Episode Transcript
[00:00:17] Speaker A: Greetings, readers, and welcome to the second episode of our March 2026 Library News.
March has arrived, bringing a little bit of everything with it longer days, unpredictable weather, and the first hints of spring. One day it feels like winter, the next it's sunshine and melting snow. Which can only mean one thing. It's officially March.
As the season begins to change, it's the perfect time to discover something new. In today's episode, we're diving into our D List, Spring and Renewal Reads. Leland is here to talk about screen readers, and Sydney is this month's Staff Spotlight. So grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and let's get started.
[00:00:57] Speaker B: And now for this month's D List, Spring and Renewal reads books that evoke springtime energy, rebirth, nature, or uplift through seasonal change. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. montgomery, DB 50475 an anthology of three complete novels chronicling Ann's passage from 11 year old orphan to village schoolteacher to the bride of young Dr. Gilbert Blythe, who provides her with the house of her dreams.
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abby Waxman, DB 87769 still devastated by the death of her husband three years before, Lillian tries to focus on her young daughters. As part of a job illustrating an encyclopedia of vegetables, she takes a gardening class, which helps her to heal.
The Overstory, By Richard Powers, DB91490 A group of nine strangers are tied together by their shared desire to protect one of the last virgin forests in America. They include a wounded Vietnam vet, a student who dies and is revived, and a scientist who learns that trees can communicate. The Snow Child by Yon Ivy, DB75862 still grieving over their stillborn child, middle aged couple Mabel and Jack left a comfortable Pennsylvania life in 1918 to homestead in Alaska. Two years later, after building a snow child, they see glimpses of a young girl who appears to live in the
[00:02:36] Speaker C: woods where the crawdads Sing, By Delia Owens, DB9200245 in late 1969, when Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals of Barkley Cove, North Carolina, immediately suspect Kia Clark, the so called Marsh Girl. But Kia is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home.
The Nature Fix, By Florence Williams, DB91040 A journalist examines anecdotal evidence of the impact of nature on the human brain. Using specific examples and neurological studies, she discusses the effects the varying lengths of interactions with nature has on brain function. Includes profiles of programs that assist those with PTSD and more to the Bright Edge of the World by Jan Ivy, DB8581 1885 journal entries by Allen, a US army colonel and his wife Sophie. During their time separated, Alan and his unit are sent to explore the Alaskan frontier. His experiences are adventurous and surrealistic while Sophie rails against societal expectations and learns
[00:04:08] Speaker A: photography A Natural History of Empty Lots By Christopher Brown, DB124463 A genre bending blend of naturalism, memoir and social manifesto for rewilding the city, the self and society. A Natural History of Empty Lots is a genre defying work of natural writing, literally literary nonfiction and memoir that explores what happens when nature and the city intersect. During the real estate crash of the late 2000s, Christopher Brown purchased an empty lot in an industrial section of Austin, Texas. The property, abandoned and full of litter and debris, was an unlikely site for a home.
Brown had become fascinated with these empty lots around Austin, so called ruined spaces once used for agriculture and industry. Awaiting their redevelopment, he discovered them to be teeming with natural activity and embarked on a 20 year project to live in and document such spaces. There, in our most damaged landscapes, he witnessed the remarkable resilience of wild nature and how we can heal ourselves by healing the earth. Beautifully written and philosophically hard hitting, A Natural History of Empty Lots offers a new lens of on human disruption and nature, offering a sense of hope among the ajilions.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, DB 65463 author contemplates the metaphysics of nature in Virginia's Blue Ridge Valley during the seasons of a year. Combines meditations with scientific observations, philosophy and introspection.
The island of Missing Trees By Lif Shafak, DB10666 92 teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Costas and Daphne grow in their forbidden love for each other.
[00:06:18] Speaker B: The March magazine of the Month is Audubon. Definitely. This magazine is dedicated to the appreciation, understanding and preservation of the natural world, especially birds and the habitats they depend on. Audubon is published five times a year and is available in audio on cartridge
[00:06:36] Speaker C: and download through Bard Leland Here with this month's tech tip. I'll be sharing with you useful commands for screen readers that is helpful when filling out forms on a computer. When using a screen reader like Jaws or NVDA on websites, there are two different modes the screen reader will bounce between.
Most times we don't notice the change, but when filling out a form online, it becomes more noticeable.
One mode allows you to navigate the website using letters on your keyboard like H for headings and B for buttons, while the other allows you to interact with the website like typing in your username and password.
These modes are called different things depending on screen reader, so I'll refer to them as the Navigating mode and the Typing mode. When filling out a form, pressing some keys to navigate will have unintended effects like arrowing up or down will change options that you've selected, or hitting escape will reset the whole form. That's why this command is so important when trying to fill out a form with a screen reader. For Jaws users, the command is JAWS semicolon. For NVDA users, the command is NVDA space.
When you use these commands, a sound will be made to let you know you switched modes. This will ensure the keys that you press will be used for navigating, not typing. And that's it. I'll see you again in the next
[00:08:10] Speaker D: Tech Tip Hi, it's Sydney with this month's staff pick. I'm going to switch it up from suggesting a good book and would like suggest a podcast I've been enjoying. I want to start by saying I'm a big history nerd. So much so that I majored in history in college and lately I have had a little trouble falling asleep and this podcast has been an amazing help. This podcast is titled Sleep Story and both explains medieval histories and the history of World War I. This podcast is created by the user MokeyPunch and the entire series can be found on all music streaming services.
The series I like most by this creator is the World War I series.
Each episode presents a selection of history pertaining to the First World War coupled with a soothing background noise and the sound of a crackling fire.
It is narrated by a calming British voice that lulls you to sleep while also providing you with interesting history.
As a history buff, I love that I get to learn history, but I also love that the podcast helps me sleep as well.
If podcasts aren't your thing but you like history like I do, I also very much enjoy the book the First World A Complete History by Martin Gilbert, DB 40464.
This book provides a thorough account of World War I and is a great read for history buffs. I liked how this author weaved primary sources into their book as well as provided accounts from soldiers, politicians, and citizens affected by the war.
If World War history is your thing, like it is mine. I would love for you guys to give these two suggestions a listen.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: It's not too late to sign up for Peekabox. You can sign up by calling the library at 5152811323 or online at IowaLibrary blog each month, participating patrons receive a cartridge of specially curated books set in that month's Olympic host city and a sticker to stamp the passport they will receive with their first box. Picabox is designed for patrons 18 years
[00:10:08] Speaker B: and older interested in joining a book club. We offer several options for all ages and reading styles, including the Tuesday Book Club, Thursday Book Club, no Book Book Club and Beyond the Book Teen Book Club. Meeting times vary and all groups are accessible by conference call. For schedules and more details, contact the library for more information.
No matter what your age or interest, there's a book club waiting for you.
[00:10:35] Speaker C: And don't forget about all of our wonderful youth programs. Crafting your story beyond the Book Teen Book Club, makerspace Mondays and braillebabies, they offer flexibility, learning opportunities and social connection, all from the comfort of home. Contact Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian or the library for more information on these programs.
[00:11:03] Speaker A: Volunteers for the Iowa Library for the Blind Save the date the Elizabeth Porowski Volunteer Workshop at Luncheon will be held Friday, April 24th 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.
[00:11:20] Speaker B: NLS's Smart Speaking to the Smart speaker will be held Thursday, March 19 at 6pm and that all May Eat Read will be held Tuesday, March 24th at 6:00pm all programs are held via Zoom and the topics have not been released yet.
Check our blog, IowaLibrary blog for updated information.
Contact the library to get more information or go to www.loc.govnlS.
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 reading.
