With this app, you can access audio and braille books, magazines, and music scores from the library. Includes features for browsing, downloading, and reading or listening to materials.
AppRecs review analysis
AppRecs rating 3.9. Trustworthiness 0 out of 100. Review manipulation risk 0 out of 100. Based on a review sample analyzed.
★★★☆☆
3.9
AppRecs Rating
Ratings breakdown
5 star
49%
4 star
15%
3 star
15%
2 star
8%
1 star
14%
What to know
✓
Good user ratings
63% positive sampled reviews
✓
Detailed user feedback
58% of sampled reviews provide substantial detail
✓
Authentic reviews
Natural distribution, no red flags
About BARD Mobile
Access tens of thousands of books—from current best sellers to much-loved classics, popular magazines, and music instruction and scores—in audio and electronic braille, with new selections added daily.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
BARD Mobile is a service of NLS. NLS provides free audio and braille reading materials to residents of the US and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print. If you are blind or have temporary or permanent low vision or a physical or reading disability that prevents you from holding or reading the printed page, you may be eligible for this program. For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/eligibility-for-nls-services.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
This app allows access for eligible users who have enrolled in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress. To enroll, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) and follow the prompts to find your state. Or to learn more at https://www.loc.gov/thatallmayread.
If you are already an NLS patron, contact your cooperating NLS library to request a BARD account. You can find your library by visiting https://www.loc.gov/nls/find-a-local-library/.
SUPPORT
For support and help with BARD account issues, or to report bugs, email NLSDownload@loc.gov.
For FAQ, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/nls-bard-frequently-asked-questions/.
For the User Guides: https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/bard-mobile-ios-version/
BARD Mobile Screenshots
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Reviews for BARD Mobile
Lexie Acquara
App Doesn’t work with braille
I am deafblind so don’t use audio. I’m giving it two stars because I know it works better with audio files. But it does not work with braille books. I can download the books ok with a braille display, but it can’t read them. I’ve tried with multiple braille displays and settings. It shows varying levels of jibberish or it doesn’t allow you to advance (pan) to the next line without going down and hitting the line button which is just awful to have to do every 20 characters. I have asked for help and they just tell me to send back the ereader for replacement. But it is not the problem. I know this because the ereader will do fine to read bookshare books and kindle books. And I’ve tried other braille displays and it works the same. This is a BARD app problem. It has nothing to do with the ereader. But they act like I don’t know what I am doing. My partner and I own an adaptive tech company. I’m willing to look into whether I am missing something, but I don’t think its me. I think it is that they don’t have anyone who really is competent in braille on their staff to fix this. So I have to remember to download a book every (month? Six months? Year? It keeps changing) to keep the service, but am basically cut out of all the braille.Disappointing from a service FOR the blind.
Adam Apple fan
I love BARD Mobile, but when I go places, it won’t let me login
I just tried to login at a different house than mine and it didn’t work. It just kept saying device registration failed and I can’t read the books that I read every night. Super annoying because at this house, I can’t watch TV because there’s no streaming services. please just send some kind of update to iOS 26.1 that stops this because this is really driving me nuts
