Free Audiobooks From the Library of Congress

Watch how it works

One minute, all five steps.

What is it?

It is run by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, part of the Library of Congress. Most people call it the Talking Book program.

You get bestsellers, biographies, mysteries, westerns, how-to books, magazines, and more. Tens of thousands of titles. You can get them mailed to you on cartridges with a free player, or download them to your phone with the free BARD Mobile app. Everything is free, including the postage both ways.

Who can get it?

You can sign up if you live in the U.S. (or are a U.S. citizen living overseas) and any one of these is true:

• You are blind or have low vision that makes it hard to read regular print.
• You have a physical disability that makes it hard to hold a book, turn pages, or move your eyes to read. Arthritis, nerve damage, tremors, paralysis, and pain that keeps you lying down can all count.
• You have a reading disability, like dyslexia.

It is not only for blind people. A temporary disability can qualify you for temporary service. Veterans get priority.

How to sign up

Step 1: Fill out the application

Pick whichever way is easiest for you:

• OnlineStart the online application. It asks for your name, address, email, and your disability.
• By phoneCall the number below. They will connect you to the talking book library for your state, and they can mail you a paper form.
• On paperPrint the paper application, fill it out, and mail, email, or fax it to your state's talking book library.

Step 2: Get it signed

Someone has to confirm that you qualify. Any of these people can sign:

• Doctor (MD or DO)
• Eye doctor
• Registered nurse
• Therapist
• Social worker
• Case worker
• Counselor
• Teacher
• Librarian

Step 3: Pick how you want to listen

You can do both. Then wait for your state's library to contact you. Once you are approved, they will tell you what happens next.

Step 4: Sign up for BARD (for the phone app)

1. After you are approved, go to the BARD website.
2. Look for the link to apply for BARD as an individual, and pick your state's library.
3. Fill out the short form. Use the same email you put on your application.
4. Watch your email. They will send your username and a temporary password, usually within a few days.

Step 5: Get the app

1. Log in to the BARD website first and change your temporary password to your own. The app will not work until you do this.
2. Get the free BARD Mobile app: App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android).
3. Open the app, log in with your username and new password, and download your first book.

Good to know

Ready?