Patrons can request braille and audio materials from home using the Talking Book and Braille Library Online Catalog. We gather your books, magazines, and other materials and mail them to your home using the U.S. Postal Service. If you would like to make alternate arrangements for receiving materials and equipment, contact us!
If you’re a patron who would prefer to receive your materials digitally to read on a Digital Talking Book Machine (DTBM), your phone, your tablet, or your computer, sign up for BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download). It’s a free service provided by the National Library Service (NLS) that gives patrons on-demand access to more than 150,000 digital books and over 100 magazine titles.
Find and Request TBBL Online Catalog Materials (Braille and Digital Books):
Step 1. Sign into the Online Catalog
Visit the TBBL Online Catalog and click on “Sign in to place requests or manage your account” in the top right corner of the screen.
Tips:
- Forgot your login? Contact us.
2. Start your search
Enter a title, author, or subject into “Quick Search” or click the “Search” tab above for more specific options.
Tips:
- Search with phrases or words instead of an entire sentence.
- If you aren’t sure how to spell an author’s name, use the “Author (sounds like)” feature under the “Search” tab and “Index” dropdown.
- Not sure what you’re looking for? Select the “Browse” tab to view recently added books and popular checkouts.
3. Find your results
Review your options under “Search Results.” If you got too many results back and can’t find what you’re looking for, you can narrow them down using the filters on the left side of the screen under “Refine Your Search.”
Tip:
- You can also remove results by clicking the minus symbol next to a search category.
4. Reserve your book
When you find a book you’d like to borrow, click the link to read a description or check the box to the left of the book’s title and click the “Add Selected to Book Basket” button.
Tip:
- If you are a BARD user and your title is available, click the link next to the “Download Link” category to connect to BARD and download a digital copy.
5. Approve your request and keep searching
When you add a book to your Book Basket, you are automatically brought to your Book Basket page. Here, you’ll approve your request and move to the checkout, or you can return to the search page and continue adding books to your basket.
6. Checkout
When you’re done ordering, click “Proceed to Checkout” at the bottom of the page. You’ll get a confirmation message when you’ve checked out.
Tips:
- If a braille book is available, we will mail it to you. If it’s unavailable, we’ll add it to your request list and mail it as soon as it’s ready.
- Nearly all audio books are always available and will be placed on your reserve list, then added to a future audio cartridge. Each cartridge can hold up to 25 books, depending on length. If you’d like to change the number of books we add to each cartridge, contact us.
7. Talking Book and Braille Library staff get working on compiling and mailing your order to you!
8. Enjoy your materials!
Return Your TBBL Materials
It's free to send materials back to us through the U.S. Postal Service thanks to the “Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons Mailing.”
Braille Books
For braille books, flip the address label on the mailing case so our address is showing and put it in the mail.
Audio Cartridges
For audio cartridges, remove the address card from the mailing case and put the case in your outgoing mail.
Returning a Digital Talking Book Machine (digital player)
Please contact us before sending back your machine. We’ll send you a shipping label to make sure your return is free of charge.
Pack the player in protective padding before putting it in the shipping box. If you still have the original shipping carton and packing materials, please use them.
Once you’ve finished packing it up and adding the label, send the package to us through the U.S. Postal Service.
Important: If you are having a problem with your machine, contact us at TBBL first! Please talk to us before you return a machine you’re having trouble with. If we can’t take care of the problem over the phone, we’ll send a replacement and a free shipping label for you to return your current device.