WORCESTER—A teenager once told Lee Anne Hooley he couldn’t wait to listen to Stephen King’s “It”—not just because he loves scary stories, but because his older sister hated it and he delighted in tormenting her with the details. For Hooley, head of Talking Book Services at the Worcester Public Library, that kind of moment sums up why the Worcester Talking Book Library matters: when people get access to books in the format they need, reading becomes joy again—and sometimes sibling warfare.
The Worcester Talking Book Library is doubling down on that mission this season, rolling out a pair of free holiday events while quietly powering one of the most wide-ranging accessibility services in Massachusetts.
Tucked inside the Worcester Public Library at 3 Salem Square, WTBL serves qualified residents across the state with everything from digital talking books to Braille materials. But the library also hosts programs meant for everyone—a reminder that accessibility isn’t a niche service but a community asset.
Hooley told the Worcester Guardian that WTBL is “one of two libraries for the blind and print disabled in Massachusetts. The other one is at the Perkins School for the Blind. Each state has at least one talking book library and many US territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico also have them.” WTBL operates under the umbrella of the Library of Congress’ National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, which provides much of the audio collection and national guidelines.
Many talking book libraries sit inside state agencies without public-facing space, Hooley noted. Worcester’s location—ground-level, bus-adjacent, and part of a bustling urban library—makes WTBL unusual. “We realized that being in a public library in a city near bus stops and with decent parking gave us a leg up in helping to bring people together through educational or entertaining events,” Hooley said. “We want to bring people together as well as bring them to the library!”
This month, that effort takes the form of two public events designed with inclusion at their core. On Friday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m., actors Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby of New Muse Productions perform a one-hour adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” described as a “lively, heartfelt” retelling.
On Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., WTBL will present an audio-described screening of “Elf,” a version that narrates key visual cues so blind and visually impaired viewers can follow every snowball fight, facial expression, and Will Ferrell flail.
Meanwhile, WTBL’s statewide services continue to expand. “Our circulation is going up, and our audio described movie series is gaining traction!” Hooley said. Two new outreach-focused librarians are helping spread the word, which Hooley admits has long been a challenge: “Our biggest issue is a lot of folks who could really benefit from a relationship with us don’t know we exist despite the fact that we’ve been living in the Main branch of WPL since 1973 or so.”
Eligibility is broad: residents may qualify if they’re blind, visually impaired, unable to hold or manipulate books, or have a perceptual or reading disability. Hooley added that a common misconception is that WTBL “is only for folks who are totally blind, and we only do Braille.” In reality, the library serves “folks with reading disabilities, folks with Parkinson’s who cannot hold a book, and even people who have paper or ink allergies.” Patrons range from infants to a 105-year-old who swears by large print.
With more than 1.2 million items across accessible formats—audio, Braille, large print, described video and more than 100 magazines—the library mails materials statewide at no cost. Locally, some stop by to use WTBL’s low-vision computers or grab their next read. Hooley describes the community fondly: “At any given time, I have three hundred favorite patrons,” she said. Some even tip her off about books to avoid. “I appreciate them trying to save me time.”
The impact is immediate. “At least once a day someone tells me how much this service has improved the quality of their life,” Hooley said. Elderly patrons coping with vision loss, college students newly diagnosed with reading disabilities, and teens discovering the joy of scaring their siblings—each finds connection through WTBL.
A full schedule of events, including the monthly book club, is available at mywpl.libnet.info/events. Those interested in services can call 508-799-1730 or 800-762-0085, or email talkbook@mywpl.org.
