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BARD Resources
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service is available to all active Kansas Talking Books (KTB) users. With an email address and internet connection, users can download more than 140,000 accessible titles from BARD on a variety devices. Below are resources to help you access BARD in whichever way best meets your needs.
BARD Application
Current talking book patrons without an existing BARD account will need to fill out an application to access BARD.
Institutional BARD Application
BARD Website
The BARD website is accessible on both Windows and Apple computers to find and download books and magazines to a flash drive that can be played in the NLS digital talking books player.
Many Faces of BARD: Searching on BARD (link to MP3 recording)
BARD Express
A Windows only desktop application that makes finding, downloading, and transferring reading materials to a flash drive easier.
Many Faces of BARD: BARD Express (link to MP3 recording)
BARD Express - Downloading and Basics (YouTube Video from Iowa Department for the Blind)
BARD on iOS (Apple) devices
Apple iPhones and iPads are best-known for their accessibility features like Voice Over which makes BARD Mobile for iOS fully accessible.
Download BARD Mobile at the App Store
Many Faces of BARD: Using your braille display to read braille BARD books on your iPhone (link to MP3 recording)
BARD on Android devices
Android phones and tablets (Samsung, LG, Google Pixel and devices other than Apple products) are just as mainstream as iOS devices and are often more comfortable and familiar to use when listening to books on BARD Mobile.
Download BARD Mobile from the Google Play store
BARD on Kindle Fire
Find, download, and listen to books and magazines using the BARD mobile app on these lightweight, portable tablets from Amazon.
Many Faces of BARD: BARD Mobile app on the Fire tablet (link to MP3 recording)
BARD on Humanware eReader
Refreshable braille displays, or eReaders, are devices with small pins that electronically move up and down through holes representing a braille cell, refreshing for each line of braille as users move their fingers across the cells as if they were reading braille on paper.
How to Download Books from BARD - NLS eReader HumanWare How-To Series
How to Read a Book - NLS eReader HumanWare How-To Series
Many Faces of BARD: BARD on the braille eReader (link to MP3 recording)
BARD on Victor Reader Stream
Commercial handheld, pocket-sized digital media player with wireless connection ability to access BARD materials or loaded onto an SD card plugged into the device.
How to authorize your device to play NLS materials
Humanware Victor Reader Stream FAQ
Many Faces of BARD: A review of using the Victor Stream Reader (link to MP3 recording)
BARD on BlindShell
An easy-to-use smarthphone with access to the BARD mobile app, tactile keypad, voice control, and more.
Many Faces of BARD: Make the most of the features of BARD on the BlindShell Phone
BARD Chromebook Basics
General Many Faces of BARD Recordings
NLS hosts a Many Faces of BARD online event the second Thursday of every month at 6:00 p.m. that is open to all.
Many Faces of BARD: Searching on BARD (link to MP3 recording)
Many Faces of BARD: Account settings, preferences, and the password reset feature (link to MP3 recording)
Many Faces of BARD: Just answering your questions (link to MP3 recording)
Many Faces of BARD: Advanced search tips from an expert (link to MP3 recording)