Open Book for Libraries: June 2026

Open book for libraries

In this issue:

Letter from CELA’s Executive Director

It’s summer reading season! There’s something about picking up a new book this time of year that feels especially enticing. Maybe it reminds us of childhood summer holidays, when it seemed like there was so much time for reading.

Summer reading clubs have begun. I know libraries are putting in extra effort to create welcoming and accessible programming and activities, and the TD Summer Reading Club has resources online to support accessibility. We also have a collection of books which supports the club. If there is a young person in your life with a print disability, encourage them to seek out what’s available at their local library.

I have just returned from a trip to Oslo where I had the honour of attending the DAISY Board meeting and the DAISY Technical Meeting representing DAISY Consortium Canada (DCC). Meeting with our colleagues from around the world and exchanging ideas and information is always inspirational. There were many discussions about new standards and file formats, including the new ebraille standard, which will allow for better navigation and integrated tactile graphics. I sometimes wonder what Louis Braille might think of the advancements made to braille.

The inspiration from the Oslo meeting dovetails with our own strategic planning work. We are delighted to be releasing our new Strategic Plan this week and I invite you to read it.

I want to thank everyone who contributed to its development, including users and colleagues, who provided input through surveys, focus groups and meetings, as well as our consultants and of course, our Board and staff. We are all looking forward to diving into this work.

Whatever and wherever you are reading this summer, I hope you find it relaxing, inspiring, or entertaining (or maybe all three!)

Happy reading!

Laurie Davidson, Executive Director

Awards update

Book cover of She's a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock.Meredith Hambrock's novel, She's A Lamb!, is the winner of the 2026 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.

The $25,000 prize is one of the oldest of its kind, established in 1947 to support the growth of Canadian humour writing. Also on the shortlist was Susin Nielsen for SNAP and Mark Waddell for Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World. 

Jen Sookfong Lee and Amanda Leduc are among the authors longlisted for the 2026 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The award annually recognizes the best Canadian fantasy books. The winner will receive $3,000.

Lee was longlisted for The Hunger We Pass Down. Leduc was longlisted for the novel Wild Life available in audio and braille.

Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet has won the 2026 Women's Prize for Nonfiction for her book The Finest Hotel in Kabul.

Congratulations to the winners for the Alberta Book Awards! 

The Crime Writers of Canada announced their 2026 winners earlier this month. 

Read all the nominated titles in our collection.

And congratuations to the winners of the Atlantic Book Awards:

  • milktooth by Jaime Burnet won the $30,000 Thomas Radall Atlantic Fiction Award.
  • Five Seasons of Charlie Francis by Danica Roache won both the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award (Fiction) and the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction.

Ann Patchett will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction which honours "an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished by its mastery of the art, as well as its originality of thought and imagination". Read her work in our collection.

Reading in the News

A colourful stack of books.The Guardian recently ran a piece by Mark Jones, bemoaning his inability to focus on reading the way he did in his youth, and his goal of getting back to reading the books he loved. 

I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?

From the article "In less than a decade, surrounded by screens, I lost my ability to read some of the best books ever written. But, inspired by the Guardian’s 100 best novels list, I was determined to get it back."

If you'd like to give the classics a try, check out our Classic Fiction category.

Refreshing our homepage

You may notice some minor changes to the CELA homepage over the next few days. We have combined and renamed some of the sections on the homepage to streamline the content. Here are the major changes:

  • The name of the “Check it out” section is changing to “Discover your next read”. You can now find the Top 5 Reads lists on our Recommended page for adults suggestions, or our Kids and Teens page.
  • Our title suggestion form can now be found on the bottom of the page in our Suggestion Box section.
  • You will see the What’s New at CELA section closer to the top where we feature new and interesting updates to CELA programs, events and our most recent blog post.
  • Our updated collections section includes brief information and links for CELA’s collection, and the Bookshare collection.
  • The How to read books from CELA section has been updated, with the list of links in a slightly different order that now also includes links for DAISY players and braille displays.

Only these items on the homepage are being updated. The majority of our website is unchanged, including our help pages, the magazine and newspaper pages and our recommended pages. There are no changes to the search functions, the catalogue filters or the My Account page.

We hope these changes make it easier for our users, especially our new users, to find what they need.

CELA’s Strategic Plan 2026 – 2031

We are thrilled to reveal our 2026 strategic plan which will guide our work for the next five years. This plan was shaped by input from over 500 of our users, member library staff, colleagues and supporters, and by the hard work by our Board and staff team. The full document is available on our website or as a PDF. Read our blog to learn more about the process and ways that the feedback we received has been included in the plan.

We want to thank everyone who participated in our surveys, focus groups and interviews during this process.

July is Disability Pride Month

Visually-safe redesigned Disability pride flag.We are celebrating Disability Pride Month in July with books for young readers.

As a special treat, our new summer intern Angela is working on a blog post about her work on our printbraille collection and her picks for Disability Pride Month for young readers. We want to introduce Angela! 

"Hi Everyone! My name is Angela Kim. I’m a co-op student attending the iSchool at the University of Toronto, interning at CELA for the summer as an Accessible Library Assistant. I love reading and creative writing and I have a strong interest in accessibility, mental health, and children’s and young adult’s library services and programs."

Stay tuned for Angela's blog post. And if you would like to read more titles about people with disabilities, check out our Disability Fiction category or read some of our previous blog posts. 

Books for Disability Pride Month

Celebrating stories from the disability community

Accessible Library Programming for Children Webinar

A laptop computer displaying various other users tuned into a webinar.We all want our public libraries to feel welcoming to our community members, but how do we structure our spaces, programs and collections to be inviting for kids with disabilities and their families?

In a new webinar available on AccessibleLibraries.ca, presenters Jessica Desormeaux (CELA) and Megan Sellmer (NNELS) offer some answers in an interactive session designed to inspire participants to rethink how they plan, promote and deliver their programs, collections and services to accommodate patrons with disabilities and their reading needs. Additional resources are available as part of the webinar.

Presented by Jessica Desormeaux (CELA) and Megan Sellmer (NNELS), the webinar speakers have over 10 years of experience in the accessible library field, including supporting access to children’s books in accessible formats.

Reading for Truth and Reconciliation: The Misewa series

Book cover of The World's End : The Misewa Saga, Book Six (The Misewa Saga) by David A. Robertson.The long awaited final book in Davide A. Robertson's Misewa series has just been released. The series follows Morgan and Eli, two  Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. 

A fantasy for readers aged ten and up, the Misewa Saga (“misewa” is Cree for “all that is”) reflects stories of the sky and the constellations held within its great canvas.

In The World's End, Eli must embrace his unique heritage and make an impossible decision about his future, and the future of Misewa, in this thrilling last adventure in the award-winning, Narnia-inspired Indigenous middle-grade fantasy series. Eli, Morgan and Emily manage to free themselves from captivity as the battle between the humans, animal beings, and Bird Warriors rages on. But there's another, more personal battle, as Eli and an unlikely ally fight to save Mahihkan’s life through a previously forbidden portal. When the Sleeping Giant rumbles to life, the stakes hit an all-time high, and Eli has to reach deep within himself to summon the power so that he can protect Misewa against the dangers of colonization... forever.

The World's End: The Misewa Saga, Book Six (The Misewa Saga) By David A. Robertson

Read the rest of the series!

Books to promote at your library

A megaphone.Are you looking to promote some new accessible titles in your newsletters, social media feeds, or as part of an in-branch display?

Download the list of promotable titles and share it with your communications team.

Find the new list, updated monthly and featuring links to new books in our collection, on our For Libraries page.

Webinars

Are there topics related to accessibility that you would like to see included in our webinars? We regularly update our content and always appreciate hearing ideas from library staff. Send your suggestions to members@celalibrary.ca.

Please note that our webinars are on hiatus for July and August. You are welcome to view recordings of previous webinars or sign up for the webinars listed below, which will be offered again in the fall.

Envoy Connect: An accessible and affordable audiobook player

This webinar will provide a basic introduction to the Envoy Connect player, a portable, affordable and easy-to-use device to listen to CELA's audiobooks. This webinar is for both library staff and CELA patrons who want to learn more about this device.

This webinar will cover:

  • Basics of the Envoy Connect Player: what it is, how it works, etc.
  • How to manage books on the Envoy Connect with the CELA Connect software.
  • Where to find learning resources or purchase the player.

To register for the online Zoom webinar please select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.

Tues Sept 15 2:00-3:00pm EDT

CELA Orientation webinar

An overview of CELA service for public libraries providing this service to your patrons with print disabilities. This is a great overview for staff who are new to your library or for staff who just need a refresher on CELA’s services for libraries and patrons.

This 60 minute webinar will cover the following:

  • What is CELA and the role of libraries
  • Eligibility
  • CELA’s collections
  • Formats & services available to patrons and libraries
  • Registering for CELA
  • How to integrate CELA service at your library

Tues, Sept 22 2:00-3:00pm EDT

Educator Access Program webinar

This webinar will introduce library staff and educators to the CELA Educator Access program. This program is offered through public libraries and gives teachers and other educators access to CELA’s collection to support their students with print disabilities at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels.  

Audience: Public library staff and educators. Educators can include teachers, teacher librarians, educational assistants, and special education teachers – anyone who supports students with print disabilities in a formal educational setting.

Learning goals: 

  • How to register with the Educator Access program
  • What alternate formats and reading technologies are available for students at all levels in the CELA collection
  • What is Bookshare and how can educators get access
  • How to find, access and read our books, magazines and newspapers in audio, e-text and braille

Length: 60 minutes

Wed, Oct 21 7:00-8:00pm EDT

We offer additional webinars for our patrons on our Webinars for You page. Educators are welcome to register for these webinars.

Getting Started with Accessible Reading Canada: Listen to CELA Audiobooks with Alexa

Join us for a live webinar introducing Accessible Reading Canada, a new way for CELA patrons to enjoy CELA audiobooks using Alexa-enabled smart speakers. This 60-minute session will walk you through how to use voice commands to search, browse, and listen to audiobooks from your CELA Direct to Player Bookshelf using the Accessible Reading Canada Alexa skill.

This webinar will cover:

  • What Alexa-enabled smart speakers are and how they work
  • How to set up and use the Accessible Reading Canada skill
  • How to use voice commands for browsing and reading
  • Where to find help guides and additional support

After the presentation, there will be a Q&A session to ask additional questions. This session will be recorded.

To register for the online Zoom webinar please select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.

Tues Oct 27 3:00-4:00pm EDT

 

Featured title for adults: Dead Weight

Cover of the book Dead weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir.Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door. When she tracks down the cat's wayward owner, she finds a young woman just as lost and in need of help. Like a gust of cold air in a Reykjavík night, Ásta and her pet slip into Unnur's life. It's unexpected, but welcome. Unnur likes the company, and she begins to rely on Ásta in turn. 

But like a black cat, trouble has been tailing her new friend, and Unnur is the only one there for Ásta when things take a violent turn. The two women quickly learn that nothing tests a friendship like blood on your hands

Read Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir in our collection.

Top five books

Cover of the book Yesteryear: a novel by Caro Claire Burke.Most popular with our readers last month:

  1. Yesteryear: a novel by Caro Claire Burke, Suspense and thrillers
  2. The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny, Canadian authors (fiction)
  3. Tom Lake: a novel by Ann Patchett, Family stories
  4. Snap: A novel by Susin Nielsen, Humourous fiction
  5. Ironwood (Detective Stilwell #2) by Michael Connelly, Mysteries and crime stories

 

Top five for kids

Cover of the book The cat mummy by Jacqueline Wilson.Most popular with kids last month:

  1. The Cat Mummy by Jacqueline Wilson, Animal stories
  2. Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett, Science fiction
  3. Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-proof Death Ray by Jess Keating, Canadian authors (Fiction)
  4. The Stormy Road to Canterlot: the prequel to My Little Pony, the movie by Sadie Chesterfield, Animal stories
  5. Joy the Summer Vacation Fairy (Rainbow magic.) by Daisy Meadows, Fables and fairy tales

Featured title for teens: Behind Five Willows

Cover of the book Behind Five Willows by June Hur.As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber in order to make a little extra money. It's dangerous work, but she loves it. Especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus. 

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn't be so terrible... if it weren't for the young man's uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them. As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He's kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father's son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie. When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple, along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly.

Read Behind Five Willows by June Hur in our collection.

Top five for teens

Cover of the book Middletown by Sarah Moon.Most popular with teens last month:

  1. Middletown by Sarah Moon, 2SLGBTQIA+ fiction
  2. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins, Science fiction
  3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Fantasy
  4. Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams: a novel in verse by Shari Green, Award winning fiction
  5. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien, Classic fiction

Service tip: Do you know about CELA’s e-text formats?

Did you know that many CELA titles, as well as titles in the Bookshare collection, are available in multiple e-text formats? E-text allows readers to read the text on a screen and the format has endless customization options that suit the needs of many individuals with print disabilities.

DAISY text and EPUB formats can be read in many reading apps, such as Dolphin EasyReader, where you can adjust the text size, colour, font, spacing, add bookmarks, and more. Text-to-speech can even be used to hear the text. Titles downloaded in EPUB format can be read on e-readers such as Kindle and Kobo. These titles are available in Word format as well, which offers even more ways to customize and interact with the text. Patrons can read at their own pace because there are no time limits on books and magazines from CELA!

Holiday hours

CELA and the Contact Centre will be closed on Wednesday, July 1 for Canada Day. We will reopen with regular hours on Thursday, July 2. 

CELA and the Contact Centre will also be closed August 3 for the civic holiday, and September 7 for labour day. 

Stay connected!

Logos of X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Visit CELA's social media, including Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, YouTube and our blog, for more news about what's happening in the world of accessible literature.