Founded in 1931 as the Jewish Braille Institute and later known as JBI International, JBI Library is a New York-based nonprofit organization that helps people who are blind, have low vision, or have a print disability participate fully in Jewish life. Its work encompasses education, religious practice, cultural activities, and community engagement, enabling people to read, learn, and participate independently and with dignity. In February 2025, the organization announced its rebranding as JBI Library to reflect its expanding services and role as a community resource.
JBI provides free library services to eligible patrons of all ages worldwide. Eligibility includes blindness or low vision, reading disabilities such as dyslexia, and physical disabilities that make it difficult to hold a book or turn its pages. As of October 2026, its website reported more than 11,000 patrons in 26 countries. Its librarians recommend books, answer reference and research questions, and arrange special requests.
JBI’s circulating collection contains more than 16,000 Jewish-interest titles in audio, braille, and large print, in multiple languages. Materials range from fiction, history, biography, and memoirs to Jewish studies, poetry, humor, and cookbooks. Borrowed materials are mailed postage-free to and from patrons. JBI also offers accessible magazines, Jewish news digests, and recordings of concerts, lectures, and readings. It is an associate agency of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress.
Religious materials are available for different Jewish denominations and include prayer books, Passover Haggadot, Chumashim, Megillot, Yizkor services, and Jewish calendars. Liturgical texts are provided free. JBI also produces customized materials for Jewish learning and lifecycle events, including b’nai mitzvah preparation materials, adult-education textbooks, and braille ketubot. Large print materials can be adapted to individual needs, including larger type or white text on a black background.
Beyond its collections, JBI offers free accessible programs online and in person, including English and Russian book clubs, author talks, writing workshops, poetry programs, holiday learning through its Judaism 101 series, and librarian-led community discussions. New accessible offerings include graphic novels with image descriptions and audio versions of Jewish Book Council essays and firsthand accounts written after October 7, 2023.
JBI partners with synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, museums, and organizations serving people with disabilities to expand access to Jewish life. It also offers customized braille, audio, and large print production for organizations. Volunteers assist with audiobook narration and production, Hebrew braille transcription, proofreading, patron outreach, and community programs.
Through its Nathan L. and Suzanne K. Wolfson Merit Scholarship program, established in 2018, JBI supports Jewish undergraduate and graduate students who are blind or have low vision. In September 2026, it announced $280,000 in scholarships for 28 students for the 2026-27 academic year.
Contact information
JBI Library
110 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: 212-889-2525
Toll-free: 800-433-1531
Librarians: 212-545-8025
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jbilibrary.org
Source: JBI Library.