Blind and Disabled to Get Special Help at Morris County Library

Morris County Library has been named one of 11 New Jersey libraries selected to participate in a pilot project, initiated by the New Jersey State Library Talking Book
& Braille Center to assist eligible residents with accessing and downloading audio books and magazines from the Braille and Audio Reading Download website.

The national BARD database is made available by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the U.S. Library of Congress. The goal of the project is to allow public libraries to provide local assistance to TBBC members and their caretakers with the complicated BARD downloading process.

Morris County residents affected by a physical impairment, a reading disability, or a visual impairment may be eligible for the program.

“We have been working with the Talking Book and Braille Center for many years, providing tapes, machines, and digital books for local residents. We welcome this opportunity to acquaint TBBC users with the new BARD services,” said Lynne Olver, Morris County Library director.

A wide range of free services are currently available to registered TBBC members, including digital audiobook players and audiobook cartridges, Braille books, downloadable audiobooks and audio magazines. Users also have access to news reading services such as Audiovision, TBBC’s own NJ newspaper reading service, and the National Federation for the Blind’s Newsline, which offers over 300 newspapers, magazines and wire services. 

“This initiative will help us expand the services of the Talking Book and Braille Center to new, underserved populations in New Jersey,” said Adam Szczepaniak, director of TBBC. “It will help to make a difference for those who, for whatever reason, have difficulty reading printed material. This is an important partnership for TBBC.”

For more information about Morris County Library’s services for the print disabled, contact Book Information at 973-285-6970, email rsbi1@yahoo.com or visit www.mclib.info. Find more details on the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center at www.njstatelib.org.