Service, access, and a commitment to education and lifelong learning are key principles that define the work of librarians everywhere–and they are also at the center of NLS’s mission. By certifying your patrons and helping them enroll in NLS, you can ensure they receive the best of both worlds—resources and services from your library and specialized, accessible reading materials from the NLS affiliated library in your state.
Established by Congress in 1931, NLS provides its free library services to any eligible US resident, as well as American citizens living abroad. Getting started is easy, and a wide range of professionals can certify an applicant’s eligibility, including librarians.
Once enrolled, NLS patrons can access books from a collection that rivals any library’s in selection, size, and scope. NLS has books in audio (which we call “talking books”) and in braille for readers of all ages and interests: Bestsellers. Biographies. Romances. Mysteries. Westerns. And more—including books by, about, and for people with disabilities and popular titles from school reading lists.
NLS has a wide range of books for young readers, too, from kindergarten through high school and beyond, including adventure stories, fantasies, animal tales, and popular titles from school reading lists. All books are findable on the Kids Zone Catalog.
What differentiates NLS from other services that provide books in audio? NLS produces fully accessible materials and playback equipment. NLS talking books feature described graphics and images, extensive and easy to use navigation, and materials not included in commercial audio books. And NLS has materials not found anywhere else in audio and braille. Cookbooks, for instance. How-to guides for gardening, knitting, card games, and other hobbies. Travel guides. First aid manuals. Books on health and wellness. The world’s largest collection of music scores and instructional materials for piano, guitar, and a variety of other instruments. And dozens of magazines, too.
In addition, many of our 90-plus cooperating libraries throughout the country circulate descriptive videos, sponsor book clubs, organize summer reading programs, and run technology tutorials and other programming – all catering to individuals with disabilities.
Patrons with a smartphone or tablet can get books and magazines anytime, anywhere, via BARD—the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download website—and the BARD Mobile app. Or they can receive books and magazines through the mail, postage-free, from the NLS library that serves their state or community. Easy-to-operate talking-book playback machines are available, too. Our talking-book cartridges hold multiple books, so patrons can keep reading through winter snowstorms and summer beach vacations. All NLS talking books can be navigated by chapter, section, or page and played at varying speeds with no loss of clarity. And BARD and the BARD Mobile app are meant to work seamlessly with screen readers.
So if you have a patron who . . .
- Likes large-print books, but is having trouble reading them because of declining vision
- Is a young reader struggling with dyslexia or other reading disability
- Has difficulty holding a regular print book due to a temporary or permanent injury, medical issue, or chronic condition
You can help!
If you know someone who might be eligible for NLS, we invite you to share this flyer with them. It includes our toll-free number—888-NLS-READ (888-657-7323)—and website—www.loc.gov/thatallmayread—where they can learn more about our free library service and request more information. If you’re a librarian at an institution who serves people who might be eligible, we have other materials to help you spread the word about NLS. And if you’d like to be able to directly access braille and audio reading materials for use by those eligible individuals, your institution can apply for an institutional NLS account.
NLS is a great service—and signing people up for it is one of my biggest joys as a librarian.
Public Librarian
NLS also has resources for professionals who treat, teach, or otherwise serve people with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. Here are some helpful items to get started:
Employment lists national organizations that provide information on a range of issues related to recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining employees with disabilities.
The US Department of Labor's Competitive Integrated Employment Transformation Hub is a resource for people with disabilities seeking employment, consolidating practical guidance for people with disabilities, their families, employers, employment service providers, and state agencies.
Talking Books and Reading Disabilities Reference Guide shares information on eligibility and the application process for becoming an NLS patron as well as resources for those with reading disabilities.
Kids Zone allows you to search for titles specifically for preschoolers through young adult that are also listed in the full NLS Catalog and also links you to other resources at NLS including minibibliographies for children's books.
Explore the variety of NLS Informational Publications on issues related to blindness, visual impairment, or physical disabilities, as well as compilations of current resources on many topics of interest to NLS readers and those who provide services to them.