Today I am interested in a very specific category of audiobook designed for people who do not have access to printed books. That represents a lot of people and concerns both adults and children. The reasons are diverse: It can be due to vision problems, dys disorders and all kinds of cognitive and motor difficulties… And for all these people there is precisely a certain type of audiobook which allows them to have whenever even access to book content.
The association of voice givers of sound libraries
This association is one of the oldest associations that exist for audio readers with disabilities. It is the association of sound libraries. It was imagined in 1972, in Lille, by an ophthalmologist, Charles Paul Wannebroucq. He was someone who was passionate about literature, who loved discussing it with his patients. And one day, in his free time, he imagined a system of cassettes where volunteers, “voice givers” recorded themselves reading so that those who could not do it on their own still had access. to the text. Initially, it was just in Lille, and only thanks to a few cassettes which were circulating, but this system worked very well and thanks to the support of the city’s Lion’s club, and a large network of volunteers, sound libraries saw daytime almost everywhere in France.
From analog to digital media
Dematerialized lending was a real turning point in the life of the association since users of the sound library can now directly download the documents they wish to read. It also made it possible to pool the work of vote-givers throughout France. But the question of support remains interesting nonetheless. Firstly because we remember that access to the computer and the internet is not obvious and therefore that many people still need physical reading media (today it is mainly CDs – there are about 350,000 available for borrowing). But also because the transition from analog to digital (from cassette to CD) made it possible to set up the daisy standard, which is an international standard and which was precisely invented to facilitate reading
The daisy standard
The Daisy standard guarantees users that the text will be able to adapt to their needs. This allows for example to be able to vary the reading speed or the tone of the voice (there are frequencies which are more audible than others) and then there is also a system of vocal summary and division of the book into tracks for be able to move easily within documents. And all these parameters are not present in more traditional audio books, I am thinking for example of those found on audible type download platforms for example.
Ultimately, the issue behind this whole system is that all people who cannot read printed books can access the same knowledge and the same information without delay or additional cost. Audio libraries are therefore committed to offering free audio versions of books but also of periodicals and the local press, newspapers which are widely consulted. Library subscribers can also request that a particular book or magazine be available for listening when this is not yet the case.
The association is recognized as being of public utility, it is not concerned by copyright issues – therefore all texts can be transmitted by the donors without condition and even if there are versions texts in audio books already on the market!
To be a voice giver
To be a voice giver, you especially need time! Sound libraries train their volunteers to read but also to use Audacity, free sound editing software. The recordings are made directly with the volunteers and they are controlled to ensure that quality standards are respected.
There is even an audio reader prize which is awarded every year in September! It rewards the best first or second novel by an author and it is library members who vote.
To know more
https://lesbibliothequessonores.org/
