Our Mission
To achieve its mission of serving all members of the community, the Old Bridge Public Library offers myriad assistive resources to serve those with physical limitations, visual impairments or reading disabilities. These services include:
Audio and ebooks
eLibraryNJ is a free service that allows Old Bridge Library cardholders to download audiobooks and ebooks to their computers and transfer them to portable devices at any time of the day. eLibraryNJ offers a variety of over 6,400 popular fiction, romance, mystery, biography, business, history, self-improvement titles for all ages.
Large Print Books
The library has an extensive collection of over 8,200 large print books, including fiction and non-fiction, mystery, biography, instructional, diet and exercise and self-help books for children, teens and adults. To search for a specific large print item, click HERE. (After searching, choose Large Print from the Format list on to the left of the search results).
Braille Books
The Old Bridge Public Library is one of the few area libraries that offer a lending collection of children’s Braille books. The 25-piece collection features titles from popular authors such as Marc Brown (Arthur series), Tomie de Paola, Mercer Mayer (Little Critters series) Peggy Parish (Amelia Bedelia series) and H.A. Rey (Curious George series).
Magnifying Machine
A Clear View low vision magnifying glass machine for reading assistance is available at the Library. Located in the “Commons” community gathering area, it is available for patron use on site.
Books by Mail Program
The Library has introduced a pilot Books by Mail program to select senior living facilities and homebound residents. Old Bridge residents who are temporarily or permanently homebound or facility bound may qualify for this program. Books will be mailed to residents for up to a three week loan and can simply be mailed back in the (provided) reusable bag or can be returned directly to the Library. Postage costs are covered by the Library. Only books from the Old Bridge Library are eligible for this program; other materials, such as DVDs and CDs, as well as items from other libraries, are not available to be mailed. Residents can request materials by calling (732) 607-7933 ext. 5033. All Books by Mail participants must have a current Old Bridge Library card.
Partnership with the NJ State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC)
Through a partnership with The New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC), the Library aims to serve patrons whose ability to read may be affected by a physical or visual impairment or reading disability.
Anyone who cannot read standard print or hold or turn pages of a book may be eligible for services of TBBC’s Outspoken Library program, which include: audiobooks and players, Braille books, access to downloadable audiobooks, magazines and Braille, and the 24/7 audio news reading services, Audiovision and Newsline. Patrons interested in these services should contact the Library for more information about eligibility, to obtain an application, and/or to listen to a demonstration of the audiobook players. Librarians are able to issue a certification of eligibility to those patrons with visual impairment (including blindness) or physical handicap. Patrons with reading disabilities must receive certification from medical doctors or doctors of osteopathy.
The TBBC is a NJ regional library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which is a division of the U.S. Library of Congress. The audiobooks and players are provided free to libraries and patrons by the Library of Congress. All materials including equipment, books, catalogs and magazines are sent directly to readers by mail at no cost and can be returned in the same manner. Registered TBBC members are entitled to long-term loans of audiobooks and players, and can also download materials from the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) web site of the National Library Service. Once registered for a BARD account, users can also download a BARD app to play files on a mobile phone or tablet. For more information, click here.
