Users of the Talking Books, opens a new window service often share with the library how much they love getting audiobook and braille materials, but did you know there are additional services that those who get Talking Books are able to qualify for? These services often require a separate application with groups outside of the Talking Books libraries, but each one can provide a host of materials and equipment that could make your life easier. Here are some of those services!
Books and Magazines
Bookshare, opens a new window is an additional subscription and audiobook library, offering users access to over a million titles. It can be a great way to supplement your Talking Books account and is cost-free for students in the United States. Meanwhile, for the magazine-lovers out there, Choice Magazine Listening, opens a new window offers a free quarterly subscription that provides 12 hours of the best articles, stories, and snippets from nearly 100 magazines and literary journals.
Entertainment
Looking for something less literary? The Metropolitan Washington Ear, opens a new window offers a host of free services, including dial-in and audio transcription for radio shows, newspapers, magazines, films, and TV. There’s Australia’s Spoonware Software, opens a new window, which offers free games for blind and vision-impaired gamers. And Newsreel Magazine, opens a new window offers a list of resources that can help those seeking more entertainment and supportive resources overall, many of which are free.
Religious Materials
For those seeking religious materials, the American Council for the Blind has a list of publishers, opens a new window that offer such works in both braille and audio format, many for free. This includes notable publishers such as the Xavier Society for the Blind, opens a new window, which offers Christian (Catholic) works; the JBI,, opens a new window which offers Jewish works; and Islam by Touch,, opens a new window which offers Muslim materials.
National Library Service (NLS)
NLS offers services in addition to its Talking Books program. Its Music Service, opens a new window, for example, enables musicians to request instructional material, music appreciation materials, and sheet music in braille and audio formats. And, there’s the US Currency Reader, opens a new window, also known as the iBill. A free offering of NLS in partnership with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the iBill announces a banknote’s value in one of three ways: voice, pattern of tones, or pattern of vibrations. The iBill does not identify foreign or counterfeit banknotes, is about the size of a key fob, and comes with its own initial battery.
So, if you've been enjoying Talking Books, check out some of these additional services, and enjoy furthering your lifelong love of learning and good books! For more information, please contact the Access Services Librarian at talking-books@crrl.org, opens a new window
