The Talking Book & Braille Center is Closed to the Public
- Please do not return your materials, hold onto them until we reopen (TBD)
- We cannot send anything by mail at this time, please consider signing up for BARD
- We are available by email at TBBC@njstatelib.org
Welcome to The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC). Founded in 1967, TBBC is a library that provides no-cost, home-delivered services, on behalf of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to children, teens and adults in New Jersey who have 
difficulty reading standard print or trouble holding a book.
Apply for our library service.
Contact us toll-free at 800-792-8322, Monday through Friday, between 8:30am – 4:15pm.
- Read our current newsletter.
- Donate: If you would like to make a donation to support the work of TBBC, please donate here.
- Need some inspiration? Read what our members say about our library service.
- We also partner with public libraries to offer TBBC’s services in our NJ communities.
Spring 2020 LEAP Registration Now Open
TBBC is partnering with the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) on t
he LEAP Program. The Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) provides free computer and iPad training classes at several public libraries across the state. LEAP is for New Jersey residents 55 and older who have a change in vision.
The iPad and computer classes will be provided by Advancing Opportunities and will be held again this Spring. Classes will meet once a week for an hour and a half.
To register or find out more information call the Talking Book and Braille Center at 800-792-8322 ext. 812.
CLICK HERE For More Information.
2020 Best Practices in “Services to the Print Disabled” Award
The New Jersey State Library is accepting applications for the first annual Best Practices in “Services to the Print Disabled” Award. The award honors a New Jersey public library that currently provides exemplary service(s) to its “print disabled” population. The award provides a $1,000 honorarium, a certificate, and promotion of the winning library as a model program for other libraries. The winning library will be honored during the State Librarian’s Breakfast at the 2020 NJLA Conference at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. The deadline to apply is March 20, 2020.
To apply, please complete and submit the application form after consulting the award guidelines.
For any questions, please contact Adam Szczepaniak, Deputy State Librarian, NJ State Library, aszczepaniak@njstatelib.org, 609-406-7179 ext. 801.
NFBNJ BELL Academy 2020 ROCKS!
The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey (NFBNJ) is getting ready to launch its seventh Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy. This year’s Academy is in honor of Barbara Shalit, a teacher of the visually impaired for many years. Barbara was devoted to the establishment and growth of New Jersey’s BELL Academy and served as its teacher for the first three years. Barbara passed away in 2019.
The goal of the BELL Academy is to provide children with instruction in Braille and non-visual skills through fun, hands-on learning activities and adventures. This year, we will encourage our students to cultivate their knowledge of music, engage in physical activity, interact in their communities and exceed their expectations of their arithmetic abilities. All blind and vision impaired children in New Jersey (ages 4 through 12) are welcome to participate for FREE!
- Where: Raritan Bay Area YMCA at 357 New Brunswick Avenue, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
- When: June 29 through July 10, 2020
- Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To learn more about the NFB New Jersey BELL Academy, visit https://nfb.org/bell-academy or contact the New Jersey BELL Academy Coordinator Mary Jo Partyka at 609-888-5459 or at choirnfb@gmail.com.
TBBC’s NEW Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) Center
On Thursday, October 3, 2019 the Talking Book & Braille Center celebrated with a ribbon cutting to launch the Grand Opening of their new LEAP Center at 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Trenton NJ. For more information or to sign up for a free class, call the Talking Book & Braille Center at 800-792-8322, extension 812 or email sfelle@njstatelib.org
To view the Ribbon Cutting launch with Dr. Bernice Davis, Executive Director of NJ Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Adam Szczepaniak, Director of the NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center, Elisa Neira, Deputy Commissioner, and Ines Matos, Chief of Organizational Logistics of the NJ Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
Ashley’s Quest Volunteers lend a hand at TBBC
For the past several months the participants at Ashley’s Quest, LLC have been tirelessly volunteering their time and energy here at TBBC by peeling and relabeling cartridges and containers for future distribution. Their efforts have paved the way for getting us on track with a recent upgrade to our software to better serve our patron’s demands.
NLS Announces Name Change to “National Library Service For The Blind and Print Disabled”
The Library of Congress’s National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which provides braille and audio materials to the [Library name here], has changed its name. As of October 1, 2019, it will be known as “National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled” but will still go by the abbreviation NLS.
“We’ve been considering a change for some time, so we’re happy to see this day arrive,” NLS Director Karen Keninger said. “We are very pleased to share our new name and graphic identity with our NLS community and feel that the new name, as with all of NLS’s work, puts the emphasis on the people we serve.”
To learn more about the name change, please visit loc.gov/nls.
Check out this Amazing Device at OrCam
OrCam MyEye was recently featured on the Dr. Phil show. A spunky, adorable 7 year old was the device user he interviewed.
OrCam MyEye 2
For the Blind and Visually Impaired
The most advanced wearable assistive technology device for the blind and visually impaired, that reads text, recognizes faces, identifies products and more.
Click here to watch the video.
OrCam MyReader 2
Read from any surface
The most advanced Artificial Intelligence device for the blind and visually impaired, that can read the morning paper, a favorite book, text messages, emails, and more.
Click here to watch the video.
OrCam MyEye2 was named to Time Magazine’s 2019 top 100 inventions list.
Click here for more about Time’s list.
Veterans Can Receive a Free OrCam through the VA. How Can You Qualify?
There are currently 160,000 legally blind veterans and over 1 million veterans with low vision according to the Veteran Administration’s estimates.
Click here to watch the video.
Contact Eve Posner Independent Distributor, Amit Group at 973.820.5090 or email eve@amit-group.com
More Information for Library Staff
The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) serves New Jersey residents of all ages (children, teens and adults) who cannot read standard print or who cannot hold a book or turn the pages of a book because of a physical impairment, a reading disability, or a visual impairment. TBBC provides no-cost, home-delivered services as a regional library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), a division of the U.S. Library of Congress. In addition to serving individuals, we serve all places in NJ that serve eligible residents and we serve libraries. You must apply for service.
TBBC is a division of the New Jersey State Library. The New Jersey State Library is affiliated with Thomas Edison State University. The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center is supported with funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services .
Kudos for TBBC: Read our kudos page to discover just how important our services are to those we serve.
Read our current newsletter for an update on the services we provide.
Contact us: Call toll-free 800-792-8322; Email tbbc@njstatelib.org.
The no-cost, home-delivered services of the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) are available to all New Jersey residents of any age (children, teens and adults) whose ability to read is affected by a physical impairment, a reading disability or a vision impairment. This includes anyone who cannot read standard print or who cannot hold a book or turn the pages of a book. Read our kudos page and discover how important our services are to those we serve.
The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center provides books in Braille and audio formats. TBBC’s collection has tens of thousands of book titles and dozens of periodicals available. Machines for playing the recorded materials are available on loan from TBBC. We also have an app for Apple & Android devices: BARD Mobile. Our services include:
- Audiobooks
- Audio Magazines
- Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD)
- BARD Mobile App
- Braille Books
- Large Print Books for Children, Teens & Young Adults.
Services for Librarians
Each new reader must complete an application and have it certified for eligibility for our services. To obtain an application, call us toll-free at 1-800-792-8322 or download an application from our web site. Everything shipped between TBBC and you is shipped postage-free as “Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.”
To receive our services, you must apply. Visit our Apply for Service page to download applications.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
