Alternative Format Material

INTERLENDING - ALTERNATIVE FORMATS

WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE FORMAT MATERIAL?

Usually a book or print item which has been produced in a different format.
This includes: Braille, Moon, Large Print, Giant Print, DAISY(compressed digital audio on CDs) or Tactile Diagrams, Audio cassettes, CDs, MP3 disks.

WHAT IS A VIP?

A visually-impaired or 'print disabled' person.

WHAT IS THE BEE AWARE SCHEME?

Bee Aware is a national initiative to promote the inter-library loan of alternative format materials on behalf of visually impaired and print disabled people.

Further information is available on the North West Libraries Interlending Partnership (NWLIP) web-site: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/nwlinterlending/resources/beeaware/

An information pack about the Bee Aware scheme is available free of charge via e-mail from NWLIP

SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMAT MATERIALS

RNIB National Library Service
Last year the National Library for the Blind (NLB), best known for its Braille collections, and the RNIB, best known for its Talking Book service, merged to form the RNIB National Library Service.
The new library service has-
Europe’s largest collection of Braille books (over 30,000 titles)
Practise materials for adult Braille learners
14,000 Braille music scores
Over 2,000 titles in Moon, an alternative way of reading by touch
UK’s largest collection of unabridged audio fiction and popular non fiction titles
Learning and skills library of audio reference and study material.

It is still possible to search the RNIB Library catalogue by visiting
http://librarycatalogue.rnib.org.uk/.

Revealweb
This database is no longer active; all records have been transferred to Unity UK.

INFORMATION AND ADVICE

Calibre Audio Library
This is a free postal service. Books are mainly available on cassette but have introduced MP3 format recently. The catalogue is available to search online and includes material for adults and children. It is a leisure reading library so doesn’t have any text books.  It is possible to use the Bee Aware scheme to obtain books for library users.

For more information visit http://www.calibre.org.uk/.

Clear Vision Books
All books have Braille print and pictures making them suitable for Visually Impaired and sighted children and adults to share. There are over 12,000? books in the collection including tactile board books, simple stories for young children and stimulating books for newly fluent readers. Families can take out individual subscriptions to a postal service.

For more information visit http://www.clearvisionproject.org/.

Custom Eyes Books
A collection of Giant print books produced by National Blind Children’s Society. At the moment there are about 8,000 titles available. Books can be tailor made in the font size and colour of paper to suit individual children.Original covers are used wherever possible. Some titles are available on loan from the RNIB using the Bee Aware scheme.
For more information visit http://www.nbcs.org.uk/customeyes

Talking Newspapers
A wide range of national newspapers and magazines available in various audio formats. Individuals can take out a subscription to individual titles.
For more information visit http://www.tnauk.org.uk/

Cue and Review
A Scottish based charity working across the whole UK that produces audio transcriptions of newspapers and magazines. Titles include Four Four Two, Empire and Inside Soap. Postal service available via individual subscription.
For more information visit http://www.cueandreview.org.uk/

Bag Books
Bag Books is a national charity, working to enrich the lives and support the learning of children, young people and adults with severe to profound intellectual impairments.

For more inforation visit www.bagbooks.org/

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