70 years of Talking Books in New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) is New Zealand's primary provider of vision-related habilitation and rehabilitation services to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired people.
Each year nearly 1,200 New Zealanders who have gone blind or experienced serious sight loss register as RNZFB members. The RNZFB equips its 11,700 members with the adaptive skills, technology and resources they need to create new beginnings and lead independent lives.
Over half of Foundation members are over the age of 80 years and two thirds are over age 65.
70 Years of Talking Books
In 2007 RNZFB celebrates 70 years of distributing talking books in New Zealand.
Here are some of the highlights of those 70 years:
1937: Talking books are introduced - slow playing gramophone records with the average talking book occupying six records. 137 titles are bought from the American Foundation for the Blind. 24 talking book machines are delivered.
1961: Records are replaced with talking books on Clarke and Smith Mk1 cassettes.
1966: The Foundation opens its own talking book studios enabling the recording of New Zealand titles as well as overseas titles that could not be purchased from other talking book producers.
1969: Clarke and Smith Mk1 cassettes are replaced by Clarke and Smith Mk4 cassettes.
1986: The Foundation begins to record talking books in the Library of Congress four track format allowing six hours of sound to be recorded on one cassette.
1987: The Foundation expands the magazine service begun by the Association of Blind Citizens New Zealand Inc.
1996: The Foundation joins a consortium to develop the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY).
2002: The Foundation commences recording in DAISY 2.02 standard.
2006: The Foundation successfully develops and trials the world's first internet capable digital talking book player suitable for blind senior citizens who do not use computers.
2007: The Foundation celebrates the 70th Anniversary with a gala event for 140 people including Prime Minister Helen Clark and leaders in the New Zealand and international blindness communities.
The Future
In June 2007 the RNZFB Board of Directors agreed in principle to the transition from the distribution of talking books on analogue cassette to distribution of talking books in DAISY format over the internet directly into a player in the reader's home. The transition is planned to begin in early 2009.
DAISY books provide readers who are blind or vision impaired with a reading experience very close to that of their sighted peers.
The advantages of DAISY and internet delivery are:
- Better quality of recording and sound.
- Books are structured so they can be navigated by section, chapter, page, phrase or word - especially important for non-fiction books and educational material.
- Books and magazines can be automatically downloaded and delivered as soon as they are recorded - no more waiting lists.
- The dedicated small, compact player can be moved around the house. It has a wireless connection to an internet modem.
- Readers will not be dependent upon the post for delivery and return of books or have to manage many cassettes and talking book cases
The RNZFB Library provides service to over 5,600 members. Less than 5% of reading materials in print are produced in accessible formats. The library holds over 8,200 talking book titles. Last year nearly 400,000 books and magazines in all formats were issued to library members. The Foundation's library and talking book studios are funded from voluntary donations. Postage to and from borrowers is paid for by the New Zealand government.
Access to the collection is by;
- An online public access catalogue on the Foundation's website.
- The Telephone Information Service (TIS). A script promoting new books in the collection is recorded weekly and members phone in to hear it and leave a message with their requests
- "Sound and Touch", a quarterly newsletter available in the member's preferred format (braille, audio, large print or electronically)
- Communication with library staff usually via phone.
Library and Information Services
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
Private Bag 99941, Newmarket, Auckland. 1149. New Zealand
4 Maunsell Road, Parnell, Auckland. 1052. New Zealand
Website: www.rnzfb.org.nz
Contact: Libraryenquiries
Phone: +64 9 355 6969
NZ Freephone 0800 24 33 33