Serving Residents of all Counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Alpena and Crawford Counties in Michigan's Lower Peninsula

Great Lakes Talking Books is part of a national network of cooperating libraries with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). NLS provides a free braille and talking book library service, circulating books and magazines in braille or audio formats that are:

instantly downloadable to a personal device by way of the BARD Mobile app, or
equipment and digital audio cartridges are delivered by mail free of charge.

Complete the 2022 Patron Survey Online.

Read the Summer 2022 Newsletter.

Listen to the Newsletter Online.

Eligibility: Individuals (all ages) are eligible for service provided they meet any of the following criteria:

are blind or have a visual impairment that makes them unable to comfortably read print books,
have a perceptual or reading disability, or
have a physical disability that makes it hard to hold or manipulate a book or to focus or move the eyes as needed to read a print book.

Apply: Certifying Authorities may submit applications online. Are you a Certifying Authority? Everyone else - view and print the application in English or Spanish.

Contact: Tonia Bickford, Reader Advisor and Recording Director, 1615 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette, MI 49855, tb@greatlakestalkingbooks.org, 906-228-7697, ext. 0, Toll Free 1-800-562-8985, ext. 0, Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday 9 am to 5 pm. If you need help and are unable to reach GLTB, please call the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) at 800-992-9012.

Newly Available Books:

Collection: The NLS Catalog contains more than 281,000 books, including 207,000 digital talking (audio) books and more than 74,000 braille books and braille music scores.

Search the NLS Voyager Catalog
BARD mobile users access more than 115,000 book titles, 70 digital audio magazine titles, and 53 ebraille magazine titles.
The NLS music collection (braille, audio, large print) is the largest of its kind in the world, with approximately 25,000 titles.
Titles in Spanish and other world language digital materials exchanged through the Marrakesh Treaty.

More Information:

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled: That All May Read