The Kentucky Talking Book Library Newsletter comes out three times a year and is available in large print, braille, and audio.
Autumn 2026
Audio is available embedded below or on the KTBL YouTube Page: KTBL YouTube
2026 Kentucky Talking Book Library User Survey
Please take a few moments to complete our annual survey. Your feedback helps us make decisions about materials, services, and procedures to help us better serve you. We also use these results in state and federal reports to help support our funding requests.
You may take this survey online here: 2026 KTBL User Survey.
You may also take the survey over the phone by calling 800-372-2968.
New Ways to Enroll
The Kentucky Talking Book Library and the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled are making it easier than ever for people to sign up for our service.
NLS created a new eligibility quiz for prospective users. It’s simple, easy to complete, and gives you answers about your eligibility for talking books with just three questions.
If you are eligible, NLS has also made it a breeze to sign up for the service. They have a new online application that makes it easier than ever. The application can be found at
https://enroll.nls.loc.gov/nlspe-web.
Please share information about the online application with friends and family who may qualify. If they struggle to read standard print for an extended period of time, they qualify. Applications, including certification, can be completed by our librarians online or over-the-phone in ten minutes or less!
For more information, please call us at 800-372-2968, or email us at
ktbl.mail@ky.gov.
Photo caption: A screenshot of the NLS online application.
KTBL Tech Support in Lexington
Need help with your KTBL account, downloading or accessing BARD, or just have a question? We’re here to help!
KTBL is working with the Bluegrass Council of the Blind to offer an in-person help session on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. at the offices of the Bluegrass Council of the Blind, located at 2265 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 103 in Lexington. We hope to see you there!
Big Things Happening in the KTBL Studio
2026 has been a banner year for the KTBL Studio!
Studio Coordinator Kali Mattheus has been hard at work this year recruiting new volunteers and expanding our recording capability like never before.
As of October 2026, the KTBL Studio has expanded to not only more than 30 volunteers, but we are actively working on more than 60 projects! This includes both at our office in Frankfort and through remote volunteer recordings.
Additionally, we have partnered with NLS to bring Kentucky and Appalachian titles that have been commercially produced by major audiobook manufacturers to BARD and digital cartridge for everyone to enjoy.
This allows our studio to continue recording our usual Kentucky titles while allowing us to provide more Kentucky-focused content than ever before! Be on the lookout for these titles, highlighted on our Facebook page,
https://www.facebook.com/KDLA.KTBL, and in future editions of this newsletter.
Updates from NFB-Newsline
Our friends at NFB-NEWSLINE have exciting new additions to share!
Did you know that NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers can access hundreds of new publications from across the nation on the DA-2?
Additionally, version 4 of the NFB-Newsline Mobile app for Apple iOS devices brings a new self-voicing feature to the app. This version also introduces an all-new look, new categories for magazines and even a travel mode! Travel mode allows you to quickly gain access to content available from wherever you are.
NFB-NEWSLINE can be accessed by touch-tone phone, mobile app, email, website, portable player, or Braille device.
Remember, if you are a KTBL patron, you also automatically qualify to join NFB-Newsline!
For more information, including how to subscribe, contact your KTBL librarian. You may also contact Lora Stephens with NFB’s Kentucky Chapter at (606) 465-2743 or email her at lora.stephens@nfbky.org.
Photo caption: The NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile app icon, which features the National Federation of the Blind logo with green stripes on the bottom and right.
KTBL Book Club
KTBL hosts a monthly virtual book club on the third Tuesday of each month at 3:30pm Eastern Time. Our book club meets on Zoom. If you would like to join our virtual book club, please call or email your KTBL librarian.
October 20, 2026
DB 31689, BR 08277 | Dracula
By Bram Stoker | Narrated by John C. Reed
A tale of vampires set in the late 19th century. Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, visits Count Dracula in his Transylvania castle to transact some business, and soon learns that Dracula is not the ordinary man he appears, but a monster. His horror increases when Dracula moves to England. 1897. Approximate Reading Time: 17 hours, 3 minutes.
November 17, 2026
DB 80502 | Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
By Ben Montgomery | Narrated by Jennifer Hubbard
Biography of Emma Gatewood (1887-1973), who left her family in Ohio in May 1955, saying only that she was going for a walk. Four months later she completed a solo hike of the Appalachian Trail, from south to north--the first woman to do so. Details her trip and subsequent celebrity. 2014. Approximate Reading Time: 8 hours, 14 minutes.
December 15, 2026
DB 12986 | Miracle on 34th Street
By Valentine Davies | Narrated by John Stratton
Humorous twentieth-century Christmas story about an old man who says he is Santa Claus. The reindeer in the zoo eat out of his hand and the children who come to Macy's are convinced he is Santa. His sanity is questioned and the case goes to court. Approximate Reading Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.
New Kentucky Titles
DBC 29424 | Blessed
By Sherry Robinson | Narrated by Sally Smothermon
Set in small-town Mercy, Kentucky, this poignant novel unfolds following the untimely death of Grayson Armstrong, a local pastor whose controversial vision for a dying church divided his community. Through the perspectives of various townspeople—including his grieving family, local congregants, and a haunted Vietnam veteran—the story explores love, hate, and the complex secrets left in Grayson's wake. 2019. Adult. Unrated. Approximate Reading Time: 6 hours, 26 minutes.
DBC 29429 | This Close to Okay
By Leesa Cross-Smith | Narrated by Lane Jacobs
When therapist Tallie Clark stops a distressed stranger named Emmett from jumping off a bridge, she takes him in for the weekend to provide safety and support. As they form a deep connection, both must confront the secrets and hidden pain they are harboring. 2021. Adult. Unrated. Approximate Reading Time: 9 hours, 26 minutes.
DBC 17645 | Keeper of the Crows
By Kyle Alexander Romines | Narrated by Norma Rash
Seeking a career-reviving story, exiled journalist Thomas reluctantly teams up with a local sheriff to investigate a series of mysterious murders tied to a missing boy and his eerie scarecrows. However, their uneasy alliance is tested as they uncover the sheriff's secret past and confront a dark, supernatural force threatening the town. 2020. Adult. Some strong language. Violence. Approximate Reading Time: 8 hours, 53 minutes.
DBC 32784 | Gatewood: Kentucky’s Uncommon Man
By Matthew Strandmark | Narrated by Bill Van Arsdall
Examining the life of Gatewood Galbraith, a colorful, fedora-wearing attorney and perennial political candidate known for championing cannabis legalization, Second Amendment rights, and rural communities. Through oral histories, public records, and personal stories, the book reveals how Galbraith's eccentric activism, legal battles, and deep commitment to the underdog shaped a lasting and complex legacy in Kentucky politics. 2023. Adult. Unrated. Approximate Reading Time: 9 hours, 40 minutes.
Book Selections
All of the books in this newsletter are available for download on BARD. If you would like to request any of these titles on cartridge, please contact us at 800-372-2968 or 502-564-5791. You can also email us atktbl.mail@ky.gov.
Contact Information
Kentucky Talking Book Library
PO Box 537
Frankfort KY 40602
800.372.2968
502.564.5791
KTBL.Mail@ky.gov
We are available to assist you 8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Eastern Time Zone) Monday-Friday.