Illinois State Library

ABOUT THE SERVICE

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) was established by an act of Congress in 1931, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Library of Congress. Subsequent legislation expanded the program in the 1950’s and 1960’s. From a start of 19 libraries in 1931, the network has grown to 57 regional and 77 sub-regional libraries throughout the United States.

The program in Illinois is administered by the Illinois Secretary of State. It is a division of the Illinois State Library. The Illinois network consists of the regional library in Springfield and four talking book centers that are located throughout the state.

Funding for the NLS program comes from federal and state taxes. The fiscal year 2004 appropriation from Congress was $50,401,000. The combined expenditures for the program are approximately $166 million annually. In 2002, 23 million braille and talking books were circulated to 693,151 patrons. In the Illinois Collection the most recent statistics show we have 70,579 talking book and braille titles available to serve 26,500 patrons. With the cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service, these books are mailed as "Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped."

The Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service plays a supporting role for the Illinois Network of Libraries Serving the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The network consists of four library sites throughout the state known as Talking Book Centers. These libraries circulate unabridged books in audio format. The regional center provides administrative functions, acts as a liaison with NLS, and maintains a reserve collection of braille and talking books.