The Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library provides free library service to residents of Indiana who cannot use standard printed materials due to a visual, physical or reading disability.
Patrons may borrow braille books, digital audiobooks, large print books, audio magazines, and special playback equipment from the library; materials will be mailed directly to patrons’ homes. Braille and audiobooks are also available to download from BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) service and the BARD Mobile app for iOS, Android or Amazon Fire devices.
The Talking Book and Braille Library has been an important part of the Indiana State Library since 1934, when it became part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled program.
NLS, established by an Act of Congress in 1931 to serve blind adults, was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1962 to provide music materials, in 1966 to include individuals with other physical disabilities that prevent reading regular print and in 2016 to permit NLS to provide refreshable braille displays.
Congress funds The NLS program annually, and books and materials are mailed as “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped” through a separate appropriation to the United States Postal Service.
The network started with 19 libraries in 1931 and has now expanded to 55 regional libraries, 26 subregional libraries, and 16 advisory and outreach centers serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
If you or someone you know is interested in receiving more information about the TBBL program, call the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library at (574) 259-5277 ext. 3101.
Getting Started
- Applications for Free Library Service
- Patron Manual
- National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)