Talking Book Program

Related Links

Loan Policy
Disability Information & Referral Center
National Library Service for the Blind & Print Disabled

What is the Texas Talking Book Program? 
The Texas Talking Book Program (TBP) provides free digital audio, large print, and braille books and magazines to Texans of all ages who cannot read standard print due to visual, physical, or reading disabilities. A division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, TBP serves as a regional library for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress.

How do I contact TBP? 
Email tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov, fill out this contact form online, or call 1-800-252-9605, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central).

What does TBP provide?
To registered patrons, TBP provides the following on loan: 

• Books and magazines
  • Digital audio format
  • Physical braille format 
  • Physical large print format
• Music scores and other instructional materials (no textbooks)
  • Digital audio format
  • Physical braille format 
  • Physical large print format
• Playback equipment
  • Digital Talking Book Machines (DTBMs)
  • Refreshable Braille Displays (Zoomax)
• Accessible games 
• On-demand tactile activity pages

To registered patrons, TBP also provides: 

• Access to digital playback methods 
  • BARD mobile application
  • BARD Express computer application
• Programming
  • Book clubs
  • Author talks
  • Summer reading program
  • Monthly e-newsletters
  • TBP Podcast
  • TBP Blog

Personalized librarian services in English and Spanish

• Bibliographies/book lists 
• Book recommendations 
• Equipment and tech support
• Account management support

To all Texans, TBP provides: 

• Disability information and referrals (through the DIRC)
• Answers to disability-related questions (through the DIRC)
• Outreach services 
  • Presentations 
  • Tabling/Exhibiting
  • Fliers, brochures, and promotional items

Do you have textbooks or newspapers?
No. However, TBP can refer you to organizations that provide them.

How much does TBP cost to use?
All of TBP’s services are completely FREE, including the materials themselves and the cost of postage both ways.

What happens if I lose or damage a TBP material? 
Patrons are never charged money for lost or damaged items. Simply contact us and we will replace the item for you.

Who is eligible to use TBP?
Texas residents of any age (there is no minimum age to register) who have been determined, by a Certifying Authority, to have a disability which prevents them from reading standard print books. These are often people who:

• Are blind
• Have a visual impairment that makes them unable to comfortably read standard print books
• Have a physical disability that makes it hard to hold or manipulate a book or to focus or move the eyes as needed to read a print book
• Have a perceptual or reading disability, such as dyslexia
• Have suffered a temporary injury, are recovering from strokes, are challenged with severe fatigue due to illness, are in hospice, are recovering from severe accidents, etc.

Who is not eligible to use TBP?

• Individuals who do not live in Texas
• Individuals who only struggle to read books because of a language barrier
• Individuals with one of the following conditions who do NOT struggle to read standard print books: 
  • Autism
  • ADHD
  • Down Syndrome
  • Dysgraphia
  • Dyscalculia

What is a Certifying Authority? 
Any professional staff of a public or welfare agency (such as an educator, a social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, 504 coordinator, dyslexia specialist, school psychologist, school superintendent, vice principal, school nurse, school librarian, local librarian, or local library director).
Any medical professional (such as a registered nurse, therapist, professional staff of hospitals or medical institutions, doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, or psychologist).

How do I apply/register/sign up? 
1. Fill out an application form.
2. Get it certified (signed) by a Certifying Authority.
3. Submit the finished application to TBP via email, mail, or fax
4. Wait for a phone call from our librarians who will help you get started.

What kinds of books does TBP have?
TBP has more than 175,000 titles including fiction and nonfiction. The collection includes books for all reading levels, in all genres, from all eras (from classics to newly released bestsellers). Popular genres include: 

• Detective and Mystery Fiction
• Romance Fiction
• Western Fiction
• Thrillers (Fiction)
• Christian Fiction
• Biographies 
• Cookbooks

Can I choose the books I get?
Yes! You can: 

• Request specific titles or authors
• Ask for recommendations based on your interests
• Set preferences (favorite genres, topics, reading level, and more)

If you prefer, TBP librarians can also select books for you based on what you like.

How long can I keep books and games?
Physical books and tabletop games can be kept for 60 days, with the opportunity to renew once, for a total of 120 days. Digital books can be kept indefinitely (there are no due dates).

How long can I keep playback equipment?
Digital Talking Book Machines (DTBMs) and refreshable braille displays can be kept for the lifetime of your membership. If you cease being a patron with TBP (for example, because you move out of the state of Texas), we ask that you return all physical materials and playback equipment at that time.

What are the benefits of BARD Mobile and BARD Express? 

• Download books whenever you want (there are no wait times).
• Get up to 250 unique titles in any rolling 30-day period.
• Keep books as long as you want (there are no due dates).
• Store multiple books on one device.
• Carry your favorite books in a portable format.

Watch the NLS BARD Mobile App How-To Videos to get started.

What if I move out of Texas?
Contact us and we will help get your account transferred to a different state (there is a Talking Book Program in every state).

Can family members, caregivers, or staff help manage an account?
Yes. With the patron’s permission, a family member, caregiver, teacher, or staff member can often help:

• Choose books
• Place requests
• Manage deliveries and returns

Contact TBP to learn what is allowed and how to set it up.

Can you help with other issues related to my disability?
Yes. The reference librarian at the Disability Information and Referral Center can answer questions about health and disability issues. Call toll-free at 1-800-252-9605 or email dirc@tsl.texas.gov.

I speak and read Spanish better than English. Can I use Talking Books?
Yes. Some TBP staff members speak both Spanish and English. TBP’s website, applications, and newsletters are in both languages. Many books and some magazines are available in Spanish. There are also some books in French, German, Russian, and other languages.

Where do the books and magazines come from?
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) provides books and magazines in braille and as recordings done by professional narrators. TBP also produces books locally. Volunteers record between 35 and 40 books every year.