BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download)
Access to the BARD website is restricted to eligible readers. You must first be a patron of the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. If you’re not, review the eligibility requirements, complete an application for library services and submit an application to the library.
Once you’re a library patron or institution you can apply for BARD. An email address is required. Your login information will be sent to this email address.
BARD 2 Offers New Features for Patrons
We are pleased to announce that if you use BARD on the web, you will have access to BARD 2 in late July. If you’re not a BARD user, this is your chance to sign up for the service and get instant access to hundreds of thousands of audio and braille books and magazines for reading with an NLS digital talking-book machine, a personal smart device with BARD Mobile, a Braille eReader, or your PC with the BARD Express player. Contact us at 515-281-1323 or library@blind.state.ia.us to sign up for BARD.
Features of the new website include:
- Reorganization of the Wish List, Reading History, Subscriptions, and Account Settings under one menu.
- New sorting capabilities of book lists. You can now search through book lists and refine the results by format, language, and subject.
- An updated search engine, so finding books is easier and faster than ever before.
- Advanced search functionality.
Access to the new and improved BARD website requires a change in your login procedures. We will contact all BARD web users and provide instructions for the new login procedures. If you have any questions, need assistance, or just want to tell us about your experience with BARD 2, contact us at 515-281-1323 or library@blind.state.ia.us .
Please let us know if you would like a BRF file—we’re happy to provide it.
BARD Express
BARD Express provides patrons with an easy way to access BARD. Use BARD Express to browse thousands of audio books and magazines, download them to your Windows-based computer, and transfer them to a cartridge. BARD Express simplifies the process by providing a menu-driven interface, reducing the need to memorize a complex set of keyboard commands. What does this mean? BARD Express can be used with as few as four keys, while providing advanced functionality for the more adventurous user.
Learn more about BARD Express by checking out National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped information on their Frequently Asked Questions about BARD Express or by browsing the BARD Express User Guide.