Eligibility for Talking Book Library Service

Any resident of Kentucky who has difficulty reading standard print material or who is unable to hold a book and turn the pages is eligible for our service. The condition may be temporary or permanent, as long as a competent authority endorses the application.

Some examples of qualifying conditions are:

•   Visual:
    Blindness
    Cataracts
    Diabetes complications
    Eye surgery
    Macular Degeneration
      
• Physical:
  Loss or paralysis of hand(s) or arm(s)
  Crippling arthritis
  Multiple Sclerosis
  Print allergy
  Stroke

Dyslexia or other reading disabilities may qualify an individual for service as long as the condition is the result of an organic dysfunction. A statement signed by a medical doctor is needed to certify these patrons as eligible.

Apply for Talking Book Service

To obtain an application, call our toll-free number 800.372.2968 (in-state toll-free) or download one from our website.  All completed applications must be returned by mail as we are unable to accept faxed or emailed applications at this time.  If you choose to download an application from our website, please print a copy to send to the library.

Download and print a PDF application for free talking book service:

Application for Individuals

Application for Institutions 

In addition to basic information about the patron, each application must be signed by a competent authority certifying that the individual qualifies for our service. Librarians are considered a competent authority, along with health professionals, teachers, social workers, and government agency staff, but only medical doctors may certify reading disabilities. We will be glad to provide your organization with applications to keep on hand.

Once you have an application completed and certified, mail it to the Kentucky Talking Book Library.  The application may be sent as free matter for the blind and physically handicapped and does not require any postage.  Once we receive an application for service, we will contact the person by letter and ask them to call us and speak to one of our librarians. Each patron is assigned to one of our three librarians, who will explain how the service works. She will talk about the kinds of things the patron enjoys reading, and will determine how many items to send, and how often to send them. The patron will then have a familiar name and voice to speak to when contacting the library.