The National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) is excited to announce that the first three books associated with our Braille Publication Project will be released over the next six weeks.

With support from the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program - Disability Component, NNELS has embarked on this project which will oversee the coordination of the simultaneous release and publication of a number of new Canadian books.

The three publishers whose books will be released first are the University of Calgary Press, the Royal British Columbia Museum, and Invisible Publishing. We have had the pleasure of developing braille transcriptions of three unique books. From the University of Calgary Press: The Red Chesterfield by Wayne Arthurson, an intriguing mystery novel (October 15, 2019); from The Royal British Columbia Museum: Once Well Beloved, by Michael Sasges, which shares the stories of 12 Canadian soldiers from the Nicola Valley who died in the First World War (October 18, 2019); and from Invisible Publishing: The Truth About Facts, by Bart Vautour, a poetic exploration of information (November 1, 2019).

Working with the Canadian transcription companies Point-par-Point Inc. and Tactile Vision Graphics, NNELS is overseeing the creation of both embossed and electronic braille files (BRF), which will be accessible to all braille-readers, and available to all Canadians with print disabilities. The upcoming books will be available to borrow in EPUB, BRF, and embossed braille through NNELS and through public libraries across Canada through NNELS’ distributed braille collection. Books in this collection are hosted by a number of libraries across Canada, and are available through interlibrary loan, anywhere in Canada. Print copies and embossed braille copies can also be purchased directly from the individual publishers’ websites.

Earlier this year, NNELS partnered with the enthusiastic House of Anansi Press to coordinate the simultaneous release of the 2019 Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology in both braille and print format (you can read more about that here), and we are excited to have the opportunity to continue coordinating simultaneous releases, as well as developing the process and model for the creation and distribution of braille.