Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD)

On April 8, 2010, the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC) assumed the administration of the Braille Audio Reading Download (BARD) program for the State of New Jersey from the National Library Service of the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the U.S. Library of Congress.

There are currently over 25,000 unabridged books and 42 magazine titles that can be downloaded from the BARD web site to flash drives.

Once you are registered with TBBC, you can apply online for access to BARD. 

The audiobooks you receive from TBBC and the BARD files will only play on devices authorized by NLS.  Needless to say, the digital audiobook player you receive from TBBC is one of these devices. Here is a list of other NLS-authorized devices that can be purchased.  

BARD Application Instructions

In order to register for BARD, you must first be registered with TBBC. If you are not registered with TBBC, call us at 1-800-792-8322 or download an application. 

Once registered with TBBC, you can now apply online for a BARD account. Fill out the application completely. Library staff will check your information against their records. If you are approved to participate you will receive an e-mail message with sign-on information. If there is a problem, you will receive a message explaining the problem.

Please note that the information you provide will be shared with the National Library Service, Library of Congress, and with the manufacturer of your purchased digital talking-book player (if necessary).

If you are planning to use a purchased digital talking-book player, you must register it once you have access to the BARD site. At the BARD web site, scroll down until you find "Update Account Settings" and select this link. At the next page, look for "Select this link to add a purchased player."

BARD Downloading Tips

Once you are registered and approved for BARD, you are ready to download  digital books and magazines.  Here are a few tips:

• Use a flash drive that is between 2 and 8 gibabytes.
• Your flash drive must be clean with no files on it.
• Always format your flash drive before you use it. 

Select this link for more detailed instructions on how to download a digital book from BARD.