The Talking Books and Braille Library (TBBL) provides free library services to Louisiana residents who have difficulty reading standard printed materials due to visual, physical, or reading disabilities. The library collection includes over 75,000 titles in non-print formats such as Braille, cassette, digital cartridge, and large print, and loans playback machines to patrons. The recorded materials and magazine subscriptions are mailed free to and from library patrons. TBBL is supported by funding from the State of Louisiana and is a cooperating network library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) of the Library of Congress.
Louisiana residents of all ages and income levels who have visual or physical limitations and are unable to read standard print materials are eligible for free library services. Qualifying conditions include low vision, physical conditions affecting the ability to hold a book or turn a page, and medically certifiable reading disabilities. A certifying authority must sign the application form, and after processing, the library sends playback equipment and a welcome packet with catalogs of available books and magazines. The library also chooses books based on subject preferences if requested.