BARD Mobile

If any of you has ever tried contacting someone at BARD, you will know how difficult it is to find contact information for them.

I did, after looking through the LOC web site, however, find one little main phone number for it. I just tried calling it today and was asked to "leave a message" and "the librarian" (whoever that is) would "get back to me". My cynical self tells me that I will either get called back quite late or that it will never happen at all.

I therefore recommend that we all go ahead and try calling the following number about the BARD issue and that we also let them know how difficult they make it to contact anyone about the app.

The number is: 1-202-707-5000

Be sure to state that you have a question regarding the NLS Braille/Talking Book library so that you will be directed to the right people and go from there.

The search problem is *not* a BARD Mobile bug; it's the iOS 8 bug wherein visual focus doesn't always follow VoiceOver.

I reiterate that I hear a new version of BARD Mobile is coming; NLS was waiting for iOS 8 to come out before even releaseing the app for beta-testing. but with the iOS 8 VoiceOver and other accessibility problems, I suspect NLS is leery of doing anything until a more-or-less fixed-and-stable release of iOS 8 has been around for a few weeks.

Has anyone else noticed the shortcuts specific to reading Braille in BARD (such as R to go to the reading window, and S to go to the search field) no longer work?

As has been discussed frequently, iOS 8 introduced a scrolling bug which got in the way of searching for books in the BARD Mobile app. The workaround has been to scroll the screen manually with three fingers, then find the search field by touch.

I just received an email from the CTBL, and the information below is copied and pasted from that email. I thought I'd pass the info along in case others are interested.

Attention BARD Mobile users,

We have been able to tweak a few things with BARD. The result is that the search field in the web view of BARD Mobile now works as it did before the release of iOS8. In order to make this change, the checkbox and accompanying text that limit the display of local materials has been temporarily removed. For now, there is no longer an option to eliminate locally-produced materials from searches. The fix has been tested on iPhone 6 and 5/5S. Because the iPhone 4S has a smaller screen than more recent models, this change will not be effective on iPhone 4S. Devices older than the 4S cannot run iOS 8 and so do not encounter the bug.

Once iOS 8 is fixed and this bug no longer occurs, we will restore these items to the main page.

Thank you for being patient as we work to improve your BARD experience.

The BARD Technical Support Team
NLS BARD Technical Support

As Ali noted earlier, the Braille reading keys are not working, which makes the app pretty unusable for Braille books because it doesn't automatically keep up with the last reading position. Another discussion forum suggested that turning quicknav off solves the problem: VO is grabbing the keys, apparently. Problem is that Braille displays and gestures can't be used to toggle quicknav. Only a Bluetooth keyboard can do it. The developers could do a few things to work around this, it seems to me: either use the custom actions rotor option to insert the hotkey actions on the rotor, enable IOS 8 Braille screen input so that the commands can be entered that way (which still risks losing the reading position when the display is touched), or, you know, somehow disable quicknav while the app is active.

It refuses to load, it just says in progress and nothing comes up. Not even to the Safari web browser.

It would appear that the bard website and app have the same effect on blind people the same way that Facebook has on the sighted. It's down, there's nothing we can do, so just hang tight. I do believe you can still read any books you've previously downloaded, so find a few and read those while we wait. Also remember, there's audible and bookshare.

Agreed. Somethimes our tech just doesn't work as we would like it to. This is one of the reasons why we download books ahead of the one currenently being read, use a portable backup solution for the PC, have a battery pack for those times when the lights go out, etc. After all, we must be connected, or at least I must be. We love our tech and really do feel lost if something isn't performing up to our expectations. Preparation is key, right?

Does this website have a email address that you can send support inquiries to? They probably already know it's down but it's always good to confirm. Perhaps they can give us a date for when it's going to be back to normal.

The Colorado Talking Book Library just sent out an email relaying a message they received from the NLS regarding BARD:

“NLS is experiencing technical problems with communication channels administered by the Library of Congress that are necessary to run BARD. We are making every effort to fix the problem and restore service.”

BARD Mobile version 1.1 is now available:

What's New in Version 1.1

• Built-in sleep timer
• New setting keeps device from sleeping while download is in progress
• Add to wish list directly from details screen
• Enhanced braille search function
• Improved VoiceOver hints and labels
• New braille shortcut key
• Improved Magic Tap response
• Works with iOS 9

Today I've been having an issue where the shortcut key doesn't seem to be working. When I press the letter r, dots 1, 2, 3, 5 on my Braille display, instead of taking me to the place in the book where I last left off, it is activating the navigation button. When I hit the back button, sometimes it takes me to the right place in the book and sometimes it doesn't. I've now lost my place in the book and can't get back there without spending twenty minutes scrolling through the pages! I've also tried using the search function and it isn't finding any of the words I've searched for. I'm a new Braille display user and don't have much experience. Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong? Or is anyone else having this issue? Thanks.

I am getting sick and tired of getting system messages about bard express everytime I load the app. Is there no way to turn this off?

I'm all for getting a message once or twice, but like you say, every time you open the app is a bit excessive.

Ok, I have to ask... What the heck is bard express? I've honestly never heard of it before and have never even seen that message pop up in my bard app.

Bard Express is a windows-only program, (sorry, Mac users!) that allows people who aren't very good with using the website to download books and put them on a flash drive or cartridge. It just simplifies the process for those who aren't particularly tec-savvy. There's absolutely no requirement, whatsoever to use it, it's just yet another way to download books from bard.

I wish you could search for books from the app instead of having to log in and add them to your wishlist.

You can search for books from Bard in the app. It's under the "get books" tab. The whole wish list thing is stupid, though. I agree with the idea of a list to store titles you may wish to download, but why not have a direct download link. It's just a needless extra step to get a book.

There is a direct download option in the app.

Wait! I just looked at the app agian, and theer is no direct download option. I thought theer was one before.

Oh cool I'll check it out and yeah I agree the wishlist is odd.

Hi,
I keep losing my place when I open the app and try to open Braille books. Is making bookmarks the best way to get back to where I lave off?

Thanks.

Thanks for your help. It's just as well that there is and will be no Mac counterpart for this. Why do I say that? Well...I just grabbed this app earlier today and took it for a brief test-drive by reading one of my previously downloaded short books. I originally thought I only needed my NLS player, but this app is amazing. Now I can truly read on the go with NLS and Dolphin! Very cool.

Hi all. Subject line pretty much says it all but please allow me to explain a bit. I discovered something this weekend, and I wanted to make people aware of it in case they haven't already found out themselves. I'm also going to post this in the thread for Dolphin Easy Reader, and contact both Dolphin and NLS regarding this. I've had absolutely no other issues with BARD Mobile, and fortunately I found a fix for the issue I did have which I'll explain. So what is that issue anyway? Well...This weekend when I was at my parents' place for a birthday celebration, I attempted to download and listen to the latest issue of "National Geographic" using BARD Mobile. However, when I went to start the audio the app immediately threw an error message at me. The message indicated that the audio couldn't be decoded. Rather than contact the developers straight away, I figured I would do a bit of detective work. I also needed to download a book from BookShare using Dolphin Easy Reader, hence the need to mention that app here. As it turned out I couldn't get that book to read in either app, but I'm planning to contact the appropriate people regarding that. So I ended up deleting that book and closing Dolphin Easy Reader. Back to BARD Mobile I went to see if perhaps that issue of "National Geographic" would actually start playing this time. But sadly that was not the case. So I promptly removed the magazine from my book shelf, and removed Dolphin Easy Reader from my iPhone. Just last night I decided to open up BARD Mobile and re-download the magazine issue again. However, this time it worked just fine and I was able to set the Sleep Timer which I had originally planned on doing. So I guess the moral of this story is that there might in fact be a bug regarding shared audio. This doesn't appear to be happening with books, only magazines and only with this particular one for me. But like I said in the beginning, this is the only problem I've had with BARD Mobile and I hope it will be the last. End of story.

Several months ago I had an audiobook give me the exact same problem in BARD after downloading it, where it would give an error about being unable to decode the book for playback. Deleting and redownloading the book fixed the issue. So it can happen with regular audiobooks as well.

I love this app, but sometimes I wish there was a recommendation feature. Kind of hard to find something good to read sometimes ...

If you also happen to use Kindle books, if you go directly to the Amazon page, not through the Amazon app, because you cannot purchase Kindle books through the app, once you arrive at a favorite author page, you can click follow the author. This will then generate Email notices to you whenever they release a new book or there is a sale on their books. Also, I use Bookbub and FreeBooksy newsletters, which allow you to select your favorite jenres and then you receive daily book sales that are either reduced in price or free. I have found many authors through these daily Emails. You just click the kindle link for the book and it takes you to Amazon where you purchase the book. You can sign up for these at their respective websites. Go to www.bookbub.com or www.freebooksy.com. If you find an author you really like you can check BARD to see whether or not the author is listed there. Sometimes you find them and sometimes you don't. but, if you didn't find them, at least you can purchase their Kindle books if you wish to. I hope this helps to find some fantastic reads as I have through this method.

I have been trying to find a solution to a problem I am having with my father's iPad Pro and his BARD mobile app relative to using a bluetooth speaker or headset. If I play the book for him after pairing a bluetooth speaker or headset no sound at all will play. I have verified that the bluetooth item is indeed connected and plays music, but not the BARD book. My father is blind and hard of hearing so I need to increase the volume to the best of my ability. I have bought him a headphone set that is connected via 3.5mm cord but due to his advanced age and need to walk with assistance it is more prudent if I could get the bluetooth capability to work. I would be so grateful for any suggestions or assistance to try and fix this issue for him. Thank you!

How do I get magazine subscriptions to stop filling up my wishlist?

Thanks,

Vanna

I was trying to download a book and found that it said failed! Anyone getting that.

This app is awesome I enjoy reading my books on the couch.

Sometimes when I press the previous/next/rewind/fast forward buttons it will act as if I'm holding it down and keep going, going, going, going until I do a two-finger doubletap which will stop it and reset the position but then none of the buttons will work and I have to close and reopen the app to get it working again.

I just got that message when I tried to bring up my Wish List. What do I do?

Contact your states Library for the Blind. BARD is tied to each state's library dependant on where a particular user lives. So it could be your state's library is having network issues with their online Catalog for the Blind.

Don't know if I am the only one having this problem, but there is an issue when I search for books in BARD. I search for an author like Stephen King, and since he has well over 50 books, only the first 50 are popping up. The books I want to download are beyond that first 50, and also I like to browse to see what titles are available. Is anyone else having this issue?

I do not have either problem mentioned in this thread. I am running iOS 16.7.2.
I can login to my BARD without issue, which is why I think it may be the OP's state Library for the Blind that is having the issue.

I also just did a search for Stephen King, and let me tell you, that list is looong.

I'm running 17.1.1. I can log in just fine. Yeah, that is a long list. Lots of good books. Just a few I haven't read yet so I like to search to make sure I get them all.

Unfortunately it is likely iOS 17.x that is the culprit regarding the issue with your list of search results within the BARD app. There is a possible work-around for you.

Possibly.

Try the following:
1. Open BARD.
2. Tap on the 'Get Books' tab.
3. Tap on the Search button, then the search field.
4. type "Stephen King" without quotes, of course.
5. In the list of search results, flick up or down, you should already be in the action rotor, and you can flick through actions like "view all by Stephen King" or if you are focused on a book from a series, let's say "The Dark Tower", then you will get an action rotor option labeled something like "View all in 'The Dark Tower Series'".

HTH. 🫡