Braille Institute Invites Readers Everywhere to Join Free Nationwide Summer Reading Program Featuring Bestselling Authors, National Parks, and Immersive Storytelling

National Library Service Selects Braille Institute to Curate and Host Nine-Week "Unearth a Story" Series Open to All Readers Across the Country

LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Braille Institute Library is proud to announce that it has been selected by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress, to curate and host the 2026 Adult Summer Reading Program, a nationwide nine-week literary and learning experience designed for readers who are blind or have low vision — and open free of charge to anyone, anywhere interested in participating.

Presented in collaboration with NLS, this year's program, "Unearth a Story," invites audiences to discover stories hidden in landscapes, archives, family histories, science, and lived experience through live virtual author conversations and immersive narrated soundscapes.

The program marks the first time Braille Institute Library has been selected to curate and host the national Adult Summer Reading Program for the NLS network.

"Braille Institute is honored to have been selected by the National Library Service to curate and host this year's Summer Reading Program," said Lisa Lepore, Director of Library Services for Braille Institute. "What makes this series especially exciting is that anyone can participate from anywhere. Whether you are a lifelong reader, a library patron, a student, or simply curious about storytelling and discovery, these free virtual events offer an opportunity to connect with incredible authors, explore fascinating places, and experience stories in entirely new ways."

Running from June 15 through August 11, 2026, the Summer Reading Program features five live virtual author talks held every other week on Zoom. Following our June 15th kick-off event, the series opens June 16 with bestselling author Peter Heller in conversation with public radio journalist Maeve Conran. Additional sessions will feature acclaimed writers and discussions exploring national parks as living archives, nonfiction as excavation, biography and memoir, and historical fiction.

Designed to be highly accessible and engaging, the program also includes four pre-recorded immersive narrated soundscapes transporting listeners to some of America's most iconic landscapes, including Badlands National Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Everglades National Park, and Cape Cod National Seashore. Released every other week, the soundscapes will be available in both English and Spanish through the Braille Institute and NLS websites.

Lepore said "Unearth a Story is about curiosity, and about reading books by authors we love and those new to us. Through these live conversations and immersive audio experiences, participants can engage directly with authors and stories while exploring history, nature, science, and culture together."

While Braille Institute's library and literacy programs are designed to support people who are blind or have low vision, the Summer Reading Program is intentionally open to all audiences, including families, educators, caregivers, students, book clubs, and lifelong learners nationwide.

Registration provides access to the entire nine-week series rather than individual sessions.

The Summer Reading Program is free and open to the public. Participants can learn more and register at brailleinstitute.org/summer-reading-program.

About Braille Institute
For more than a century, Braille Institute has been positively transforming the lives of people with vision loss. Through a broad range of free programs, classes, and services offered online and in person throughout Southern California, Braille Institute empowers individuals of all ages to live independently with confidence and dignity. For more information, visit www.brailleinstitute.org.

About Braille Institute Library

Braille Institute Library is the Southern California regional network library for the National Library Service (NLS), Library of Congress, a role it has held for nearly a century. A two-time recipient of national awards for library excellence, the Library serves eligible patrons across 10 Southern California counties, and also offers virtual literary and educational programming open to anyone, anywhere.

About the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress, administers a free national library program that provides braille and audio materials to eligible individuals who are blind, have low vision, or have other print disabilities through a nationwide network of cooperating libraries.

SOURCE Braille Institute of America