In this issue:
- Letter from CELA’s Executive Director
- Awards update
- Reading in the news
- Books to promote at your library
- CD transition
- We need your feedback
- Reading for Truth and Reconciliation
- Update on Canada Post strike
- Recommendations for Remembrance day
- Accessibility and Copyright Law
- Webinars
- Metadata matters
- Celebrating Braille in January
- Featured title for adults: A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land
- Top five books
- Featured title for kids: A sick history of medicine: A warts-and-all book full of fun facts and disgusting discoveries
- Top five for kids
- Top five for teens
- Service tip: Accessing CELA audiobooks
- Holiday hours
- Stay connected!
Letter from CELA’s Executive Director
As our libraries and users know, CELA’s primary goal is to provide accessible reading materials to those who need them. That work, which begins with selecting titles and winds its way through layers of production and distribution, supporting libraries and users along the way, keeps our team plenty busy. Sometimes this work also allows us to participate in projects which support the broader equitable reading landscape.
Recently we’ve been part of creating an Accessibility Guide for Canadian Copyright laws to help individuals and organizations understand the exceptions in the Copyright Act of Canada, and use those exceptions to create accessible versions of reading materials for people with print disabilities. If you’d like to learn more, we have a webpage available and there are links to the full report.
At times, our work also requires us to pause and evaluate what we’ve accomplished and where we are heading. We’re in the early stages of doing just that by launching a new strategic planning process that will begin in 2026. We will be sharing more about how the process will unfold and what ways our libraries and users will be able to contribute in the coming months.
While all this work is exciting, we’re always grateful to be able to celebrate books and stories that we can share with our users. Please check out our Awards page to learn about the award nominees available in our collection. A special congratulations to the selected books from the First Nations Community Reads program which is supported and organized by the Ontario First Nation Public Library Community and the Ontario Library Service, along with their partners.
As we wrap up Dyslexia Awareness and Library Month, we want to take a moment to thank all the folks who advocate for accessible reading materials and to the libraries who play a crucial role in supporting accessibility and equitable reading.
Happy reading!
Laurie Davidson, Executive Director
Awards update
Maggie Helwig won the Toronto Book Award for her nonfiction work Encampment. We have it in audio and braille.
The Canadian Children's Book Awards were announced this month. Congratulations to all the winners.
The Governor General's Awards for Literature has announced its list. We have a number of nominated titles and more on the way. You can find up to date lists on our Awards page.
The Evergreen Award has announced its 10 nominees. We have many titles in our collection now more will be added soon. Good luck to all the authors.
Canadian author Omar El Akkad's debut nonfiction work One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This has made the shortlist for U.S. National Book Award. It is available in braille and audio in our collection.
Many of the Writer's Trust Awards will announce the winners in November including:
- 2025 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
- Hilary Weston Prize shortlist
- Dayne Olgivie Prize shortlist
The Giller Prize shortlist has been released. Check out accessible versions in our collection.
Reading in the news
Self magazine recently ran an article entitled 'Book Compatibility Is the New Love Language. While we know this might be better as a Valentine's story, we did think the article brought up some interesting points about compatability in reading.
Books to promote at your library
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.
CD transition
If you are learning new ways of reading CELA titles or looking for help to find and select books, we have lots of support and resources for you, including guides and tutorials which can be found on the CD Transition Resources page on our website.
Upcoming webinars for libraries include How to support library patrons to read CELA’s audiobooks and magazines: Transitioning from reading on CDs to other devices. Tues, Dec 9: 2:00-3:00pm EST
Please note that as of the end of October, the Envoy Connect device is out of stock at Smartlife. They are expected to be restocked in mid to late December.
If users need additional support, please have them reach out to our Contact Centre by phone or email. The Contact Centre can book a one on one appointment to assist you in configuring your device for Direct to Player options.
We need your feedback
We need your feedback!
As you know, CELA is no longer providing CDs effective July 31, 2025. We've created a survey to capture your feedback on the transition.
This survey is an opportunity to let us know how effective our training and communications were for libraries during the transition from receiving CELA's DAISY audiobooks on CD to digital delivery. We will use this feedback to find out how we can best continue to support our users through this change. We have also included some questions about our communications in general.
The survey is open through to November 21. We would appreciate your responses.
Reading for Truth and Reconciliation
New to our collection!
21 things you need to know about indigenous self-government: A conversation about dismantling the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
Bob Joseph's 21 ThingsYou May Not Know About the Indian Act captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of Canadians by shining a light on the Indian Act and the problems associated with it.
In that book, readers learned that the Consolidated Indian Act of 1876 has controlled the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada for generations, and despite its objective to assimilate Indians into the economic and political mainstream, it has had the opposite effect: segregation. They live under different laws and on different lands.
People came away from that book with questions such as "Can we get rid of the Indian Act?" and "What would that look like? Would self-government work?" These are timely questions, given that 2026 will mark 150 years since the Consolidated Indian Act of 1876. The short answer to these questions is, yes, we can dismantle the Act, and there are current examples of self-government arrangements that are working.
Canada Post workers strike
As the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have switched to a rotating strike, CELA has returned to sending embossed physical braille, printbraille picture books and reloaded Envoy Connect devices by mail. It is now safe for users to return any printbraille books to CELA.
We will continue to monitor the negotiations and update our users if necessary..
Recommendations for Remembrance Day
We have gathered some titles that would be appropriate for reading in November in honour of Remembrance Day.
You can use our Browse by Category option to find more books related to war and military history.
The killing season: The autumn of 1914, Ypres, and the afternoon that cost Germany a war by Robert Cowley
Agents of influence: A British campaign, a Canadian spy, and the secret plot to bring America into World War II by Henry Hemming
Atrocity on the atlantic: Attack on a hospital ship during the great war by Nate Hendley
The First World War: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Michael Howard
World War II: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Gerhard L. Weinberg
Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 by David A. Borys
Till We Meet Again: A Canadian in the First World War by Brandon Marriott
Accessibility and Copyright Law
Thanks to an exception in the Canadian Copyright Act, people with perceptual disabilities are able to read accessible versions of published materials.
The "Accessible Content: A Guide to the Canadian Copyright Act on Searching for Accessible Formats and Producing and Distributing Alternate Formats" was created to provide a summary of the laws that govern this access.
Written by Victoria Owen (University of Toronto), Alexandra Kohn (McGill University) and Laurie Davidson (Executive Director of CELA), this guide is intended for use by alternate format producers, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, schools, colleges, universities and similar institutions and/or non-profit organizations acting for the benefit of people with perceptual disabilities, and for the users themselves.
The authors will present their report at the upcoming OLA Copyright Symposium on November 27, 2025 at 1pm EST.
To find the full report please visit our webpage Accessible Content Guide to Canadian Copyright Laws
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.
CELA and Accessible Reading Technologies, Devices, and Apps
People with print disabilities use a variety of mainstream and specialized technologies to read. Understanding these options is important because one size does not fit all, and choice of technology can help empower readers. This webinar will introduce participants to key accessible reading technologies used by library patrons with print disabilities including text-to-speech software, apps that support literacy, technologies that make reading accessible to those with motor or physical challenges, accessible reading apps for mobile devices and smart speakers.
Participants will learn about:
- The three types of print disabilities and the reading technologies used by them
- The importance of making technologies available to encourage reading enjoyment and success
- How accessible reading technologies work through demonstrating different apps and devices
- How to facilitate access to these technologies in your library and support your patrons who use these technologies
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
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, select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.
How to support library patrons to read CELA’s audiobooks and magazines: Transitioning from reading on CDs to other devices
In this 60 minute webinar, library staff will discover how to transition patrons with print disabilities from reading CELA’s audiobooks and magazines on CD, to a variety of players and apps. We will guide you through this change so you can continue to offer accessible reading materials through your library’s CELA account. You will learn:
- Which audiobook players and apps work with CELA audiobooks and magazines
- How to access CELA books and magazines onto library-owned devices
- How CELA can support book clubs and reading programs
- Where to find help, training and tutorials
Metadata matters
From time to time, we like to highlight work that the CELA team is doing “behind the scenes”. This month we are featuring Paul King, our Metadata Coordinator who is participating in a working group with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Accessibility Metadata Network.
The Accessibility Metadata Network's goal is to develop best practices and guidelines on the recording and use of accessibility metadata in libraries to improve discovery and access to content. Providing information about a resource's accessibility features ensures equitable access by helping patrons identify accessible resources. The Accessibility Metadata Network has international participation, containing members from a broad variety of institutions including public and academic libraries, authorized entities, and other library nonprofits.
We are grateful that Paul is contributing his expertise and highlighting accessibility within this network.
Celebrating Braille in January
The World Braille Month team is putting together resources to help libraries plan for and promote events and activities related to Louis Braille and the impact his code as made for people who are blind or have low vision.
The guide is packed with programming ideas, resources and more and will be available in early November on the NNELS website or linked from our blog.
World Braille Month includes programs for braille users throughout the month of January, Louis Braille’s birth month and is organized by The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), Alternate Education Resources Ontario (AERO), Braille Literacy Canada (BLC), the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), the CNIB Beyond Print, CNIB Foundation, the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), and the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI).
Featured title for adults: A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land
The sweeping, epic story of the mysterious land that came to be called "Canada" like it’s never been told before. Every map tells a story. And every map has a purpose--it invites us to go somewhere we've never been. It’s an account of what we know, but also a trace of what we long for. Ten Maps conjures the world as it appeared to those who were called upon to map it. What would the new world look like to wandering Vikings, who thought they had drifted into a land of mythical creatures, or Samuel de Champlain, who had no idea of the vastness of the landmass just beyond the treeline?
Adam Shoalts, one of Canada’s foremost explorers, tells the stories behind these centuries old maps, and how they came to shape what became "Canada." It’s a story that will surprise readers, and reveal the Canada we never knew was hidden. It brings to life the characters and the bloody disputes that forged our history, by showing us what the world looked like before it entered the history books. Combining storytelling, cartography, geography, archaeology and of course history, this book shows us Canada in a way we've never seen it before.
Winner of the 2018 Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for Nonfiction. Longlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize. Shortlisted for the 2018 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction.
Read A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land by Adam Shoalts.
Top five books
Most popular with our readers last month:
- Shadow Play by Sara Driscoll, Women sleuths
- The housemaid is watching by Freida McFadden, Suspense and thrillers
- The secret of secrets by Dan Brown, Adventure stories
- The marigold cottages murder collective by Jo Nichols, Mysteries and crime stories
- JFK: public, private, secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Biography
Featured title for kids: A sick history of medicine: A warts-and-all book full of fun facts and disgusting discoveries
A Sick History of Medicine: A Warts-And-All Book Full of Fun Facts and Disgusting Discoveries features music and special effects. Listen along and enjoy the fun! Warning: Not for the faint-hearted. This revolting history of medicine through the ages by Jelena Poleksic is full of blood, guts, and gore! If you don't like going to the doctor, spare a thought for your ancestors. Got a headache? We can drill into your skull!
Need to buy medicine? Can we recommend a dose of ground-up Egyptian mummy? Want to fight off diseases? Try smelling a stinky cesspit. It's well-known that, to make advances in science, you have to make a few mistakes along the way. In this hilarious history book, kids will be whisked around the world-from ancient Rome to imperial China-to meet the medical innovators who pushed the boundaries of what was possible, with sometimes disastrous effects. They'll learn about the use of leeches, maggot therapy (as gross as it sounds), dancing plagues, public dissections, grave robbers, electric eel treatments, exploding teeth, and much more! Written by a doctor, everything in this audiobook has been scrupulously researched and listeners will learn about the development of some of our greatest inventions, from vaccines to X-rays. Kids will want to return to this audiobook again and again. The vile sequel to the equally revolting A Stinky History of Toilets!
Top five for kids
Most popular with kids last month:
- The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga #1) by David A. Robertson, Indigenous peoples fiction
- Fatty legs: a true story by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Canadian non-fiction
- Megabat by Anna Humphrey, Animal stories
- Tales of a fourth grade nothing by Judy Blume and Roy Doty, Humourous fiction
- My robot buddy by Aldred Slote, Science fiction
Top five for teens
Most popular with teens last month:
- Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown, Science fiction
- In the shadow of blackbirds: a novel by Cat Winters, Ghosts and horror stories
- Middletown by Sarah Moon, LGBTQ+ fiction
- The hate u give by Angie Thomas, Multi-cultural fiction
- For Young Women Only: What You Need to Know About How Guys Think by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice, Inspirational and family life
Service tip: Accessing CELA audiobooks
Are you getting questions about how to access CELA's audiobooks? Check out our guides for some of our most popular options to read audiobooks. We’ve collected them for our on our CD Transitions Resource page.
And just a reminder that library staff are welcome to attend webinars for patrons to learn more about the basics of reading CELA audiobooks using a variety of devices and technology.
Holiday hours
CELA's Contact Centre will be closed Tuesday, November 11 to honour Remembrance Day. Full services will return on Wednesday, November 12.
Stay connected!
Visit CELA's social media, including X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, YouTube and our blog, for more news about what's happening in the world of accessible literature.