California State Library

Telephone Service:
We are open for normal telephone service Monday through Friday from 9:30AM to 4:00 PM Pacific time and for voicemail 24/7. We can be reached at (800) 952-5666 (Toll Free in CA) or (916) 654-0640. We are also available through email at btbl@library.ca.gov.

Mail service:
The Braille and Talking Book Library was able to resume circulation services in early 2021, and we continue to ship talking books, braille, descriptive DVDs, and talking book players. You may still experience some delays in receiving materials due to pandemic-related postal service slowdowns. Please return any overdue library materials in your possession as we are able to process returned mail in a timely manner.

Reading Room:
The BTBL Reading Room is now open by appointment only. Appointments to visit the Reading Room must be made at least 24 hours in advance. For more information and to book an appointment, please visit libraryca.libcal.com/reserve/btbl.

BARD service:
The Braille and Audio Reading Download service known as BARD is available and we are processing new BARD applications. We urge you to register for BARD, where you can get all the books you want without receiving physical items in the mail. BARD has been improved in the last few years and is easier to use than ever--especially BARD Mobile, which allows you to listen to books on your smartphone or tablet. To register for BARD, please visit https://nlsbard.loc.gov/CA1A/ApplicationInstructions.html .

Welcome to the California State Library's Braille and Talking Book Library Catalog

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