01/28/2026
Find future posts related to the South Dakota Accessible Library Services, Braille and Talking Book Library on the South Dakota State Library page.
🗓️ In 2026, we are celebrating the 57th anniversary of South Dakota providing Braille and talking books to people across our state with standard print reading disabilities.
🏫 Our library was officially dedicated on January 28, 1969, and became fully operational on February 1, 1969.
🏛️ South Dakota was the 41st state to join the network of libraries in partnership with The Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
📖🔊 Our core service has always been to provide talking books and Braille to library patrons. Like all libraries, we do so much more.
Our accessible library services are for anyone who has difficulty reading standard print.
From reading processing disorders (including dyslexia and others), to physical impairments that make it difficult to hold a book or turn pages, to visual difficulties, to vision loss and blindness, and other conditions that hinder reading standard print.
❔🤔 If you are curious if our library resources could be useful to you or others, please reach out to us. We have counterparts across
the United States as well.
As part of the South Dakota Department of Education, and in partnership with American Printing House for the Blind, we also work to help South Dakota students who need special-format textbooks in large print or Braille, as well as other educational materials in accessible formats.
The South Dakota Braille & Talking Book Library, headquartered in the South Dakota State Library in Pierre, provides free library services to eligible individuals in communities across the state in accessible formats, including braille and digital audio talking books mailed to patrons for free, or downloadable from the NLS BARD website and BARD mobile app, etc.
Libraries for blind adults were established by an Act of Congress in 1931. The law has been amended four times: in 1952 to include blind children, in 1962 to include music materials, in 1966 to include individuals with physical impairments who are unable to read standard print, and in 1981 to include individuals with a reading disability that is based on physical dysfunction. It has been expanded to reading processing disorders, including dyslexia. We have even had patrons with allergies to ink or paper who qualify.
During the 1960's many Braille and Talking Book Libraries were established using Library Service and Construction Act federal funds. One of the items this federal money could be used for was establishing braille and talking book regional libraries. The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library was established in 1969 using LSCA funds. We continue to be funded by federal LSTA funds through IMLS.
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
