BARD Mobile App For Android Devices

People who are blind, visually impaired or have a physical disability may now download talking books to their Android phone or tablet, if they are registered with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) in the Library of Congress. The Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Mobile app is now available through Google Play for devices running Android OS 4.1 or later. The free app allows readers to download talking books from their NLS BARD accounts. Access to BARD is provided through your local cooperating libraries Rhode Island Talking Books Library. BARD contains nearly 99,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and braille formats, with new selections added daily.

Download the free app and sign in with your BARD user name and password. You'll only need to do this the first time you use the app. The app contains a user manual that you may access through the Bookshelf feature.

NLS Director Karen Keninger said. "The BARD Mobile app allows searching, downloading, and reading books and magazines on one fully accessible, mainstream device, it's a library in your pocket. NLS released a BARD Mobile app for Apple iOS devices in 2013. The addition of an Android app will give on-the-go access to an even larger number of patrons."

The BARD Mobile Android How-to Series tutorial videos are available from the Library of Congress channel on YouTube. In the videos, Consumer Relations Officer Judith Dixon provides instruction on how to read an audiobook, navigate an audiobook, manage downloads, and use basic gestures with TalkBack, the Android screen reader service.