Kentucky Talking Book Library

Kentucky Talking Book Library Kentucky Talking Book Library provides audiobooks and braille to readers with print disabilities. KTBL is located in Frankfort, KY.

The Kentucky Talking Book Library is a free service provided by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. KTBL provides audio and braille books and magazines for Kentuckians who are blind, have low vision, or are otherwise unable to read print. It is part of a nationwide network of cooperative libraries headed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, a division o

f the Library of Congress. The Kentucky Talking Book Library collection includes both fiction and non-fiction, with items suitable for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Materials are sent by mail or can be downloaded from the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website.

• Digital audio Talking Books and a special Talking Book player
• Embossed braille books
• Digital braille and a special braille eReader
• BARD—downloadable audio and braille books available 24/7
• BARD Mobile—download and play books on your smartphone or tablet
• Kentucky books—audio books about KY or by KY authors; recorded in the KTBL studio
• Print/braille books—children’s picture books with a braille overlay
• Audio and Braille magazines by mail or download

Communication through agency-related social media is considered a public record under KRS 171.410(1) and will be managed under the terms of KRS 171.410 through 171.740 and 725 KAR Chapter 1. Any posting to these social media pages may be subject to disclosure to third parties. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives reserves the right to address or remove any posts or comments at its discretion. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has not evaluated and does not endorse any products advertised or opinions expressed on these pages​.

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, January 21. We will be discussing: The ...
12/23/2024

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, January 21. We will be discussing: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. DB 116310.

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found… For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems. -- Provided by publisher. Strong language and some violence. Reading time: 11 hours, 40 minutes. Narrated by Jill Fox.

If you would like to join the KTBL Book Club, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

KTBL will be closed on Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25 for Christmas. Messages may be left at ktbl.mail@...
12/20/2024

KTBL will be closed on Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25 for Christmas. Messages may be left at [email protected], 800-372-2968, or 502-564-5791.

KTBL librarians Susan McGinnis and Tracey Mania as well as Information Officer Evan Hatter were lucky enough to tour the...
12/20/2024

KTBL librarians Susan McGinnis and Tracey Mania as well as Information Officer Evan Hatter were lucky enough to tour the Printing House for the Blind and the Prison Braille Program at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women last week. Our staff was excited to see the process of creating braille materials and tactile graphics at APH.

It was also a pleasure to meet the women at KCIW who work transcribing braille textbooks for students as well as preparing the books for the Braille Tales program as part of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

We have a new Kentucky book available for download on BARD and digital cartridge.My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper. DBC2...
12/17/2024

We have a new Kentucky book available for download on BARD and digital cartridge.

My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper. DBC29386.
“Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She's a shoo-in for the director's job when her boss retires at the end of the year until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position. Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie's country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they're both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other and Josh's kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie's found yet! Adult. Descriptions of s*x. Some strong language. Narrated by Mary Vaughn. Approximate reading time: 7 hours, 28 minutes.

To download on BARD:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.nls/dbc.29386

To request this title on digital cartridge or for help signing up for BARD, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

We are excited to announce that Affrilachia by Frank X Walker is now available for download on BARD and on digital cartr...
12/11/2024

We are excited to announce that Affrilachia by Frank X Walker is now available for download on BARD and on digital cartridge!
Affrilachia by Frank X Walker. DBC29437.
“A milestone book of poetry at the intersection of Appalachian and African American literature. In this pathbreaking debut collection, poet Frank X Walker tells the story of growing up young, Black, artistic, and male in one of America's most misunderstood geographical regions. As a proud Kentucky native, Walker created the word “Affrilachia” to render visible the unique intersectional experience of African Americans living in the rural and Appalachian South. Since its publication in 2000, Affrilachia has seen wide classroom use, and is recognized as one of the foundational works of the Affrilachian Poets, a community of writers offering new ways to think about diversity in the Appalachian region and beyond." Strong language. Narrated by Frank X Walker. Approximate reading time: 58 minutes.

To download on BARD:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.nls/dbc.29437

To request this title on digital cartridge or for help signing up for BARD, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

NLS has launched a new way to stay up to date with the latest books. Introducing Collections Connections! This monthly e...
12/06/2024

NLS has launched a new way to stay up to date with the latest books. Introducing Collections Connections! This monthly e-newsletter will highlight works of diverse interest that are being made available. The newsletter will also come with a quarterly audio supplement that features deeper dives into featured titles.

If you are interested in signing up for Collections Connections, send an email to [email protected].

Thanks to the Marrakesh Treaty and expanded book acquisition, NLS has more international language books available than e...
12/02/2024

Thanks to the Marrakesh Treaty and expanded book acquisition, NLS has more international language books available than ever before!

Check out the latest issue of International Language Quarterly here: www.loc.gov/nls/ilq

KTBL will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, 2024 for Thanksgiving. Messages may be left at ktb...
11/25/2024

KTBL will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, 2024 for Thanksgiving. Messages may be left at [email protected], 800-372-2968, or 502-564-5791.

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, December 17.We will be discussing a boo...
11/21/2024

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, December 17.

We will be discussing a book we recently recorded right here in our KTBL Studio:
DBC29414. Scissors, Paper, Rock: A Novel by Fenton Johnson. This book is the 2024 Kentucky Reads selection by Kentucky Humanities.

Along with his siblings, Raphael Hardin left his childhood home in rural Kentucky. Grappling with an AIDS diagnosis, he returns to care for his dying father. Told from the perspectives of Raphael, his family, and their lifelong neighbor, Fenton Johnson's landmark novel reveals the blood struggles and binding loves of a broken family made whole. Selected as the 2024 Kentucky Reads title. Contains some strong language and descriptions of s*x. 2016. Adult. Descriptions of s*x. Some strong language. Reading time: 7 hours, 42 minutes. Narrated by Evan Hatter.

If you would like to join the KTBL Book Club, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

11/18/2024

NLS Music Notes is taking our blog LIVE! At 7:00 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday, November 19, NLS music librarians will host a Zoom program highlighting the Popular Music Lead Sheets (PMLS) braille publication that is part of the NLS Music collection. Musicians and music lovers who are NLS patrons can access an array of lead sheets, large print and braille scores, music appreciation and instruction titles, and more from the NLS collection—the largest accessible music collection of its kind in the world! Get details at www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/music-service-and-materials?loclr=fbnls. And learn more about PMLS on the NLS Music Notes blog at https://blogs.loc.gov/nls-music-notes/2014/09/were-not-always-about-long-haired-music-an-introduction-to-popular-music-lead-sheets/?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: Graphic of a music staff with details of the webinar.]

Today is Veterans Day. The health and rehabilitation services offered at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are vit...
11/11/2024

Today is Veterans Day. The health and rehabilitation services offered at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are vital to many veterans and they have specialized services to assist people with vision loss. If you could benefit from their assistance, contact the VIST (Visual Impairment Services Team) Coordinator at the VA facility closest to you. You can also contact the Blind Rehabilitation Service Program office at 202-461-7317.

To learn more about the services that the VA offers for veterans with visual impairments visit the following website:
https://www.va.gov/.../blind-low-vision-rehab-services/

To find the VA facility closest to you visit the following website:
https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp

KTBL will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024 for Veterans Day and on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 for professional dev...
11/07/2024

KTBL will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024 for Veterans Day and on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 for professional development. Messages may be left at [email protected], 800-372-2968, or 502-564-5791.

Last month, South Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature “for her intense poetic prose th...
11/06/2024

Last month, South Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”.

KTBL has several of her books available for download on BARD and on cartridge:

DB 114737.Greek Lessons: Novel.

DB 87312. Human Acts.

DB 83452. Vegetarian.

DB 94272. White Book.

To request any of these titles on digital cartridge or for help signing up for BARD, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

There is a new Kentucky book available for download on BARD and digital cartridge.Sir Barton and the Making of the Tripl...
11/04/2024

There is a new Kentucky book available for download on BARD and digital cartridge.
Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown by Jennifer S. Kelly. DBC17588.

Born in 1916, at Hamburg Place in Lexington KY, chestnut c**t 187-16 had "the look of eagles" that defines great thoroughbreds. Though plagued with a chronic hoof condition, Sir Barton became the first horse to win what later became known as racing's Triple Crown. He was retired to stud after he lost a famous showdown with rival Man o' War, but that was not the end of his story. Covers the racing personalities of the day and the impact Sir Barton had on the sport. Adult. Reading time: 9 hours, 26 minutes. Narrated by Jean Anne Webb.

To download on BARD:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.nls/dbc.17588

To request this title on digital cartridge or for help signing up for BARD, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

KDLA and the Kentucky Talking Book Library have several planned closures scheduled during the month of November. They ar...
11/01/2024

KDLA and the Kentucky Talking Book Library have several planned closures scheduled during the month of November. They are:

November 5: Presidential Election Day

November 11: Veterans Day

November 12: Professional Development

November 28-29: Thanksgiving

If you need any assistance during these times, please feel free to leave us a message at [email protected], or by calling 800-372-2968 or 502-564-5791, and we will get back to you as soon as we are able!

KTBL will be closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 for Presidential Election Day. Messages may be left at ktbl.mail@ky.gov...
10/31/2024

KTBL will be closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 for Presidential Election Day. Messages may be left at [email protected], 800-372-2968, or 502-564-5791.

Tuesday, November 5th is Election Day. Did you know you have the right to "receive assistance in voting if you are blind...
10/29/2024

Tuesday, November 5th is Election Day. Did you know you have the right to "receive assistance in voting if you are blind, have a physical disability, or have an inability to read English" and that polling locations must be accessible?

Learn more about your rights here: https://elect.ky.gov/Voters/Pages/Voter-Rights.aspx.

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, November 19. We will be discussing:DB 1...
10/22/2024

The next meeting of the KTBL Book Club will be on Zoom at 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, November 19. We will be discussing:

DB 108556. Horse by Geraldine Brooks.

"Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse--one studying the stallion's bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism." -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022. Narrated by Graham Halstead, Lisa Flanagan, James Fouhey, Katherine Littrell, and Michael Obiora. Reading time 14 hours, 9 minutes.

If you would like to join the KTBL Book Club, please contact the Kentucky Talking Book Library at 1-800-372-2968, (502) 564-5791, or [email protected].

Address

300 Coffee Tree Road, PO Box 537
Frankfort, KY
40601

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+15025645791

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kentucky Talking Book Library posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Kentucky Talking Book Library:

Shortcuts

Share

Category