We’re excited
to announce a new partnership between the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) and the
National
Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) to ensure that patrons of all ages and abilities can fully participate in the summer reading experience. Through this collaboration, CSLP’s 2026 suggested book lists will also be offered
in braille and audio formats.
NLS, a free library service based at the Library of Congress, provides accessible reading materials to individuals who are blind, low vision or have a physical or reading disability that makes it difficult to read print. To learn more about NLS, please visit loc.gov/nls.
NLS also provided guidance on improving the accessibility of CSLP’s manual. CSLP has created a screen-reader-friendly version of the complete manual, which was added to the online manual in late March. NLS staff helped test these improvements.
To further support accessibility, CSLP is also developing a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for the manual. This process includes testing against WCAG 2.1 AA standards to ensure our materials meet recognized accessibility benchmarks.
CSLP is committed to universal access in library programming—designing and documenting materials so that everyone can participate. Together, CSLP and NLS are helping libraries offer more inclusive, barrier-free access to reading and programming. What this means
for your library: Your Unearth a Story® program can now reach even more patrons. We’re proud to make this partnership official and look forward to sharing more updates soon.
