Sec’y of State Jesse White urges Digital Talking Book Machine patrons to use Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Website

  Download Books and Magazines for Free                                                                                                

 

Springfield, IL —Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is urging blind and physically disabled patrons who have received digital Talking Book machines to download books and magazines for free through the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website.

 “Now that Illinois patrons have received new digital Talking Book Machines, I encourage them to take advantage of this wonderful and convenient new website,” White said. “BARD is a free website where patrons may download books and magazines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for use with the new machine.”

More than 21,000 books and 40 magazines are available immediately on the BARD website. New books and magazines are added each week. This service provides fast delivery of materials with no wait for specific titles of books.

 BARD is available through the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  Active Talking Book Patrons may apply to access BARD at https://nlsbard.loc.gov/IL1A/ApplicationInstructions.html.

Persons interested in more information, or wanting to sign up, may contact the Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service at 1-800-665-5576, option 5, or visit www.ilbph.org.  The Talking Book program is administered by the Secretary of State, and is a division of the Illinois State Library.