What's Available for Our Patrons
A special section for our patrons with information about what's
currently available including the newest talking books, descriptive
videos, magazines and much more.
Equipment and Accessories
Playback equipment is on loan to patrons for as long as they borrow
recorded materials provided by NLS and cooperating libraries. Talking-book machines play cassettes recorded at 15/16 ips and the standard speed of 1 7/8 ips on 2 and 4 tracks. Digital book machines play books recorded on compact flash drives. Talking books DO NOT work on standard home cassette players, computers or MP3 players.
Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review
Learn what books have recently been produced and newly available to
loan on cassette and in braille from the National Library Service.
Bibliographies
If you can't decide which books to order next, you might want to try
viewing one of our topic-based bibliographies of suggested books. View our complete list and download specific bibliographies.
Descriptive Video Catalog
Click on the link below to view a catalog of descriptive videos (DVS)
available in our collection (updated 12/09). Due to limited copies, we
ask that you borrow only one DVS at any given time and that you return
it within two weeks of receipt. We also ask that you return the last
video you checked out before requesting a new one.
View/download: Descriptive Video Catalog
Librarian
Read the latest issue of our Braille Institute Library patron newsletter and get an archive of past issues.
Books and Magazines in Alternative Formats
Patrons of Braille Institute's Library may request free cassette and braille subscriptions to more than 40 popular magazines, including U.S. News & World Report, National Geographic, Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping and many others. Current issues are mailed to readers at approximately the same time as print issues appear. Magazines are selected for the program in response to reader interest.
At this time, magazines are not available on digital cartridges. However, magazines are available to download for users of the Braille Audio Reading Download (BARD) service. Click here to sign up for BARD.
Book-of-the-Month Club
On the last Wednesday of each month, at 1 p.m., we hold a live group
discussion on a specific book at the main Library at 741 North Vermont
Avenue in Los Angeles. Please come prepared to discuss the chosen book.
Braille Library book club selections cover a wide range of literature. Our recent selections include A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Dewey: The Small-Town
Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje.
Here is a list of book club selections for 2012. For more information, comments or suggestions, call our toll-free line at: 1-800-808-2555
Kids Book-of-the-Month Club
On the last Thursday
of each month, at 10 a.m. we hold a meeting for our Kids
Book-of-the-Month Club. We hold a
discussion and have activities relating to the latest juvenile selection.
For more information, call our toll-free line at: 1-800-808-2555
Library Advisory Committee
The Braille Institute Library Advisory Committee was established in
1976 as a forum for user discussion and input. It is composed of a
representative group of patrons and members of related organizations.
The committee meets quarterly with Library staff. We invite you to join
this committee to help us better serve our patrons.
If you would like to join, please call us at: 1-800-808-2555
The National Library Service Online Catalog
Visit the National Library Service to see what books are available through the National Library Service.
Music Services
Music materials are available directly from the NLS. The collection
consists of scores, textbooks and books about music and elementary
instruction in voice and popular instruments.
To order materials from this collection call the NLS directly at: 1-800-424-8567
PROQUEST® Online Information Services
PROQUEST is an online information service that provides access to
thousands of current periodicals and newspapers. Braille Institute
Library Patrons can have free online access to PROQUEST by calling
1-800-808-2555, Ext. 1283, and obtaining a password.
Access the PROQUEST database
Upcoming Library Events
View a calendar of special events at our Library.