Talking Books - A Link to the Rest of the World

Summarized by Robert W. Griffith, MD
April 4, 2007

The US National Library Service is celebrating National Library Week from April 15 to 21. For more than 75 years, the Service has provided blind and physically handicapped readers with free reading materials. Through its Talking Books program, books on tape and special playback equipment are mailed directly to patrons at no cost to them. The program is a lifeline to many, enabling them to read independently.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, administers the talking-book program, a free library service available to US residents or American citizens living abroad whose low vision, blindness, or physical handicap makes reading a standard printed page difficult. Through its national network of regional libraries, NLS mails books and magazines in Braille and on cassette and audio playback equipment directly to enrollees at no cost.

The free audio book and Braille service recognizes local libraries for keeping blind and physically handicapped readers connected to the written word and each other. Talking-book clubs, offered through NLS regional and subregional libraries, provide patrons with the opportunity to discuss the books they have read and to share their love of reading with others. "My interest in books has developed", says talking-book club member, Michael Conrad, a patron of the Los Angeles regional library. "The meetings also get me out to socialize. I have great discussions and meet new people."

The clubs often create friendships and a sense of togetherness and community. The meetings are a time when patrons can discuss their lives, feelings about going blind, and challenges they face daily. They also expose patrons to new materials, broadening their appetites for literature, expanding their imaginations and encouraging them to pursue new pastimes. With a collection of more than 400,000 titles, including the latest bestsellers, classics, biographies, romances, mysteries, and westerns, NLS offers no shortage of inspiration. Recent book-club discussions have focused on top-sellers such as The Kite Runner, Marley and Me, Wicked, The Secret Life of Bees, and The Black Dahlia. "I've been introduced to things I wouldn't have thought of reading", says talking-book club participant Bea Thaxter of Los Angeles. "Now I am even writing and I never knew I could. "

Book club discussions often inspire NLS patrons to explore new ways to connect with the world around them. A number have taken on leadership roles in their local communities, starting their own book discussion groups. Others have used talking-book resources to participate in other book clubs not affiliated with their local libraries.

Those unable to attend NLS book-club meetings can often participate by telephone or computer. Online-only clubs are also available, allowing NLS patrons nationwide to connect with other sighted and visually impaired book lovers without leaving home.

Further information on talking-book clubs, eligibility requirements, and enrollment procedures for the talking-book program are available through the related links given below.

Source

• The National Library Service (NLS), a Library of Congress service, http://www.loc.gov/nls/

Related Links
The US National Library Service
Eligibility for Loan of NLS Materials
Sign-up Form for NLS Talking Books

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