Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille

The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (Norwegian: Norsk lyd- og blindeskriftbibliotek, NLB) is a public library organization based in Oslo, Norway. It produces and loans out audio books and braille books. Its services are aimed at people who have difficulty reading printed texts, for example because of dylexia, visual impairment or other disabilities which making reading difficult. The library serves users across the whole country and the service is free of charge. Audiobooks are sent free by post on CD and can also be downloaded or streamed from the library's website. Users can also use the library's Lydhør app to listen to audiobooks on smartphones or tablets. The library is Norway's largest producers of audiobooks and braille books. In 2014, its collection was made up of 18000 audiobooks and 7400 braille books. The library also produces and loans out study materials for students with difficulties reading printed texts. Norwegian law permits the library to produce audio books and braille books from material subject to copyright. The library has about 29000 users.

The Norwegian Association of the Blind ("Norges Blindeforbund") established the country's first braille library in Bergen in 1910. Further branches were opened in Oslo (1913) and Trondheim (1916). The Association owned and ran the libraries until 1989, when responsibility for supplying library services to those with visual impairment and reading difficulties was transferred to the state in the form of the Ministry of Culture. The library's offices in Bergen and Trondheim were closed in 2007. All production and loaning activities now take place from the library's premises in Oslo.

The library had 55 employees in 2014. A further 40 people are employed as narrators. Øyvind Engh is the library's director. Members of the library's board, currently headed by Trygve Nordby, are appointed by the Department of Culture.

The library is both a public library and an academic library. Registered users have access to the entire collection. The collections holds both works of fiction and non-fiction aimed at adults, young people and children. It also holds magazines and newspapers. People with visual impairment are entitled to have works they require produced. Students with dylexia or other reading difficulties may borrow audiobooks which have already been produced by the library or other libraries in other countries which the library cooperates with.

Users can search for materials on the library's website, from where registered users can either download or stream content. They can also listen to content using the library's Lydhør app.

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