Talking Books

If you are unable to handle or read print books because of a visual, physical or perceptual disability, you can take advantage of the Talking Books Service.

What Are Talking Books?

The member libraries of InterLINK, including North Vancouver District Public Library, loan books on disc (DAISY and MP3) free of charge to eligible borrowers. We also loan Daisy readers free of charge on a temporary basis.

DAISY books are complete books from a number of sources, each digitally recorded by NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Serivice), CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind) or other institutions on one disc. They are especially designed for people with print disabilities and can only be played on a DAISY player or a computer with DAISY software.

Our MP3 books from commercial sources are also unabridged and are usually contained on one or two discs. They can be played on DAISY players, computers and MP3 players, as well as some CD players.

Eligibility for the Talking Books Service

You will need to fill out and submit the InterLINK eligibility form to us. You can download the eligibility form (PDF) or you can pick up the form at any InterLINK library.

Eligibility forms can be hand-delivered, mailed or emailed to:

Talking Books Service
Lynn Valley Library
1277 Lynn Valley Road, Suite 300
North Vancouver, BC V7J 0A2
Attention: Talking Books Service

access@nvdpl.ca

This formality is required by the publishers or copyright holders of the recorded books to ensure that the service is available only to people with print disabilities.

Accessing the Talking Books Collection

DAISY discs and MP3 books held at our Library are entered in the library catalogue and are designated “Talking Books.” Most are titles from the shared Lower Mainland’s InterLINK Audiobooks collection, and some are purchased by our Library from commercial sources with donations and grant monies.

Borrowing

Once you have your NVDPL Talking Books Library card, you can select and check out Talking Books from the collection at the Lynn Valley Library or place holds on desired titles to be held for you at any of our three locations for pickup.  If you are homebound, you can arrange for scheduled home deliveries.

Library staff in Talking Books can find specific books for you or you can ask for a selection based on your interests. Instruction on how to use the DAISY players is also available.

Searching the Library Catalogue

In the library catalogue, you can search for materials of interest and then narrow your search by selecting "Talking Book Collection" under "Form/Genre." Talking Books in our catalogue can be identified by the designations after the title as “taped book,” “sound recording,” or “electronic resource,” and by the prefix of TB before the call number.

A wide variety of popular material is available including:

  • Bestsellers
  • Biography
  • Mysteries
  • History
  • Romance
  • Travel
  • Science Fiction
  • Westerns

Searching the InterLINK Audiobooks Catalogue

You can search the full InterLINK audiobooks catalogue on the Internet. You do not need a password. InterLINK carries copies of every taped book formerly produced by the BC Library Services Branch. Current purchases in audio format (taped books, DAISY and MP3) come from commercial publishers in the US and Britain.

Through InterLINK libraries, Talking Books patrons are also eligible to download audiobooks from Recorded Books OneClickDigital. Contact the Talking Books Service for registration information.

Titles held neither in our collection nor the InterLINK audiobooks catalogue can sometimes be obtained via interlibrary loan from other public libraries in BC.

National Network of Equitable Library Service (NNELS)

The National Network of Equitable Library Service (NNELS) is a new Canadian repository of e-audiobooks developed for the print-disabled. Talking Books patrons are able to download titles directly to their computer or request DAISY discs from their home library.

Some titles, those without copyright restrictions, are available to all library patrons. These items include a link to "Download the Daisy File," rather than a link to "Login to access this item."

For More Information

For more information about NNELS or about borrowing Talking Books, please call 604-990-5800, ext. 8125 or email access@nvdpl.ca.