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About Us


 
 

Vision Statement

The Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library will promote and foster the joy of reading and lifelong learning for Oregonians who are print-disabled.

Overview

The Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library, a division of the State Library, is a free library for any Oregonian with a print disability, which includes visual, physical, and reading impairments. Though physically located in Salem, we loan Braille and audio books and magazines to eligible readers across the entire state. All lending is done free through the mail or via download.

The Talking Book and Braille Library is the regional library in Oregon for the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) network. We are funded entirely by state, federal, and donation funds.

We have leisure reading books and magazines like those items found in a public library. The collection is ever-growing and consists of over 90,000 titles in audio, 19,000 titles in Braille, 95 audio and Braille magazines, and over 350 descriptive videos. However, reference books, textbooks, and academic journals are not available. Listening music is also not available from the Talking Book and Braille Library, but instructional music materials and musical scores can be obtained directly from the National Library Service.

And when we say our library is free, we really mean free, free, FREE!  We provide each and every one of our readers with a free audio book player that is required to play our specially formatted audio books, and we replace or repair these players for free. Book are mailed for free, there are no late fees, and you mail the books back using pre-paid mailing cards. You can also download as many books and magazines as you want for free, and gain access to NFB-Newsline for free. There is no billing to insurance or Medicare. Our library is free to you in every meaningful sense of the word.

Contact Us

Talking Book and Braille Library
State Library of Oregon
250 Winter St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Working Hours:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Public Hours:
9 a.m. - noon; 1 - 4 p.m.
Toll-Free: 800-452-0292 (in-state)
Phone: 503-378-5389
Fax: 503-373-7439