Download and Borrow
Materials Available through the Mail
Over 130,000 audiobooks are available to be sent in the mail on digital cartridges, which are played on a Digital Talking Book Player provided free of charge.
The library mails you two cartridges loaded with eight books each. As you finish reading all of the books on a cartridge, mail it back to the library and a new cartridge will be loaded with eight new books and sent to you.
All available titles can be browsed on our online catalog.
The library provides braille materials in three ways:
- Hardcopy braille mailed to your house on loan for 6 weeks.
- Electronic braille mailed to you on a digital cartridge that can be read on a refreshable braille display (braille eReader) provided to you by the library.
- Braille on Demand. The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) can send you up to 5 titles a month of hard copy braille mailed to your house that is free and you can keep forever.
More than twenty thousand large print books are available at the library.
They are mailed in bags directly to your home and can be returned in the mail in the same container when you finish reading.
Large print books are checked out for 6 weeks at a time.
Descriptive Videos are movies that have a voice describing actions, characteristics, and dress of the actors, as well as details of the scenery or setting. This descriptive voice speaks during the time when there is no dialogue. These videos can be enjoyed by everyone, both sighted and visually impaired. Our videos play on ordinary VCRs, DVD players and televisions. The library does not loan or repair video equipment.
To get Descriptive Videos in DVD or VHS formats, you need to become a member of the DVS club by filling out the Descriptive Video Membership Form or by calling the library at 1-888-388-2460. Only active library patrons can be members of the DVS club. All videos go through the mail Free Matter for the Blind. Individuals may borrow one video at a time; institutions may borrow up to three. The loan period is three weeks.
The library offers braille and audio versions of over 80 magazines.
To receive these, please fill out the appropriate magazine subscription list for the reading format you prefer.
- Audio - Subscribe - Print form (opens new window)
- Braille - Subscribe - Print form (opens new window)
The full list of available magazines can be found on the NLS Magazine page.
Magazines that are recorded by SLNC-ABLS are listed as NOBLE digital serials in our online catalog.
NOBLE (North Carolina BARD Local) is a North Carolina service similar to BARD through which users can download locally produced and/or locally distributed digital braille books, digital talking books and magazines. Please note that all digital talking books available from NOBLE are produced in a format that can only be read on an NLS approved player. Just like BARD, downloaded audio files are zipped and need to be unzipped onto a flash drive to play.
NOBLE materials are also available on cartridges through the mail.
Download materials with BARD
BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download. It is a free service from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) that allows patrons to download books and magazines in digital braille or audio.
All About BARD - a simple audio guide to getting started downloading books.
BARD materials can be access on the web through the BARD website, on a smartphone with the BARD Mobile app, on a Windows computer with BARD Express, or with an Alexa enabled device with the My Talking Books Skill.
More information can be found on our BARD page.
The BARD website allow you to log in and search all available materials. To read the materials you will need to download the titles to your computer, unzip them, then copy to a USB device.
The BARD Mobile app can be installed using the Android Play store or Apple App Store on your smart device. You can search, download, and listen to audiobooks all within the app.
BARD Express is a Windows program you can install on your laptop or desktop. Using BARD Express you can search for materials, download title to your computer, transfer downloads to USB devices for playback on NLS players or eReaders. BARD Express also has a built-in player for audiobooks so you can read them directly on your computer.
My Talking Books is a pilot program for a skill on Alexa enabled devices. With the skill you can stream BARD materials straight to your device using voice commands.
The program is still a pilot program and to use the skill you will need to apply and be accepted to the program.
The Many Faces of BARD (opens a Zoom link) - a monthly one-hour patron program presented on the second Thursday of each month and hosted by NLS. The program takes library patrons on a tour of one aspect of BARD. Learn about the topic of the month or bring your own questions about BARD and get them answered directly by NLS. Note this program is presented as a Zoom web conference. The link takes you to a Zoom program. You can join by using the Zoom link or telephone, by calling 1-669-245-5252.
- Note, upon connecting, participants will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the program begins. When they enter the room, they will be on mute, and they should remain on mute unless the host calls upon them to speak. At that time, they may unmute by using Alt-A from a computer or star 6 if dialing in by phone.