Episode Transcript
[00:00:17] Speaker A: Greetings readers. Welcome to the first March edition of Library News. This month we will discuss the Braille Challenge, IDB Centennial Celebration, various NLS events, and more. The Library held the Iowa Regional Braille challenge on Saturday, February 22nd at the Iowa Department for the Blind. Fourteen students put their Braille skills to the test. Following the Braille Challenge, there was a celebration of the Iowa Department for the Blind's 100th anniversary coming up in April. We ate ice cream and cake and sang karaoke. We would like to thank all of our volunteers who made the day a great success. It was a wonderful day filled with Braille music and fun.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Speaking of the Iowa Department for the Blind's 100th anniversary, there will be an open house held on Wednesday, April 2 from 3 to 6pm at the Iowa Department for the Blind. Join us for tours, history and hors d'oeuvres as we kick off our 100th year. In honor of the department celebrating such a momentous occasion and to start off the next 100 years of empowering and improving the lives of blind Iowans, we have worked with the side garage to design a limited edition T shirt for purchase. It's a beautiful navy blue shirt with a white graphic of a stickman and a white cane in the center. The words Making Strides are arched over him and Moving Forward is in a straight line under him. Below that it says Iowa Department for the blind established 1925. On the back it says Making Strides Moving Forward in Braille. These shirts will be available to purchase online later this month.
[00:01:49] Speaker C: Now for top 10 fiction books downloaded from Bard DB12 5480 by David Baldacci Travis Devine has become a pro at accomplishing any mission he's given. But this time it's not his skills that send him to Seattle to aid the FBI in escorting orphaned 12 year old Betsy Odom to meet with her uncle who is under federal investigation.
Instead, he's hoping to lay low and keep off the radar of an enemy. The Girl on the Train but as Divine gets to know Betsy, questions begin to arise around the death of her parents.
Divine digs for answers, and what he finds points to a conspiracy bigger than he could have ever imagined.
It might finally be time for Divine and the girl on the train to come face to face. Divine is going to find out the difference between his friends and his enemies. And in some cases, they might well be both.
The Mirror DB 125821 by Nora Roberts When Sonya McTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams, she sees glimpses of the past.
In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.
Then one night, the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass into the past and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day. The circle of gold torn from her finger is a scene that will play out again and again. A centuries old curse that must be broken in a puzzle she must solve. If there's any hope of breaking the curse, the housemaid is watching. DB122801 by Freda McFadden.
You must be our new neighbors, Mrs. Liao gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter's hand and smile back. But the second Mrs. Lau sees my husband, a strange expression crosses her face.
In that moment, I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us, and I'll do anything to keep it that way. I used to clean other people's houses. Now I can't believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul de sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I stay for years to give our children the life they deserve, even though I'm wary of our new neighbor, Mrs. Lowe, when she invites us over for dinner, it's our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it's like to be in her shoes, but her cold stare gives me chills. The Laos maid isn't the only strange thing in our street. I'm sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night, and when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone. Be careful of your neighbors. Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?
I thought I'd left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?
[00:05:34] Speaker A: One of our own? A thriller DB125523 by Lucinda Berry Felicia, a single mother and lawyer by day, volunteers at a local crisis center to give back to her tight knit community in a small Wisconsin town. One night, she answers a horrifying call. Through tears, a frantic teenage girl tells her that she was a victim of sexual assault at a local house party.
Felicia is shocked and, breaking protocol, she begins communicating with the girl on her own, determined to keep her safe and hold her assailants accountable. But as she gets closer and closer to the truth, she can't shake the feeling that she and the girl are connected by more than the phone call. As the girl shares more details, Felicia begins to think the unthinkable. Someone close to her may be involved in a heinous crime. As Felicia earns the girl's trust and more facts emerge about the incident, she faces a gut wrenching battle between her protective instincts and the moral responsibility to do what's right.
Bellevue A Novel DB 126298 by Robin Cook 23 year old Michael Mitt Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly 300-year-old iconic Bellevue Hospital. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor. But quickly, one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. As bodies mount and Mitt's stress level rises, he finds himself drawn to the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which still stands a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high rise. Forcing entry into this storied but foreboding structure, Mitt discovers he's more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.
The Boyfriend DB 125080 by Freda McFadden Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. Then she meets Tom. Tom is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. But before she knows it, Sydney is swept off her feet. But the brutal murder of a young woman, the latest in a string of deaths across the coast, confounds police. The primary suspect, a mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them. Sydney should feel safe. After all, she has Tom, the man of her dreams. But she can't shake her own horrifying suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move. And if she doesn't get to the truth soon, she'll be the killer's next victim.
[00:08:31] Speaker B: An Insignificant case a thriller DB125279 by Philip Margolin Charlie Webb is a third rate lawyer who graduated from a third rate law school. And because he couldn't get hired by any of the major law firms, he's opened his own law firm. Described as a leaky boat floating down the stream of life, Charlie has led an unremarkable life, personally and professionally, until he's appointed to be the attorney for a decidedly crackpot artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini. Born Lawrence Weiss Sabatini has been arrested again for breaking into a restaurant and stealing back a painting he sold them because he was insulted by where it was displayed. But as Lawrence Weiss, he's also an accomplished card shark and burglar, and while he was there, he stole a thumb drive from the owner's safe. Not knowing what else Sabatini has stolen, Webb negotiates the return of the painting and other items in exchange for the owner dropping charges against Sabatini. But the contents of the flash drive threaten very powerful figures. And there are others who have a violent grudge against Sabatini when a minor theft case becomes a major double homicide and more Charlie Webb, an insignificant lawyer assigned to an insignificant case, is faced with the most important and deadliest case of his life.
Young Rich widows a novel DB124156 Kimberly Bale Lane Fargo, Kate Holohan and Vanessa Lilly 1985 Rhode Island a private jet carrying four partners of a Providence law firm crashes outside New York City, killing all aboard but leaving behind more questions than answers and setting the stage for four widows to find the truth. Justine, a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life. Camille, a beautiful young second wife whom some suspect is a gold digger. Meredith, a stripper who was in a relationship with the firm's only female partner. Crystal, a founding partner's wife, committed to the firm being a legacy for her sons. While the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something's not adding up. The team wasn't supposed to be in New York that day, and it soon revealed there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane.
Now or never 31 on the run DB126056 by Janet Ivanovich she said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiances and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone. While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice. There's Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be the YouTube star Robin Hoodie, masked hero to the homeless who hijacks delivery trucks and distributes their contents to the needy. She's also on the trail of Bruno Jugg, a wealthy and connected man in the wholesale produce business who is rumored to traffic young girls alongside lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran, a Laundromat manager by day and self proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls when he shows up on Stephanie's doorstep in it's not for the Meatloaf Dinner. With timely assist from her stalwart supporters, Lula, Connie and Grandma Mazur, Stephanie uses every trick in the book to reel in these men. But only she can decide what to do about the two men she actually loves. She can't hold Ranger and Morelli at bay for long, and she's keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never. She's got to make the decision of a lifetime.
The waiting DB124746 by Michael Conley Detective Renee Ballard, with new volunteer Maddy Bosch, investigates a serial rapist linked through DNA to a man recently arrested. The suspect's father, the infamous Pillowcase rapist is a long silent terror. As Ballard faces legal hurdles and her badge is stolen, she must seek help from Harry Bosch. Meanwhile, Maddie's ulterior motives come to light as she joins Ballard's Cold Case unit, complicating the investigation further.
[00:12:34] Speaker C: Spring is sprung in the month of March. This month, MakerSpace Monday Night Workshop is extremely excited to introduce our very special guest and friend, Sandra Hankin. Sandra is going to walk us through the delights of spring one blossom at a time.
Her plans are to dig deep, bloom, grow and reach for the sun. The workshop will feature a hand cut tree trunk designed by Brad Hankin Walter One cut at a time. This spectacular night will highlight favorite story prompts with you as the author and Spring Pressed bookmarks. Indulge in delicious cream filled treats while enjoying warm, lively conversations with friends and family.
Makerspace Monday will be held March 10th from 6 to 7:30pm it is offered in person at the Iowa Library for the Blind and virtually via Zoom. You can find a link to register on our blog at IowaLibrary blog or call the library and we can help you get registered. For any questions about Makerspace Mondays, contact Denise Bean at Denise Beanline State IA US or 515-452-1338.
[00:13:51] Speaker A: The library will once again be part of the Des Moines Book Festival. This year's event will be held Saturday, March 22nd at the Franklin Events Center. The Library will provide hands on activities surrounding Braille and braille literacy from 10am to 4pm if you are in the area, stop by and say hi.
[00:14:11] Speaker B: The Many Faces of Bard program hosted by NLS will be held the first Thursday in March rather than their usual schedule of the second Thursday in the month due to a scheduling conflict. The topic for the Thursday, March 6, 2025 program will be introducing the DA2NLs's newest talking book machine. There will be a presentation and demonstration of the machine. The rest of the hour will be spent answering your questions about the presentation or any questions related to Bard. And on Monday, March 10th at 6pm, the National Library Service's Patron Engagement Section will host its next quarterly Patron Corner via Zoom. This program shares specific information around certain topics that would be of interest to patrons.
[00:14:52] Speaker C: Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker, A new limited series program from the National Library Service will be held Thursday, March 20th at 6pm A brief presentation will begin the session. Presenters will spend the remainder of the time answering questions about the presentation.
The all may eread. The monthly NLS program that focuses on the NLS Braille E Reader will be held Tuesday, March 25 at 6pm via Zoom.
Also on March 25, join NLS for their next NLS Music Notes webinar at 6pm via Zoom. They will be joined by pianist, composer and NLS Music Section patron Juan Ciocchi. They will discuss Mr. Ciocchi's journey to become a professional musician, his use of Braille music, and his own compositions and inspiration.
You can contact the library to get login information for the NLS programs.
[00:15:49] Speaker A: Volunteers for the Iowa Library for the Blind Save the Date the Elizabeth Porowski Volunteer Workshop and Luncheon will be held on Friday, April 25th at the Iowa Department for the Blind. We are excited to recognize all the wonderful volunteers and the hard work they have done in the past year. Please don't hesitate to contact the library with any questions or comments at 515-281-1323 or by email at librarylind state ia us. The library is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Happy read.
[00:16:34] Speaker C: SA.
