Talking Books Service

The Lake County (IN) Public Library Talking Books Service is one of three Indiana subregional libraries that offer talking books through the Indiana Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Indiana is one of 57 regional libraries of the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). As a subregional library, we serve the five counties of Northwest Indiana --Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton & Jasper. At present, the Talking Books Service has 800 individual patrons and 38 institutions. This program is federally funded and free to qualified individuals.

Talking Books provides cassette books, digital books and digital downloading, descriptive videos, magazines and large print books to people who are blind and physically handicapped. Materials are sent through the mail and the service is free to those who qualify.

Digital Books & Downloading, as well as Cassette Books - A completely automated system where patrons have access to more than 19,000 books. Yearly and bimonthly catalogs are available. Talking Books Staff are also available for reader's advisory.

Descriptive Videos - Narrated descriptions of visual elements, actions, costumes, gestures and scene changes are woven into the pauses of a program's or film's soundtrack. Over 400 titles are available.

Magazines - Totally free subscriptions to major magazines available in cassette, Braille or large print. Some magazines are available through digital download.

Large Print Books - Over 9,000 titles are available from the Lake County Library's large print collection.

Applications for the Talking Books Service can be picked up at all branches of the Lake County Public Library or at the Talking Books Department housed at Central Library in Merrillville from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. All applications must have a qualifying signature and a Librarian may sign the application. Those patrons with reading disabilities must have a medical doctor sign their application. The signature must be the original signature, therefore, the signed application must be mailed in and not faxed or sent by other electronic means.

The application is also available to download and print from the Indiana Regional Library website by clicking on this link: The accompanying magazine preference form is also available as a separate document. You may download a printer-friendly application form here. (Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in.)

Completed applications (containing also the qualified signature) and the magazine preference form should be mailed to:

  Special Services Division
  Indiana State Library
  140 North Senate Avenue
  Indianapolis, IN 46204

Because the program requires an original signature, please do not fax or send a photocopy of the completed application.

If you have questions about the application, please contact:
Renee Lewis at 219-769-3541, ext. 390, ext. 323 or by e-mail at rlewis@lcplin.org.

A four-track cassette machine and/or a digital machine is sent via the mail to patrons from the Indiana Regional Library for their use while they are in the program.

The Lake County Public Library Talking Books Service has immediate access to 25,000 cassette books, 419 descriptive videos and over 9,000 large print books from the collection of the Lake County Public Library.

The National Library Service has over 60,000 available titles. If a title is not available from the Talking Books Library, it can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan Services. See all the titles that the National Library Service carries by searching their website. The NLS has 17,000 digital titles that can be downloaded. Digital books are also sent through the mail.

Special publications are available, including:
  Guideposts
  Free Bibles from the Bible Alliance

Braille books are sent from the Regional Library in Indianapolis.

Speakers are available to spread the word about Talking Books to your club or group.

If you have questions about the application, please contact:
Renee Lewis at 219-769-3541, ext. 390, ext. 323 or by e-mail at rlewis@lcplin.org.

Search the Library of Congress NLS Catalog for titles.
Additional Web Resources courtesy of the Indiana Regional Library.
See the Library of Congress NLS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) about the Talking Books Program.
Search IN-PAC: Indiana State Library Talking Book & Braille Library

For information on the Lake County Public Library Talking Books program contact:

Renee Lewis
Talking Books
Lake County Public Library
1919 W. 81st Avenue
Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone 219-769-3541, ext. 390, ext. 323
E-mail rlewis@lcplin.org.