CNIB Talking Books Go Completely DAISY!

Toronto, ON, January 15 – CNIB is now approaching the final phase in the transition from audio books on cassette tape to audio books on CD. On March 27, 2007, the CNIB Library will cease circulation of books on tape.

This change has been occurring in phases over the last two years to ease the transition to digital services for CNIB Library clients and ensure that they had time to acquire DAISY talking book players.

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem) is the “next generation” audio format, providing a higher quality, fully navigable talking book experience for readers. Also, since DAISY is a global standard, libraries providing DAISY talking book services for people living with vision loss can now explore resource sharing opportunities around the world.

The Library began producing DAISY titles in 2000, recognizing that cassette tapes and players would become obsolete within a few years. The Library has thousands of DAISY talking books available to lend to CNIB clients or partner community libraries in Canada, and continues to convert its analogue collection to digital. A full transition to DAISY for CNIB will allow for a more streamlined service. In addition to DAISY on CD, clients also have access to online audio books at the CNIB Digital Library.

Response to the DAISY format has been positive. Graham Stoodley, an avid reader who is helping CNIB clients, many of whom are seniors, make the move from cassette players to DAISY books on CD, speaks to the benefits: “The sound quality of any DAISY player is strikingly superior to the quality of cassettes. There's no tape hiss, no cross-talk from other tracks on the tape, and the frustration of twisted or damaged tape is gone. Better still, one DAISY book fits on a single CD that can stay safely in your machine until you finish the book. You don’t have to fiddle with four or five cassettes or with changing sides, tracks or tapes.”

A number of public libraries are now offering DAISY talking books to patrons who cannot read regular print due to a disability. The Library’s Public Library Sales Program offers both DAISY and two-track cassette titles.

For more information about the DAISY format, see the All About DAISY section.