Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Eligibility for Talking Book 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 conditio​​n​​s 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
  • Reading:
    • Dyslexia
    • Dyscalculia
    • Dysgraphia
    • Developmental aphasia

Apply for Talking Book Servi​​ce

To obtain an application, call our toll-free number 800.372.2968 (in-state toll-free) or download one from our website.  The application cannot be completed and submitted online; you must print a hard copy.

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


In addition to basic information about the patron, eligibility must be certified by one of the following: doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, psychologist, registered nurse, therapist, and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or welfare agencies (such as an educator, a social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, school psychologist, superintendent, or librarian).

Once you have an application completed and certified, send it to the Kentucky Talking Book Library.  The application may be mailed as "Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped" and does not require any postage. It can also be faxed to 1-502-564-5773 o r scanned and emailed to KTBL.Mail@ky.gov.  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,  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.