Utah Libraries Have You Covered

Listen in as Rob Ence, the executive director of the Utah Commission on Aging, explains the role of the commission and how it works to connect research, public policy, and community resources on behalf of older adults. He details the partners and programs available to every Utah resident whether a senior adult or a caregiver for a senior. The commission also has many resources that benefit people who are blind and disabled. Rob Ence - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

Join our inspiring conversation with Macy Lewis, a Utah-based author and University of Utah graduate. She is known for writing children's books and romantic suspense novels, such as the “Hidden Hearts” series. She often focuses on themes of friendship, adventure, and faith. Macy has been blind since birth and works as a braille proofreader. Macy Lewis - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this edition of the Utah Libraries Have You Covered podcast, we introduce you to Art Access Executive Director Gabriella Huggins and discuss services offered through Art Access and how you can get involved. Gabriella is a multi-media arts practitioner and student of social work from Salt Lake City, Utah. For more than a decade, she has worked as youth mentor and teaching artist with a number of local nonprofits and city agencies, including Spy Hop Productions and Youth City. Her work has been recognized by Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks and in local and nationally respected publications. Listen to learn more about Art Access and how it helps blind and disabled patrons participate in art projects. Gabriella Huggins - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

Join the Utah Libraries Have You Covered podcast as we welcome Kat Potter, deputy director of the Department of Culture and Community Engagement (CCE). Kat provides a comprehensive overview of the nine divisions within CCE, discusses upcoming special events, and details her role and aspirations for the Department's future. Kat Potter - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this edition of the Utah Libraries Have You Covered podcast, Steven, Sarah, and their 11-year- old daughter, Mave Erb, explain why and how they came up with the idea of tactile, multi-sensory games for the blind and disabled. They introduce us to their company, Unicorn Soda Design, and detail how you can get your hands on these games. You’ll be amazed! Steven, Sarah, and Mave Erb - Guests Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this Utah Libraries Have You Covered Episode, Department of Culture and Community Engagement (CCE) Executive Director Donna Law details her journey to this position and her hopes for its future. Law talks about having worked with CCE Divisions in her previous role as communications and marketing director for the Utah Shakespeare Festival and at Southern Utah University. The conversation details each CCE Division and plans for the department’s statewide America 250 celebrations to touch every county in Utah. You are sure to enjoy this lively conversation with Executive Director Law. Donna Law - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this Utah Libraries Have You Covered episode, Jason Broughton, director of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), talks with us about his background and the services provided by the NLS and the Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled. If you’re not familiar with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), the name can be a little confusing. Here’s a brief overview of who this free nationwide library program serves. Follow the links for more information about how NLS can help you, a family member or friend, a student you teach, a patient you care for, or a patron of your library. If you are blind, deafblind, or have a significant visual impairment such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy, you can apply for NLS. But NLS isn’t only for people who are blind or visually impaired. If you have a physical disability that makes it difficult to hold a book or turn its pages, we’re ready to serve you. Even if your condition is temporary—if you’re recovering from a stroke, an injury, or eye surgery, for example—NLS can help. Likewise if you’re a student or an adult who has a reading disability such as dyslexia that makes it hard to read regular printed materials. Congress created NLS in 1931 out of concern for veterans who were blinded in war, and veterans—whether or not their qualifying disability is combat-related—still receive priority service. Any US resident, as well as American citizens living abroad, can apply. And it’s not only for adults. NLS has a large selection of books for children and teenagers, as well as resources for parents and guardians of children with visual or physical disabilities. And if you’re a librarian or an educator or other professional who serves people who might be eligible, we have materials to help you spread the word about NLS. Institutions—such as assisted living communities, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, libraries, and other facilities that serve multiple eligible users—can apply for NLS service as an institution. NLS patrons have access to hundreds of thousands of books and magazines in audio and braille that can be instantly downloaded to a personal device and kept indefinitely or can be sent and returned through the mail for free. And there are no waiting lists for popular titles! Reading materials are available in Spanish and many other languages too. NLS also has the world’s largest collection of accessible music instruction and appreciation materials. With BARD, the Braille and Audio Reading Download website, and the BARD Mobile app, patrons can access the NLS collection anytime, anywhere. NLS’s fully accessible audiobooks are created with patrons’ needs in mind, with features such as chapter-by-chapter navigation and audio descriptions of graphic material like maps, charts, and illustrations. Same for the custom-made playback equipment we loan to patrons who don’t have their own devices. NLS also produces resource guides on topics related to blindness and disabilities and compiles bibliographies of audio and braille books on financial planning, employment, and other useful subjects. NLS is part of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and operates through a nationwide network of libraries that serve residents of every state, US territory, and the District of Columbia. Those libraries process applications, circulate books by mail, help patrons find books that match their interests, and offer user support for NLS equipment. It doesn’t matter how far you live from the NLS network library that serves your state or community—they’re just a phone call or an email away. And this might be the best part: all NLS services are free. Jason Broughton - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

James Toledo is the deputy director for the Utah Division of Indian Affairs/Cultural and Community Engagement. Toledo also served as a program manager for the division where he has been instrumental in fostering relationships between the state government and Utah’s eight sovereign Tribal nations. Toledo oversees division programs aimed at improving communication, cooperation, and collaboration between the state and Tribal governments. He also continues to work closely with Lieutenant Governor Deidre M. Henderson, who leads the state's Indian affairs programs. In this podcast James talks about available program and resources for Utah's eight sovereign Tribal nations and outlook for the future of Indian Affairs. James Toledo - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

If you or someone you know is blind or disabled the last thing you may think of tackling is woodworking. Think again—a woodshop for the blind and disabled can be a valuable resource for individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities, providing a space for woodworking and other creative endeavors. These workshops can offer adapted tools, techniques, and guidance to make woodworking accessible and enjoyable. Additionally, they can provide a sense of community and social interaction for those with disabilities. At the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Woodshop instructor Ray Wright says there are so many benefits to woodworking. In this podcast Ray explains how adaptive tools, techniques, and training can make woodworking possible for  individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities. It is a great way to empower blind or disabled people to see what the are capable of and lead to personal and other vocational opportunities. In this Utah Libraries Have You Covered episode, Ray talks about his journey to becoming the Woodshop Instructor. Ray Wright - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this episode we chat with David Wicai, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement (CCE). CCE and its divisions are the heart and soul of Utah government. David talks about his role in CCE, CCE's nine divisions, and how we serve Utah residents. Utah Arts & Museums Utah State Library Division UServeUtah: Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs Utah Division of Indian Affairs Utah Historical Society Utah STEM Action Center Utah State Historic Preservation Office Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission Originally Recorded: December 2024. David Wicai - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this episode we chat with Cara Rothman, the Utah State Librarian and Division Director at the Utah State Library. Cara talks about the Utah State Library and Utah's public libraries. Originally Recorded: December 2024. Cara Rothman - Guest Jeri Openshaw - Host Jason Powers - Audio Recording Manager

In this episode we chat with Lisa Nelson, Program Manager with the Utah State Library Program for the Blind and Disabled and the library services provided to the blind and visually impaired. The Library houses the world's largest braille collection and the largest audiobook collection for the blind.  Individuals who cannot read or use conventional printed materials as a result of visual or physical limitations, i.e. blind, visual disability, physical disability, and/or reading/learning disability are by law eligible. This also includes persons in private homes, nursing homes, hospitals, schools and other institutions. Large Print Collection iBill Currency Reader Utah Regional Library for the Blind (Serves People) Multistate Center West (Serves Libraries) Braille and the Braille E-Reader: Serves 19 States BARD and the National Library Service Audiobooks and Audiobook Cartridges: Serves Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana Braille Transcribing Recording Studio, Locally Recorded Books, and Volunteer Readers Reading Materials for All Age Groups and All Interests Originally Recorded: November 2024. Lisa Nelson – Guest Jeri Openshaw – Host Jason Powers – Audio Recording Manager

In this episode we chat with Merrily Cannon, Library Development Program Manager with the Utah State Library (USL). Merrily chats about what the Library Development Program provides to Utah’s libraries and hygge, the Danish art of coziness. Originally Recorded: November 2024. Merrily Cannon – Guest Jeri Openshaw – Host Jason Powers – Audio Recording Manager

In this episode we chat with Adam Rushforth, Training & Adjustment Services Coordinator with the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the services provided to the blind and visually impaired. Originally Recorded: October 2024. Adam Rushforth – Guest Jeri Openshaw – Host Jason Powers – Audio Recording Manager

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Utah Libraries Have You Covered Podcast!  In this episode we chat with local author Julia Lyon about her children’s book A Dinosaur Named Ruth: How Ruth Mason Discovered Fossils in Her Own Backyard. Her book is available in our KLAS catalog. It will soon be available in braille. Please visit the https://blindlibrary.utah.gov for more information about the Utah State Library Program for the Blind & Disabled. Originally Recorded: August 2024. Julia Lyon – Guest & Utah Author Jeri Openshaw – Host Jason Powers – Audio Recording Manager