WTBBL closed to public
As of July 1, 2025, the library building is open by appointment only and phones go to voicemail due to loss of funding. Services continue as usual. To request an appointment, call 800-542-0866 or email [email protected].
Other Materials
In addition to books, WTBBL offers a variety of other materials to our patrons:
Memory Kits for Adults
These memory kits were developed specifically for low vision patrons with dementia who reside in senior living communities. The kits are based on reminiscence therapy, a non- pharmacological intervention that improves self-esteem and provides older patients with a sense of fulfillment and comfort as they look back at their lives. While reminiscing involves recalling past events, it encourages patients to communicate and interact with a listener in the present.
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Each kit includes a talking book player and a cartridge with 7 titles based on a theme. Themes include Cars, Gardening, Football, Baseball, Cats, Dogs, France, Italy, Trains, Cooking, and the 1950s. Each kit contains a conversation card with suggested open-ended questions for the caregiver to ask, and tactile items and sensory objects to spark conversation. Some examples include smelling jars, a mini Eiffel Tower, aqua paint packs, a dog stuffed animal, a mini music box, and a wooden train set.
The kits can be checked out by activity directors and life enrichment coordinators at senior living communities and used with individual community members or in a group. We are excited to partner with professional staff to encourage the use of our Talking Book program and expand what we can offer our senior community by meeting their needs where they are.
If you or someone you know lives in a senior living community and would be interested in this program, please pass our contact information to the activity director. They can call 800-542-0866 or email [email protected].
Early Literacy Kits
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WTBBL has created ten Early Literacy Kits. These kits offer different themes promoting early literacy tips and strategies. Kit themes include Farm, Food, Music, Opposites, Taking Care of Myself, Things That Go, Wild Animals, Backyard Bugs, Community Helpers, Counting and Shapes. All kits include two print/braille board books, accessible games or toys, and a list of action rhymes and songs to be used by a young child and caregiver. Call 800-542-0866 or email [email protected] to request a kit.
iBill Currency Reader
The iBill Currency Reader is a handy tool for individuals who are blind or have low vision. It identifies U.S. paper currency denominations quickly and audibly, ensuring confidence in handling money independently.
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WTBBL partners with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to provide currency reader devices, free of charge, to eligible individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The currency reader, called the iBill Talking Banknote Identifier, is a compact device that announces a note’s value in one of three ways: voice, pattern of tones, or pattern of vibrations. Just insert a note into the device and press the button on the side to have the denomination identified. WTBBL patrons who are interested can receive the free iBill directly from WTBBL by contacting 800-542-0866 or email [email protected].
For more information about the iBill visit the U.S. Currency Reader Program webpage on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing website.
Music Scores and Music Instructional Materials
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The Music Section of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress, has the largest music collection of its kind in the world, with more than 25,000 audio, braille, and large-print music scores, texts, and other instructional materials. The collection materials range in levels from beginning to advanced and can be searched online through the NLS Catalog. To borrow materials from the Music Section, contact the NLS Music Section directly via phone 800-424-8567 ext. 2 or via email at [email protected].