News & Events

Welcome to our 17 new partner sites! Librarians, teachers, and makerspace instructors from 13 different states traveled to Boulder, CO for a 3-day workshop. Participants got hands-on experience creating tactile fables, adding sound, and learning best practices for accessible and universal design.

Phyllis Davis, librarian at The Library Station has pulled together a wide-range of community members through participation in her Build a Better Book programs. Without a designated makerspace, Phyllis incorporated BBB into a regular "Teen Night" library program on Friday nights, introducing Design Thinking models, and partnering with 3Doodler who...

Conference date: June 28, 2020 Location : Anaheim, CA Build a Better Book: Empathy-Driven Design in School and Library Makerspaces Presenters: April Chamberlain, Dr. Stacey Forsyth, Ian Matty, Chelsea Sims Build a Better Book engages youth with an empathy-driven design task: creating accessible books and games for children who are...

Conference date: May 17–21, 2020 Session: Wednesday, May 20th from 1:30- 2:10 p.m. Location: Lincoln, Nebraska NLS 2020: Access, Discovery, Engagement, the 2020 National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Print Disabled Individuals Presenters: Stacey Forsyth, PhD - Director, CU Science Discovery, University of Colorado, Boulder Amanda Gonzalez - Reference...

Conference Date: May 6, 2020 Location: Cambridge, Maryland Presenters : Stacey Forsyth, PhD - Director, CU Science Discovery, University of Colorado, Boulder; Abigail DuPont - Special Needs Library Associate, Bel Air Branch, Harford County Public Library; Amanda Gonzalez - Reference and Patron Services Librarian, Maryland State Library for the Blind...

Conference Date: April 30, 2020 Location: Ocean City, Maryland Presenters: LaShawn Myles - Youth Services Librarian, Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Build a Better Book Approximately 1,250 education colleagues from across the state and surrounding areas for Maryland's top professional development event of the year. Thought-provoking...

Conference Date: April 21, 2020 Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa The Grant Wood AEA Building Bridges Conference provides the opportunity to learn about the latest in universal design, accessible and assistive technologies (AT), instructional strategies, and services for learners ages 0-21. Build a Better Book Presentation Presenters: Dianna Geers - Grant...

Build a Better Book teamed up with 3Doodler to promote Day of Giving on December 3. These BBB partners jumped in and combined 3D printing day with Giving Day to create tactile materials for blind or visually impaired members of their community. 3Doodler donated 3D printing pens and shared examples...

A beautiful partnership is growing between the public library makerspace and the high school in Mountain Lakes, NJ. Ian Matty, library makerspace instructor, has piloted a Build a Better Book project with computer science instructor Brandon Horn. Students in Horn's class immerse themselves in developing materials for blind and visually...

Stories for Your Senses: an accessible exhibition of tactile art, books, & games is on exhibit at the Boulder Public Library, Canyon Gallery from December 7, 2019 - February 2, 2020. This hands-on exhibit features tactile artwork by Ann Cunningham, Colorado artist and art educator at the Colorado Center for...