Using Talking Books

Audio Books

Books come on cartridges that are customized to a user’s requests and preferences. There can be up to 8 books on each cartridge. You can add, remove, or update your preferences at any time by contacting our helpful staff at 800-452-0292 or talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.

The books will play one right after the other; just press the green Play/Stop button to advance to the next book when one finishes. Be sure to listen to the brief directions that play when you first insert your cartridge.

You will keep getting cartridges until you reach a set maximum, then our automated system will wait for you to return a cartridge before sending a new one. New cartridges are mailed out on a 1-for-1 basis.

You can keep customized cartridges for as long as you need in order to get through all the books. Whether it is days or weeks, it does not matter. We never charge late fees or lost cartridge fees, but we may check in with you if we don’t get a cartridge back from you for a while.

Book cartridges are mailed in plastic containers with an address card tucked into the bottom side. To return a book, just remove the address card and put the container in any USPS mailbox. That’s it! There is a permanent return address sticker already on the container. You can keep or recycle the address card with the book list printed on it.

Postage is pre-paid so you never have to worry about paying to return items.

You can also download any book in the collection from BARD, our download-on-demand service! Click this link for more information.

All of our audio books are human narrated, and the player allows you to adjust the tone, speed, and volume of the voice.

Braille Books

The Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library works with the Utah State Library to provide Braille books to our users. No Braille is housed at our library.

The loan period for Braille is up to 8 weeks, and the turnaround time is generally about 5-7 days.

Braille accounts work the same way as audio - you may receive books automatically based on your reading preferences, by request-only, or both.

To request Braille, simply contact us at 800-452-0292 or talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov.

Braille on Demand Project

As part of their Braille modernization initiative, our federal partner, the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), has launched a Braille-on-Demand project. This project allows active users to request and receive one hard-copy Braille title per month to keep for personal use. To be clear, this project does not replace normal Braille circulation, but is a way to get a permanent copy of a title you will re-read many times, like a cookbook or a child’s favorite bedtime story.

NLS must have an electronic version of a title in order to emboss it, so requested titles will be limited to Braille books that are currently available on BARD. Some older titles may not be available. The maximum number of books you may request is one per month. Only complete titles will be distributed (for example, ordering just volume one of a three volume title will result in receiving the entire book). Please be considerate and only request those books you intend to read multiple times and have room to store.

Click this link to request a Braille-on-Demand book or contact us at 800-452-0292 or talkingbooks.info@slo.oregon.gov for assistance.

How it Works

Once we receive a completed application, an account is set up and introductory materials (including the audio book player) are mailed out the following business day.

Our library generally has all the same kinds of books you would find at your local public library, with the exception of academic and reference materials like text-books and dictionaries.

Expand the options to the right for more information.

Equipment and Accessories

Our library provides a free player to everyone who registers with our library, as well as several accessories that help improve the listening experience. Click this link for more information about our equipment and accessories.