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Services for Organizations


The Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library partners with state and social-welfare agencies, retirement and care communities, health-care providers, support groups, schools and education service districts, public libraries, and many others entities to help reach eligible Oregonians across the state.

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

Upon registration, each organization account will receive one demonstration player and audio book meant to be used by your staff to show eligible patients, clients, residents, or students what it would be like to use the Talking Book and Braille Library.  If a person is interested they can submit their own individual application and receive their own personal player and books.  These materials are all provided for free on extended loan.  All materials are sent and returned postage paid.
 
To register for an organization account, complete a Talking Book and Braille Library Organization application.  Applications can be submitted via mail, fax, or email.

Organization Application

BARD

Staff of a registered organization are eligible for Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) accounts.  BARD is the NLS download-on-demand service that enables users to download a copy of any book for immediate enjoyment.  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).

To sign-up for a staff BARD account please click this link.
 
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.
 

Contact

Please maintain contact with us here at the Talking Book and Braille Library, especially to update a resident or client’s address information or preferences.  If someone you serve is no longer interested in using our library or has passed away, please let us know.  You can reach us at 800-452-0292 or talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.
 

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.  We do presentations all across the state at care facilities, Lions Club meetings, Rotary Club meetings, libraries, etc., because we love talking about Talking Books!
 
Our Librarian also provides training called “Reading in the Dark” that helps dispel the myths of what library service means for people with print-disabilities, and what care providers can do to be mindful of their clients’ specific needs.  Please contact her at 503-378-5455 or elke.bruton@slo.oregon.gov to schedule a presentation.