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Eligibility of blind and other print-disabled persons for loan of library materials:
Anyone who is a resident of the U.S. or its territories temporarily or permanently unable to see or hold print material is eligible for library services for the blind.
1. An individual who is blind or has a visual impairment that makes them unable to comfortably read print books.
2. An individual who has a perceptual or reading disability.
3. An individual who has a physical disability that makes it hard to hold or manipulate a book or to focus or move the eyes as needed to read a print book.
Please visit www.loc.gov/nls/about/eligibility-for-nls-services for the full eligibility terminology.
If you have one of the qualifications above, you can ask us to mail you an application, or you can download the application found on this page.
We can now accept faxed, emailed, or photocopied signatures.
Questions: Contact us at 775-684-3354 or 800-922-9334
Eligibility Certification Required:
Eligibility must be certified by one of the following:
Doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, psychologist, registered nurse, therapist, or professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or welfare agencies (such as an educator, social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, school psychologist, superintendent, or librarian).
Reader Profile:
The goal of the program is to provide you with books that you will enjoy reading. One of the first things we do with all new patrons is establish your unique patron profile. We will use your reading preferences (likes and dislikes) to generate a selection of books for you that will fit your interests and reading needs.
Automatic Book Select:
Because all our patron records and book files are stored electronically, it is possible for our database software to choose books for you based on your favorite authors and genres using your preferences. We call this option Auto-Select. You can refine your Auto-Selections by calling to update your preferences at any time. By adding or excluding subjects and authors, you can tailor your reading experience to fit your needs.
For example, if you want mysteries but have told us you do not want books by the author Robert Parker or books with sexual content, strong language or violence, the computer will scan the catalog for mystery titles that match these criteria. It will then search your reading history and disregard any titles that you have already borrowed from us. The computer will then choose the first available title to be sent to you. Auto-Select is an easy way for you to browse the collection and sample new titles and authors that you might not have discovered otherwise. You can still order specific titles and ask for favorite authors with Auto-Select service.
Request List Only:
We can set up your account to send you only titles, authors and series you have requested or identified. You may request specific books from our catalogs by title or book number and send to us by mail or email, or you can phone in your order. You can submit requests directly to your account using our online public access catalog (OPAC) at https://webopac.klas.com/nv1aopac/index.jsf You can also call to request specific book titles and authors even if you do not see them in our catalogs.
Turnaround Service:
Generally, when you return a book cartridge to us, it is checked in the day of receipt and another is sent out the next business day. We recommend that you return a book cartridge to us as soon as you have finished reading it so that there is no interruption in service. Many patrons like to have two cartridges out at a time, so they have one to listen to while the other is in the mail to or from us.
Telephone Numbers:
You may call the library toll-free from anywhere in Nevada by dialing 1-800-922-9334. Carson/Reno area residents can call (775) 684-3354. Our office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voice mail is available 24 hours a day; calls during business hours will occasionally roll to voice mail when all of our lines are in use, but we return your call as soon as possible.
Free Matter:
All books and equipment from this service travel by mail postage-free as “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped”. Because all materials are mailed postage-free, we cannot guarantee when your materials will arrive. When first starting service, be aware that your welcome letter, talking book cartridge , and equipment may arrive at different times.
Each cartridge comes inside a case with a slot containing a mail card. Your address is on one side of the card; the titles of the books on the cartridge are printed on the other. Under the mail card is a permanent label with our address. When you have finished listening to the books on the cartridge, remove and discard the mail card from the slot so the library's address label is visible. Then put it in your outgoing mail, drop the case into any postal drop box, or take it to your local post office.
Tagging Defective Books:
If one of the cartridges is not playing properly for any reason, please place a rubber band around the cartridge when you return it. If you would like any of the titles on the cartridge again to finish reading ones that did not play, please call us. If we do not hear from you, we will not send that cartridge again.
Program Summary of Services:
Nevada Talking Book Services (NTBS) is part of the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) network of libraries providing services to blind, visually or print disabled individuals.
Books are available on digital cartridges and through Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD). Magazines are available in digital format or through BARD; some materials are available in braille.
Recorded books and magazines and special playback equipment are loaned to eligible readers free of charge.
All reading materials are sent to and returned by readers through postage-free mail.
Collection Statistics:
Our digital collection of talking books includes over 130,000 audio titles and more than 31,000 braille titles. In FY 2020, over 149,000 titles circulated to eligible Nevadans.
