Serving Residents of the UP and Alpena and Crawford Counties
Superiorland Library Cooperative's, 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.
To learn more about our services, read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Apply:
Certifying authorities* - submit applications online.
Everyone else - view and print the application.
*Certifying authorities include doctors of medicine or osteopathy, ophthalmologists, optometrists, psychologists, registered nurses, therapists, or professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or welfare agencies (such as educators, social workers, caseworkers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, certified reading specialists, school psychologists, superintendents, or librarians.)
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.
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.
Recently Added Books & Order Forms:
January–February Large Print Magazine and January-February Order Form
March-April Large Print Magazine online and March-April Order Form
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.
General Program Information (English)
Talking Points for Library Staff
Digital Talking Book Machine instructions