Looking For a Few Good Readers

Talking Book Services (TBS) is one of the best kept secrets in Mississippi, and, truth be told, in the entire nation. Thing is, TBS is something everyone should know about. It provides thousands upon thousands of books and magazines directly to people who want to read them, so that every American, regardless of disability or reading ability can access the reading material they want. But when did this amazing program come about, just who is eligible, and what do they even get? Well, let me tell you...

The Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in existence today is very different than the program begun in 1931 with the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act. Named for the respective US Representative and Senator who introduced the bills to Congress, the Act provided for "books with raised characters" to be distributed to the Library of Congress and eighteen other regional libraries. This service was for adults only and was begun out of concern for the many Blind and low vision World War I veterans. A regular system of "embossed books" arrived in 1932, when Braille was standardized for English speakers. (Before that there were many different writing systems for the Blind, including Boston Line Letter and New York Point.) Talking books in the form of books on records came along soon after and the service has grown in leaps and bounds over the years since then. (If you want to read a more detailed history of the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, you can do so here.)

Now that it approaches its 100 year mark, the service has expanded to include so much more. While books recorded on vinyl are a thing of the past, today patrons of all ages (yes, children too) can access things like:

• Thousands of large print books mailed to their home
  
• Thousands of braille books, mailed to patrons or downloaded at home
• Thousands of audiobooks, mailed to patrons or downloaded at home
• Hundreds of magazines, in braille and audio formats, mailed to patrons or downloaded at home 
• Musical scores and instructional music texts in audio, braille, and large print formats
• Assistance with access to adjacent programs, like braille education and currency readers

If you'd like to know more about all the services offered, click through here or call Mississippi's Talking Book Services Department at 1-800-446-0892.

Just who qualifies for this remarkable service? You might be surprised! 

• People who are blind or who cannot see to read standard print, including those for whom this situation is temporary
  
• People who cannot hold a book to read because of a permanent physical disability, like arthritis or muscular dystrophy, or temporary impairments, like broken bones
  
• People with print disabilities, like dyslexia
• People with focusing difficulties, like ADHD, that make it difficult to concentrate on print books

The process to apply and begin the service has been streamlined over the years, so it's easier than ever for eligible people to join. If you'd like to know more about who is eligible for this service, click here or call Mississippi's Talking Book Services Department at 1-800-446-0892.

Mississippi has been helping people who might otherwise be denied access to books read the books they want for quite some time. We became a regional library for the National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in 1970. We would love to add you or your loved ones to our army of readers. Give us a call today!

Elisabeth Scott

Reference Librarian