The request form for public libraries interested in hosting a paid Professional Field Experience student from URI GSLIS is open for both the Spring and Summer 2025 semesters.

Join us for a free, fun, family event on Sunday, October 20, from 1 – 2:30 PM at the Crowne Plaza Atrium (801 Greenwich Avenue in Warwick),

Celebrate the mighty white cane and the independence of the blind and visually impaired community.

The topic for the Thursday, October 10, Many Faces of BARD program will be NLS BARD on the Smart Speaker.

The program will start with a discussion of the use of BARD on the Alexa device and will include a demonstration.

NLS will soon open beta registration for the new My Talking Books skill on Amazon Alexa-enabled smart speakers.

RI Talking Books Library Members!

OLIS staff will be conducting field service visits to public library directors from the end of the summer through fall.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), plans to make audiobooks and magazines available through Amazon Alexa smart speakers in mid-late summer 2025.

NLS is in the final stages of beta testing this ability with patrons from across the country.

NLS patrons will be allowed to download no more than 250 books and magazines from BARD in any rolling thirty-day period.

This includes both audio and braille titles.

The topic for the next That All May eRead online program on September 30, will be on using your eReader to read commercial braille books on your mobile phone.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. with a brief demonstration.