Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m. central time. The topic will be using NLS BARD on the HIMS SensePlayer.
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/29zv8pxe.
One of the most popular requests we get at the Talking Book Program are from patrons who want to learn a language. We have several different self-instruction programs in our collection to help you dive right in.
Behind the Wheel: Behind the Wheel provides a flexible, solid, and universal foundation in speaking, understanding, and creatively expressing yourself in your chosen language. The program features an English-speaking instructor to guide you through the lessons and native speakers to aid with your pronunciation. Includes supplementary materials in Braille to reinforce and enhance the audio experience.
Languages in the TBP collection: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.
Berlitz Self Teacher: Braille language study guides designed for the student working alone. Stressing oral practice, the guides present each lesson as a conversational dialogue incorporating vocabulary and grammatical points. Each sentence is followed by a pronunciation guide and English translation. Questions follow each lesson, and, where appropriate, tips on customs are given.
Languages in the TBP collection: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Drive Time: is a simplified program to learn the basics of vocabulary, grammar, conversation, and culture for a given language. The experts at Living Language have created a course that includes four hours of language lessons that you can use anywhere and anytime. It includes conversational lessons so you can practice listening and speaking a language naturally. The courses also have plenty of pronunciation exercises, simple explanations, examples, and real conversational practice.
Languages in the TBP collection: French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. We also have intermediate English.
eTicket Audio Phrasebooks: Produced by Living Language, these audio phrasebooks contain simple and practical phrases, containing all the essentials for a trip.
Languages in TBP collection: Spanish and English for Spanish speakers.
Pimsleur®: is a way to learn a language through a program of short lessons using methods derived from research on memory and learning. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension, and on learning to speak the language. Features native speakers.
Languages in the TBP collection: Albanian, Armenian (Eastern and Western), Czech, Dutch, French, Greek (modern), Haitian Creole, Hebrew (modern), Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, and Thai.
English for Arabic, Cantonese Chinese, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish Speakers
Once you learn the basics, you may want to find materials to read in your language of choice. BARD is here to help!
Filter search results by selecting your preferred language.
| 1. BARD Main Page – Account Settings – 4th item down “Select this link to change your language preferences.” |
| 2. Check the checkbox next to the language you are learning. |
| 3. Hit the “update” button. |
| 1. Go to Search BARD |
| 2. Select the “Filter” button. |
| 3. Select the checkbox next to one of the following languages: Arabic China French Language Books, Fiction German Language Books Italian Language Portuguese Language Titles Spanish Language |
| 4. Select the “Ok” button at bottom of the screen. Now all your search results will be in your chosen language. |
| 1. Go to Settings Tab |
| 2. Go to User Account Settings |
| 3. Select “Language Preferences” |
| 4. Tap the language you are learning. It will add books written in that language to your search results. |
So, take this opportunity to learn a new language and let BARD help ease the way!
Join the National Library Service (NLS) on Tuesday, August 27, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) for the next session of the online series That All May E-Read. This session will cover how to read BARD Mobile books using the Zoomax and Humanware Braille eReaders.
Registration is not required. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/5n8tmubr.
These sessions will be recorded.
Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, July 11, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) which will be an open forum for the tech support team to respond to questions.
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/vfhkx3b3.
Moonshining, a legendary honky-tonk, cowboy romance, and cowboy folk humor highlight the reading adventures that await in these Texas titles newly available on BARD.
ABUSO VERBAL EN LAS RELACIONES: CÓMO RECONOCERLO Y CÓMO RESPONDER by Patricia Evans
DBC 18448
Adult Non-Fiction (Spanish)
ANSON JONES: THE LAST PRESIDENT OF TEXAS by Herbert Pickens Gambrell
DBC 28945
Adult Non-Fiction
BLACK CHAMELEON: MEMORY, WOMANHOOD, AND MYTH by Deborah D. E. E. P. Mouton
DBC 29030
Adult Non-Fiction
BREAK FOR THE BORDER by Frank Bonham
DBC 25549
Adult Fiction
BROKEN SPOKE: AUSTIN’S LEGENDARY HONKY-TONK by Donna Marie Miller
DBC 18774
Adult Non-Fiction
CHRISTMAS WITH A COWBOY (“Longhorn Canyon” series #5) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29035
Adult Fiction
COWBOY BOLD (“Longhorn Canyon” series #1) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29031
Adult Fiction
COWBOY BRAVE (“Longhorn Canyon” series #3) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29033
Adult Fiction
COWBOY COURAGE (“Longhorn Canyon” series #6) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29036
Adult Fiction
COWBOY FOLK HUMOR: LIFE AND LAUGHTER IN THE AMERICAN WEST by John O. West
DBC 28977
Adult Non-Fiction
COWBOY HONOR (“Longhorn Canyon” series #2) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29032
Adult Fiction
COWBOY REBEL (“Longhorn Canyon” series #4) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29034
Adult Fiction
COWBOY STRONG (“Longhorn Canyon” series #7) by Carolyn Brown
DBC 29037
Adult Fiction
DAYBREAK ON RAVEN ISLAND by Fleur Bradley
DBC 29028
Juvenile Fiction
ENTANGLEMENT by Catherine Fellows
DBC 28941
Adult Fiction
HOMBRE DEL OESTE by M. L. Estefanía
DBC 28938
Adult Fiction (Spanish)
LOBLOLLY BOOK II: MOONSHINING, BASKET MAKING, HOG KILLING, CATFISHING, AND OTHER AFFAIRS OF PLAIN TEXAS LIVING
DBC 28969
Adult Non-Fiction
MAN OFFSIDE by A. W. Gray
DBC 28948
Adult Fiction
PRESIDENT AND THE ASSASSIN: MCKINLEY, TERROR, AND EMPIRE AT THE DAWN OF THE AMERICAN CENTURY by Scott Miller
DBC 25480
Adult Non-Fiction
SHOOT THE MOON by Billie Letts
DBC 17054
Adult Fiction
Panhandle megafires, Texas Christmas legends, the lighter side of Texas history, and health resorts highlight these newly available Texas titles.
There are now more than 2,200 locally produced Texas titles on BARD. Check out the Texas Talking Book Program’s stellar Volunteer Recording Studio!
ALAMO HOUSE: WOMEN WITHOUT MEN, MEN WITHOUT BRAINS by Sarah Bird
DBC 28927
Adult Fiction
ALEX SWEET’S TEXAS: THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LONE STAR HISTORY by Alexander Edwin Sweet
DBC 28971
Adult Non-fiction
BAD SMOKE, GOOD SMOKE: A TEXAS RANCHER’S VIEW OF WILDFIRE by John R. Erickson
DBC 18356
Adult Non-Fiction
BLANCO by Allen Wier
DBC 28978
Adult Fiction
CRAZY WATER: THE STORY OF MINERAL WELLS AND OTHER TEXAS HEALTH RESORTS by Gene Fowler
DBC 28943
Adult Non-Fiction
CUANDO LAS COSAS MALAS LE PASAN A LA GENTE BUENA by Harold S. Kushner
DBC 28953
Adult Non-fiction (Spanish)
EDGE OF THE WEST AND OTHER TEXAS STORIES by Bryan Woolley
DBC 28982
Adult Non-Fiction
FELICE AND THE WAILING WOMAN by Diana López
DBC 28997
Juvenile Fiction
GALLOWS WAITING: CODY’S LAW BOOK 10 by Matthew S. Hart
DBC 26289
Adult Fiction
GREAT TEXAS CHRISTMAS LEGENDS by Zeno Zeplin
DBC 24940
Juvenile Non-Fiction
LAST DANCE ON THE STARLIGHT PIER by Sarah Bird
DBC 29000
Adult Fiction
LATE BLOOMERS: A NOVEL by Deepa Varadarajan
DBC 29005
Adult Fiction
LONE STAR by Barbara Barrie
DBC 28923
Juvenile Fiction
LOOP by Joe Coomer
DBC 28932
Adult Fiction
MAGGIE AND DEVILDUST-RIDIN’ HIGH! by Judy Alter
DBC 28900
Juvenile Fiction
MOTHER SCORPION COUNTRY: A LEGEND FROM THE MISKITO INDIANS OF NICARAGUA = LA TIERRA DE LA MADRE ESCORPIÓN: UNA LEYENDA DE LOS INDIOS MISKITOS DE NICARAGUA by Harriet Rohmer
DBC 28964
Juvenile Non-Fiction (English/Spanish)
MR. TEXAS: A NOVEL by Lawrence Wright
DBC 28999
Adult Fiction
MY DEAR MOLLIE: LOVE LETTERS OF A TEXAS SHEEP RANCHER by John Barclay McGill
DBC 28956
Juvenile Non-Fiction
MY SUMMER DARLINGS by May K. Cobb
DBC 29002
Adult Fiction
MYSTERY OF Y’BARBO’S TUNNEL by Martha Tannery Jones
DBC 28951
Juvenile Fiction
NIGHT WILL FIND YOU by Julia Heaberlin
DBC 29004
Adult Fiction
OLEANDER CITY: A NOVEL BASED ON A TRUE STORY by Matt Bondurant
DBC 29003
Adult Fiction
OLEANDER ODYSSEY: THE KEMPNERS OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, 1854-1980S by Harold Melvin Hyman
DBC 28894
Adult Non-Fiction
PARADISE VALLEY by Jack Curtis
DBC 28933
Adult Fiction
PICKING PEAS FOR A PENNY by Angela Shelf Medearis
DBC 28958
Juvenile Non-Fiction
PIONEER JEWISH TEXANS: THEIR IMPACT ON TEXAS AND AMERICAN HISTORY FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS, 1590-1990 by Natalie Ornish
DBC 28893
Adult Non-Fiction
SEX, MURDER & THE UNWRITTEN LAW: GENDER AND JUDICIAL MAYHEM, TEXAS STYLE by Bill Neal
DBC 18391
Adult Non-Fiction
SIETE HISTORIAS DE AMOR DE NAVIDAD by Leo F. Buscaglia
DBC 28930
Adult Non-Fiction (Spanish)
TEXAS ALPHABET by James Rice
DBC 28963
Juvenile Non-Fiction
TEXAS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by James Rice
DBC 28962
Juvenile Fiction
THIS DOG’LL HUNT by Wallace O. Chariton
DBC 28931
Adult Non-Fiction
TRAIN TO ESTELLINE: A NOVEL by Jane Roberts Wood
DBC 28981
Adult Fiction
UNSETTLED LAND: FROM REVOLUTION TO REPUBLIC, THE STRUGGLE FOR TEXAS by Sam W. Haynes
DBC 290
Adult Non-Fiction
VANQUISHERS by Kalynn Bayron
DBC 28998
Juvenile Fiction
WHAT I AM by Divya Srinivasan
DBC 28996
Juvenile Fiction
Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) as NLS will provide information on Siri shortcuts for BARD.
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/5ez6btsm.
Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, April 11, at 6:00 p.m. (Central). NLS will provide an introduction and demonstration of the new BARD 2.0.
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/bdcftz98
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is releasing BARD Mobile iOS version 2.2.2 this week, introducing enhanced features and improvements.
BARD Mobile enables NLS patrons to download and listen to audiobooks and magazines directly from their iOS devices. Registered Texas Talking Book patrons will need a BARD account and a device running iOS versions 14 through 17 to use this updated version of the app.
Among the highlights:
The app can now be operated by voice commands for playback and navigation, including stopping and resuming playback, fast-forward and rewind by various intervals, and setting a sleep timer or a bookmark. Users can add Siri shortcuts in the app’s settings.
Set up to four languages in the app’s settings and then filter search results by selecting a preferred language.
We have boosted color contrast between selected and unselected search categories. This update enhances visibility with Smart Invert, Classic Invert, and Dark Mode on.
The app supports iOS versions 14 through 17.
This is a phased release, and the version will be available to all users by February 29.
Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, March 14, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) which will provide a demonstration of using the Audio Player in BARD Express.
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: http://tinyurl.com/yc875kf2.