Changes to the administration of the Idaho Talking Book Service (TBS) are coming, but there should be little impact on Idaho TBS patrons or on library staff.
As a cost-saving measure, the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) will contract the Idaho TBS to the Utah State Library, which already provides this service for several other states, including Montana and Wyoming. It is expected that the transition will occur in mid-September 2025.
Idaho TBS patrons will enjoy the same access to more than 100,000 fiction and nonfiction audiobook titles, along with about 70 magazines. Plus, patrons will be able to request large-print books, in addition to audiobooks and magazines on cartridge. The Idaho TBS has not loaned large-print books since 2008.
Any TBS marketing materials that you have in your library are still fine to use. Idaho TBS patrons will call the same phone number, 800-458-3271, to reach a customer service representative (CSR) for assistance with their TBS account. The CSRs will be based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, Monday through Friday, which is the same schedule the Idaho CSRs have.
The Idaho Talking Book Service was entirely federally funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). With the uncertainty of federal funding, the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), which manages the Idaho TBS, will partner with the Utah State Library to ensure uninterrupted TBS service for the more than 3,200 Idahoans who rely on the Talking Book Service.
Unfortunately, the positions of four Idaho TBS staff members will be eliminated in September. Two Idaho TBS staff members, Rachel Welker and LeAnn Gelskey, will remain to manage the Idaho recording studio and volunteers, assist walk-in patrons, and coordinate the Idaho TBS program with the Utah State Library and the National Library Service, which provides the nationally recorded audiobooks.
If you have any questions, please contact State Librarian Stephanie Bailey-White (stephanie.bailey-white@libraries.idaho.gov) or Deputy State Librarian Dylan Baker (dylan.baker@libraries.idaho.gov).
