Here at KPL, we’re big fans of the work that the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) does!  Starting this week, you’ll see fresh signs advertising them at our branch locations - but we wanted to take a moment to put the spotlight on their work here on our blog, too.

What’s WTBBL?

WTBBL provides entertainment and education to Wisconsin residents with disabilities that make reading regular print materials difficult.  Patrons of their library include Wisconsinites with low or no vision, physical difficulties related to holding books, brain injuries, and reading-related learning disabilities.  

They offer a wide variety of books and magazines in both Braille and audiobook format.  Interested in talking about what you’re reading?  There’s a dial-in book club where you can meet with participants from all over the state.  And you’re not limited to print materials, either!  They also offer audio-described DVDs, featuring popular new movies like Sinners and Dog Man: The Movie, as well as PBS documentaries and Old Hollywood classics.

If you or a loved one would benefit from WTBBL’s services, don’t hesitate to apply for the service!  I speak from experience when I say that their work is life-changing.  When my grandmother’s sight deteriorated, talking books became her main entertainment outside of visitors.  When I talked with her, she’d tell me about what “the book lady” selected for her each month, and what she thought of the titles.  The staff at WTBBL ensured that, in the final months of her life, she never lost access to the world beyond her living space, and I will forever be grateful for that.

Talking Books?  Don’t you mean audiobooks?

Yes and no!  The idea of creating “talking books” - recordings for people who can’t read print due to disability - is actually over a hundred years old.  Back in 1877, Edison’s original phonograph patent application listed “phonograph books” as a potential use for sound recording!  It took until the 1930s for technology to catch up to the desire to record books - but when it did, the National Library Service started distributing 33 RPM records to listeners all over the United States.

By comparison, commercially available audiobooks are total newcomers to the listening scene!  They took off in earnest in the 1970s and 80s, when the founder of Books on Tape realized that his long commute would be the perfect opportunity to finally read the classics.

Want to learn more?  Matthew Rubery’s The Untold Story of the Talking Book is a phenomenal history of audiobooks for grownups, while Jenny Lacika’s picture-book biography Talking Books will give you the short-but-sweet overview.

We’ll help you listen!

When you get signed up with WTBBL, they’ll provide you with free equipment to read your books…but what if you’re struggling to get started with it?  Come to KPL!

Sign up for a technology appointment, and one of our staff members will walk you through using your new Talking Book device.  We’ll answer any questions you have…and if you stump us, we’ll find out the answer for you.