Services for Organizations & Schools
Talking Book services are available for free for organizations such as schools and educational districts, state and social-welfare agencies, retirement and care communities, health-care providers, public libraries, and many other entities to help reach eligible Oregonians across the state. If you have a student, client, patient, or resident who is interested in having their own Talking Books account, an
application for an individual account should be submitted.
Organizations that regularly serve clients
or students who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for free
library service in order to:
• Demonstrate the service to new library users
•
Provide library service to eligible short-term residents (long-term
residents are encouraged to register for individual library accounts)
• Facilitate group or educational activities with eligible residents/students
Registered organizational accounts can receive books in digital audio cartridge, braille, print/braille, and downloadable materials via BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) including magazines, e-braille, and downloadable digital audiobooks. Full descriptions of materials and equipment available to patrons can be found
here.Getting Started
A school or organization should
submit an application for institutional service. The school or organization must have a contact person who is a staff member. The responsibilities of the contact person who is coordinating the account must:
- Ensure that only eligible users have access to materials from Talking Books.
- Ensure that books are returned in accordance with Talking Books loan policy.
- Ensure that all unused books and/or equipment are returned to Talking Books as soon as possible for use by others.
- Communicate with Talking Books when an account needs to be closed.
How to Order
Schools and Organizations can receive books in one of two ways:
- Talking Books can send titles automatically, based upon the topics, reading level, and format that was listed on the registration form, or send titles automatically from a wish list that the account holder creates and adds to from the online catalog or by contacting Talking Books. We will automatically send a replacement book each time a book is returned.
- The holder of the account can request specific titles by contacting Talking Books or ordering from the Talking Books catalog.
Our Reader Advisors are ready to assist you in finding books. The staff can look up authors and titles or search subject areas. When you call, please indicate that you are calling for a school or organizational account and identify the school or organization. There are three ways to order books:
- By telephone: If you wish to place your order directly with a staff member, call 1-800-452-0292.
- By email: Here again, we need the name of the school and contact person with each message. You may send requests other than book orders as well to our email address: talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.
- By ordering online: The Talking Books Catalog is available for you to search for titles, authors, and subjects and submit orders for books. A login and password is required to submit orders. If you do not have or do not know your login, please email us.
Downloadable Books
Staff of a registered school or organization are eligible for Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) accounts. BARD is the NLS download-on-demand service that enables users to download books. Multiple staff at an organization can have BARD accounts and are encouraged to use these accounts to demo BARD to prospective users or help established users download books (either for individual use or a group activity).
At this time, public library accounts will be limited to demo only access, meaning library staff can only download four (4) copyright-free books that have been published by the NLS:
- Biography of the Blind (DB 42343)
- Braille into the Next Millennium (DB 50969)
- Talking Books: Pioneering and Beyond (DB 27607)
- That All May Read (DB 20002)
Public library staff will still be able to search for any book available on BARD in order to show the breadth and depth of the collection, but they can only download the NLS copyright-free books using their staff BARD account.
Outreach & Training
If you are interested in having a Talking Book and Braille Library staff member come talk to your residents or staff about our library and what we provide, please contact us at 800-452-0292 or talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.