Arizona Talking Book Library

Arizona Talking Book Library Since 1970, Arizona Talking Book Library has been a Regional Library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress.

https://www.loc.gov/nls/ Arizona Talking Book Library provides books, magazines and other library resources in alternate formats for all Arizona residents whose visual, physical or reading disabilities prevent the reading of conventional print materials. Our lending library includes audio books and magazines; movies with audio descriptions; and Braille books and magazines by postage free mail. Other resources include: BARD: Braille and Audio Reading Download website; Newsline: Audio newspapers over the phone, online and on mobile devices; Greater Phoenix Digital Library: Downloadable eBooks, audio books, music and more.

¡Oye! ¿Tienes preguntas sobre BARD? El seminario web de Muchas Caras de BARD del martes 13 de enero se presentará en esp...
01/12/2026

¡Oye! ¿Tienes preguntas sobre BARD? El seminario web de Muchas Caras de BARD del martes 13 de enero se presentará en español. Una visión general de BARD 2.0 será el tema del programa, que comienza a las 4 p.m. hora del este y dura una hora. La presentación y tambien todas las preguntas y respuestas se llevará a cabo en español. Se puede encontrar mas del programa a https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard/ NLS reanudará la programación en inglés de The Many Faces of BARD en febrero.

Hey! Do you have questions about BARD? The Many Faces of BARD webinar for Tuesday, January 13, will be presented in Spanish. An overview of BARD will be the topic of the program, which starts at 4 p.m. Eastern time and lasts one hour. The presentation, as well as all the questions and answers, will be conducted in Spanish. Find more information about the program at https://www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard/ NLS will resume English programming for The Many Faces of BARD in February.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month! According to the National Institute of Health, glaucoma, a group of eye diseases th...
01/09/2026

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month!

According to the National Institute of Health, glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that damages the optic nerve, is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the U.S. If you or someone you know has experienced vision loss due to glaucoma, you qualify for our free audiobook and braille service!

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/tbl

The start of a new year is a great time to set goals for yourself in the next year! Whether they are broad goals like sp...
01/05/2026

The start of a new year is a great time to set goals for yourself in the next year! Whether they are broad goals like spending more time with family and friends or specific goals like reading a certain number of books, setting a New Year's resolution or two can be a great way to kickstart your year!

We've listed some of our resolutions at the Arizona Talking Book Library in the image below - what are your resolutions for 2026? We'd love to hear about them in the comments!

If you want to learn more about anything mentioned in our resolutions, or if you have any questions about our services, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/tbl

[Image Description: A Polaroid-style photo of the Arizona Talking Book Library building pinned to a scrapbook page with stickers, fake flowers, and other decorations.

The image text reads:
My Resolutions in 2026:
1. Try the new features on the DA2 machine
2. Check out a Culture Pass to visit a great Arizona museum
3. Participate in the Summer Reading Program
4: Use the My Talking Books on Smart Speaker skill]

Monty and all of us here at the Arizona Talking Book Library wish you a Happy New Year! We will be closed today, January...
01/01/2026

Monty and all of us here at the Arizona Talking Book Library wish you a Happy New Year!

We will be closed today, January 1, but will resume normal business hours on Friday, January 2nd, at 8 AM.

12/30/2025

NLS patrons check out millions of items each year — in 2024, it was 22,188,638 items, to be exact — and now we’re taking a look at your 2025 reading year with our first installment of NLS Playback.
We tracked downloads and circulation statistics and are pleased to present the top four fiction titles in both audio and braille. Stay tuned tomorrow for the top nonfiction books!

Top fiction books, audio:
1. “A Christmas Carol (DBC29176)” by Charles Dickens
2. “Bent But Not Broken (DB129528)” by Mary Monroe
3. “Alliance Space (DB130476)” by C.J. Cherryh
4. “Hidalgo (DB129545)” by Jose Luis Trueba Lara

Top fiction books, braille:
1. “Someday (BR25124)” by David Levithan
2. “Castillos de Carton (BRG04696)” by Almudena Grandes
3. “Guiding Emily (BR25594)” by Barbara Hinske
4. “The Exchange (BR25484)” by John Grisham

What were some of your favorite reads of this year? Let us know in the comments below!

[Image: NLS Playback graphic]

We will be closed this Thursday, December 25th, for the Christmas holiday. Our normal business hours will resume on Frid...
12/22/2025

We will be closed this Thursday, December 25th, for the Christmas holiday. Our normal business hours will resume on Friday, December 26th, at 8 AM.

Winter doesn't officially start until December 21st, but many places throughout the state have already seen snow! People...
12/12/2025

Winter doesn't officially start until December 21st, but many places throughout the state have already seen snow! People usually think of the desert when they think of Arizona, but our great state has plenty of places that see wonderful wintery weather every year. But have you ever wondered more about the snow that makes our landscape look so beautiful?

In the book Snow : A Scientific and Cultural Exploration (DB 97985), author Giles Whittell explores how snow dictates where we live, provides us with drinking water, and has influenced countless works of art and more. Whittell also uncovers compelling mysteries of this miraculous substance, such as why avalanches happen, how snow saved a British prime minister's life, where the legend of the yeti comes from, and the terrifying truth behind the opening ceremony of the 1960 winter Olympics.

Find this chillingly good title on BARD or request it from your librarian today!

For more information about us or the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/tbl

Are you looking for some seasonal reads to celebrate the holiday season? Find these titles on BARD or request them from ...
12/09/2025

Are you looking for some seasonal reads to celebrate the holiday season? Find these titles on BARD or request them from your librarian today!

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot (DB 124977) - Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pi**ed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don't understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes. Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth. Seth's parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he'll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success.

Christmas in a Cowboy's Arms by Various Authors (DB 97368) - This anthology of holiday romances includes six authors known for their Western settings. Leigh Greenwood's story "Father Christmas" features a man searching for gold stolen by
his mining partner who instead finds himself a family. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of s*x.

Seven Spools of Thread: a Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis (DBC31029) - When they are given the seemingly impossible task of turning thread into gold, the seven Ashanti brothers put aside their differences, learn to get along, and embody the principles of Kwanzaa. Includes information on Kwanzaa, West African cloth weaving, and instructions for making a belt. For preschool to grade 2.

For more information about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/tbl

December is National Cookie Day! It's the perfect excuse to get yourself an extra cookie for dessert (or any time of day...
12/04/2025

December is National Cookie Day! It's the perfect excuse to get yourself an extra cookie for dessert (or any time of day)! We'd love to know what your favorite cookie is in the comments below!

And if you're looking for some new cookie recipes to treat yourself to this holiday season, check out Good Housekeeping: The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook : 60 Large-Batch Recipes to Bake and Share (DB 121381), which includes a collection of recipes from the 'Good Housekeeping' kitchens for sixty different types of Christmas cookies, all yielding more than eight dozen cookies and perfect for a holiday cookie swap.

As we enter into the holiday season, the weather is getting cooler, holiday music is everywhere, and mail shipments are ...
12/01/2025

As we enter into the holiday season, the weather is getting cooler, holiday music is everywhere, and mail shipments are taking longer.

If you need extra book cartridges for your holiday travels or if you want to check up on your when your books left the library, please call or email your requests as soon as possible so we can get them in the mail next business day. Remember, once items have been shipped we have no control over how long the USPS takes to deliver. Expect a timeline of 5-10 days once the mail truck has left the library with your items.

To learn more about us and the services we offer, call us at 602-255-5578 or visit azlibrary.gov/tbl

We will be closed today, November 27th, in observance of Thanksgiving. We will resume our normal business hours on Novem...
11/27/2025

We will be closed today, November 27th, in observance of Thanksgiving. We will resume our normal business hours on November 28th at 8 AM.

We are thankful that we are able to provide access to braille and audiobooks to all Arizonans that can't read standard print, and thankful that we have such amazing patrons!

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), supported by the National Library for the Blind End...
11/25/2025

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), supported by the National Library for the Blind Endowment, has launched a paid internship that offers individuals who are legally blind the opportunity to gain work experience and explore career options working in the areas of collections building, program delivery and business oversight and management.

Application details can be found at www.loc.gov/nls/about/internship-program

The deadline for the summer 2026 session is March 1. All interns will have an opportunity for in-person or virtual employment.

Address

1030 N 32nd Street
Phoenix, AZ
85008

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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