Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services An agency of the Department of Administration

Questions? 

Contact Talking Books Staff at (401) 574-9310 or email us at talking.books@olis.ri.gov.

You can also contact:

Alicia Waters
Library Services Coordinator
alicia.waters@olis.ri.gov

Neshmayda Calderon
Information Services Technician: Talking Books
neshmayda.calderon@olis.ri.gov

Kelley Lima
Information Services Technician: LORI Services
kelley.lima@olis.ri.gov

Talking Times, Spring 2026 - Section 2

Xavier Society for the Blind 

Let’s get your summer off to a great start with some new Talking 

Books. ​​​​​​​Audio titles (compatible with the NLS talking book player, some are also available in braille and BRF). If you'd like to request any titles, please reach out to their Client Services Coordinator Saul Buchalter at 212-473-7800 or e-mail clientservices@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org. PS their New American Bible is now available on BARD and on cartridge! You can download our professionally recorded Bible to your device using the call numbers below. Old Testament DBC30100; New Testament DBC30101. Don't forget, if you don't have BARD, they can send you the cartridge for your talking book machine. The Bible is yours to keep and like all of their materials is provided free-of-charge. Thank you to our friends at the NLS and Andrew Heiskell Library for helping to get this incredible offering up on BARD! Browse their complete braille catalog. Please note, all braille books are for clients to keep and are available in hard copy and BRF. 

NLS Alexa My Talking Books Skill 

The NLS Alexa My Talking Books skill is officially available for service. For those of you who had existing My Talking Books accounts prior to October 2025, your profiles have been retained. The My Talking Books Amazon Alexa skill allows users to listen to their talking books through voice commands on their Amazon Alexa smart speaker devices. Note: The My Talking Books Skill is exclusive to Alexa-powered devices and is not available for Apple, Google, or any other smart speaker devices. Those of you who are not using the NLS Alexa Skill called My Talking Books, can begin using the skill by filling out the registration form.

Patrons under the age of 18 will need to have a parent or guardian fill out the Parental Acknowledgement form which is available via link from the registration page.

Newsline Launches Mobile App for Android Users 

“The new Newsline mobile app for Android is now available in the Google Play Store! The iOS version of the app is still available in the Apple Store. Newsline is an accessible information service that provides access to over 600 publications including national and international newspapers, magazines, TV listings, sales flyers, and local weather information and alerts—all designed for people who are blind, have low vision, or are otherwise print-disabled. The service provides 24-hour access to newspapers like The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many others. Patrons can listen to their favorite publications by phone, read online through a web browser, or use compatible smart speakers and braille devices. RI Talking Books Library patrons are eligible for a free subscription to Newsline service.” To register for Newsline or learn more, contact the Talking Books Library at (401)574-9310 or by email to talking.books@olis.ri.gov .