A teacher and young girl reading together at a desk

Overview

Let’s get excited about reading

Let’s get kids and teens who are blind and visually impaired excited about reading through fun activities, reading programs, accessible games, cooking and more!

Perkins Library for Kids shares curated blogs, activities and resources for families and schools to promote inclusive entertainment and education in your community.

A young boy playing outside on a large xylophone

Digital books at your fingertips.

Jacob K. Parent

“My daughter enjoyed the virtual book club so much! It was a lifesaver during a time we couldn’t find any other inclusive virtual events for kids. She learned many new skills in literacy and socializing, plus she made new friends!”

Join the summer fun!

Reading is fun!

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about our materials and services for kids?

When we approved your application, we sent introductory material and the books and equipment that you requested. Equipment and materials may arrive in separate shipments. Contact us if you have questions about what you received or to order more books.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Library is still closed to the general public but does offer a pickup/dropoff policy for materials. Contact the Perkins Library to update your mailing address or to request an appointment.

The Braille & Talking Book Library is located on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind. The library’s GPS and physical address is 141 Riverside Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Contact us for directions via public transportation.

You can access the library’s holdings from the Online Public Access Catalog at https://perkins.klas.com

A number of search options are available, including title, author, keyword, medium and language. You can add items to your request list, and up to three selections will be shipped out immediately.

To order books, you must enter your user ID and your password. Your user ID is composed of six letters and two numbers and is printed on your mailing card. Example: Harry Potter – POTTEH01. Your password is your birth year. Institutions should contact the library for their passwords.

Contact the library with any questions about ordering books online.

We urge patrons to borrow audio and braille books for no longer than six to eight weeks so we can promptly fill other requests for the same titles. Large print books are loaned for four weeks, and DVDs circulate for two weeks.

Please return both books and magazines with shared subscriptions as soon as possible because many others are waiting to read the books and current magazine issues.

Get your children excited about reading!

Our PerKIDS monthly newsletter features fun activities, seasonal books lists and upcoming events.