The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB) offers its users a daily newspaper in an audio version on the same day as the printed version is issued. People with visual impairments or print disabilities can have the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten sent to them every day in the form of a DAISY audio book. This is made possible by new synthesised speech technology and close cooperation between the newspaper publishers, BoJo Ltd, suppliers of enabling equipment, and NLB.

Aftenposten in audio form contains the
latest news categorised according to
subject matter. The structure of the
DAISY book makes it easy to manoeuvre
between the different subjects
and articles in order to select news of
interest. If they so wish, borrowers
themselves can make use of NLB’s
home pages to stream the news or
download the Daisy book onto a CD.

NLB’s services

Situated in Oslo, the Norwegian Library
of Talking Books and Braille is a national
library providing library services
to the visually impaired and print disabled
throughout the country. NLB
produces literature in the form of audio
and Braille books, while at the
same time offering individual users the
possibility of borrowing literature direct
from the library. NLB services also
include the production and lending of
the curriculum literature required by
visually impaired and print disabled
students at universities and colleges of
higher education.

The library’s collections contain a wide
selection of public library literature covering
all age groups. In addition the
curriculum literature specially produced
for students is also available to all
NLB users. The collection contains
more than 10,000 audio book titles and
6,000 titles in Braille. Annual growth
amounts to some 600 audio book titles
and almost 200 books in Braille within
the category of public library literature.
Every year some 300 curriculum-related
titles are produced for students
with visual impairments. The library
also issues periodicals and public documents
in DAISY format.

Photo: Kjell Egeland

Production

The greater part of the material in
NLB’s collections is prepared and produced
by the library’s own production
department. All works of fiction and
books for children and young adults
are made with the assistance of professional
narrators highly skilled in the art
of presenting a text.

The quality of electronic speech has
been greatly improved in recent years,
making it possible to use this technology
to a greater extent when producing
audio books.

NLB makes use of synthesised speech
in the production of newspapers, periodicals,
public documents and special
literature for students. The use of electronic
speech offers considerable savings
in both time and resources when
compared to traditional methods.

NLB constantly works to develop the
best possible services for the visually
impaired and print disabled. The
Aftenposten-project is an example of
the successful use of new technology.
In all development work the library’s
membership in the Norwegian branch
of DAISY Consortium is of central
importance. NLB also cooperates with
its counterparts in the other Nordic
countries, not only with regard to the
development of production technology
but also in order to make already existing
literature for the visually impaired
available across national borders.

Efforts are also being made to persuade
publishers and other producers of literature
to use standardised file formats.
If universally designed files were more
widely used, the preparation process
would be greatly simplified and it
would be possible for those with visual
impairments and print disabilities to
read files direct with the help of a
Braille display unit or electronic speech
synthesis.

Photo: Kjell Egeland

The DAISY format

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information
System) is used both in the production
of audio books narrated in the traditional
way and also those with synthesised
narration. DAISY is an international
audio book standard used in almost
30 countries. In order to read a
DAISY book the equipment required
can be a DAISY player, a computer
with a special DAISY-reading programme
installed or an MP3 unit.

The DAISY format offers unique possibilities
to manoeuvre between the
book’s various chapters and pages.
Literature produced with the help of
electronic speech can also be made
available in full text. The user can thus
follow the text on a computer, while at
the same time listening to the book
being read aloud. If the computer has a
programme to magnify the text, this
can be used at the same time.

Contact with the public

The Norwegian Library of Talking
Books and Braille produces specially
prepared literature for the visually impaired
and print disabled, while at the
same time offering library services to
this user group. The library’s development
programme also includes projects
aimed at improving these services towards
its borrowers.

The service department has direct
contact with the individual user, either
by telephone or e-mail. The lending of
books is arranged directly with the user
and DAISY books are sent by letter
post. Every time a loan of a DAISY
book takes place, a new CD is made. It
is possible for borrowers to become
regular subscribers to both DAISY
books and Braille books, in which case
they automatically receive all new
books.

In order to be registered as a borrower
at the NLB, documented proof of
visual impairment or print disability
must be submitted. All library services
are free of charge. NLB has a special
department dealing with all applications
from visually impaired students
and arranging for the production of
the literature they require in connection
with their particular curriculum.
The library also offers special services
for children and young people.

In order to spread information about
the library’s services for the visually
impaired and print disabled, cooperation
has been established with various
interest organisations for the physically
disabled and also with municipal aid
authorities.

In 2007 the Norwegian government
issued proposals for a wide-ranging
reform of the library system: Library
Reform 2014. If carried out as proposed,
this reform will demand much
greater cooperation between all the
different participants in the library
sector. NLB welcomes these proposals
and will work towards ensuring that
this greater emphasis on cooperation
will lead to an increased awareness of
library services for those with visual
impairments and print disabilities,
both within and outside the library
sector.

NLB’s book base can be accessed by a
search of the library’s home pages. The
application programme, MappaMi,
makes it possible for users to order
books and to keep track of their borrowing.
NLB’s home pages also contain
general information about the library’s
services, latest news and the most recent
books. These home pages are in
accordance with the requirements for
universal design as laid down by the
authorities and can therefore be read
both by means of Braille display and by
the use of electronic speech.

Digital library services and storage
systems open up new possibilities for
access to information for the visually
impaired and print disabled. NLB will
therefore continue to concentrate its
efforts on ensuring an effective use of
these technological advances.
For further information about NLB:
www.nlb.no

Liv Torild Ellefsen

Librarian
The Norwegian Library
of Talking Books and Braille

Liv.Torild.Ellefsen@nlb.no

Translated by Eric Deverill