party player with internet capabilities, please make use of our BARD download website and BARD mobile app, which allow you to access all of our talking books and digital Braille files.

You also may be interested in listening to newspapers and magazines over the phone through the National Federation of the Blind's Newsline program. For more information about Newsline, call 866-504-7300. You may also call the Xavier Society for the Blind at 800-637-9193 to learn about their selection of books and publications, or JBI International at 800-433-1531.

Quick Links

Wolfner Library's Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD)

Wolfner Public Access Catalog (WolfPAC)

Student Listing Form

Wolfner Library on Facebook

2023 Summer Reading Program Grand Prize Winners Announced

This year, 43 Wolfner patrons participated in the 2023 All Together Now Summer Reading Program. Of those 43, thirty-two completed the program, having logged a total of 615 books read. A grand prize drawing was held at the end of the program to award a pair of studio-quality headphones and accessories to four lucky winners.

In the children's category, our winner was Cyrina Leader. Our adult winners were Pam Baggot, Ronald Lemons, and Kadija Kargbo.

Congratulations to those who won and everyone who participated.

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Wolfie's July-August 2023 Mail and Make Kit Now Available

Wolfie’s Mail and Make project for July-August 2023 is a tribute to one our most well-known national landmarks, the Statue of Liberty. Wolfner patrons who participate will be making their own Liberty Crown and Torch to wear or display on any of the special days we honor our nation and its citizens throughout the year.

The full name of the statue is Liberty Enlightening the World, a gift from the people of France to the United States in honor of their shared desire to live free. The broken chain and shackle at the statue’s feet commemorate our nation’s abolition of slavery, as well as serving as a symbol of hope for immigrants arriving in our country through the port of New York City.

A how-to video for this Mail and Make project is available at the following link: How To Make Wolfie's Liberty Crown and Torch.

As always, we would love to see pictures of your finished projects. Photos should be of the project only, to protect the safety of our patrons. Please email your Mail and Make photos to [email protected].

The Mail and Make program is open to youth and adults with an intellectual disability. Participants must be registered patrons of Wolfner Library. To become a library patron, go to the Apply for Services page for access to the eligibility requirements and application.

Signup for Mail and Make may be found at the following link: Wolfie's Mail and Make Registration Form.

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Wolfner Community Projects Are in Full Swing

There's still time for Wolfner patrons to get involved in two community projects this summer...

Community Cookbook

Got a recipe to share? Wolfner is publishing a cookbook full of all kinds of culinary creations submitted by our patrons, so send us your personal favorite. You can email, mail, or phone in your recipe to Adult Services Librarian Jami Livingston at 800-392-2614. We need all types of dishes, so submit yours and let’s cook up a winning book.

Community Mural

Wolfner patrons are creating a mural! Call Wolfner to request a 7.25 x 7.25" section of the mural for you to complete, and we will mail a packet to you. We need all sections back by the end of July. So get out the colored pencils, crayons, watercolor paints, construction paper strips---anything you wish---and let your creativity flow with this fun project (take a look above at the lower right photo of the creative mural panel featuring snapshots of Wolfner patrons Camille, Fran, and Pam in and around Kansas City.) All ages are encouraged to participate.

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