BARD available to NLS-certified institutions

NLS is offering the capability for organizations and institutions not affiliated with an NLS library to provide BARD service to users. This is a welcome addition for many Iowa schools, hospitals, nursing and convalescent homes and other institutions wanting to assist students, clients and residents to download talking books. In addition, NLS is developing a demonstration-only (DEMO/Only) account for public libraries to assist eligible patrons.
The following criteria will be applied to institutional deposit collections applying for BARD service:

Any institution currently receiving Braille or cassette books from a network library may request physical copies of books in digital format. Subject to availability of collections and playback equipment, a network library may lend digital-audiobook cartridges and playback equipment to an existing deposit collection or to a new institutional applicant. The process will be the same as it is for cassettes. Libraries should use their discretion regarding the number of digital players lent to any particular institution, although the rule of thumb is one player for every four readers.

For the purpose of BARD access NLS has identified three categories. Network libraries may grant BARD access to institutions in categories A and B, but not C.

Category A. BARD access may be granted to schools for the blind. Access may also be granted to public or private schools and college / university disability centers, provided that they submit a list of the names of eligible students who will use the service. The school or center should also submit properly certified applications for students who are not already registered users of the NLS program. The students need not be set up to receive individual service, but the applications should be retained by the library to verify eligibility. Network libraries should require public and private schools to submit a new eligible-student list at the beginning of each school year and certified individual applications as appropriate.

Category B. BARD access may be granted to an employee of a rehabilitation agency, a center for the blind, or a Lighthouse for the Blind who is applying for service to be able to demonstrate to eligible readers how to download books from BARD. This employee does not have to be an eligible reader. Libraries may approve this type of application as long as applicants accept the BARD web site pledge and understand that they will be held accountable for how the materials they download are used.

Category C. Public Libraries are eligible for a demonstration-only (DEMO/Only) account. Eligible individuals may sign up for BARD directly and use public libraries as their e-mail and download access source, but they must be served through an individual account, not an organizational account.

To apply, click here to go to the NLS website.