Why DAISY?

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Why is Vision Australia's Information Library Service converting to a digital library?

Converting our audio books from tape to a computer file generally referred to as 'digital', ensures the book will remain in our collection for the longer term.
The analog tape technology that the Library has relied on in past years is becoming obsolete. Equipment and parts are becoming harder to obtain and repair.
The Library collection is at risk if it stays in an analog or tape format. A digital library will mean safe, secure, and permanent storage of our collection.
There are many exciting benefits to becoming a digital library. Clients will be able to access a wider range of content, in a variety of ways. Libraries for people who are blind or have low vision around the world have recognised this and are all moving from analog to digital production.

The Library's new audio books are now being created digitally.
The Library's existing analog books are being converted to digital format.
Systems are being put in place to manage this work and provide storage of digital content.
Over the next five years, the library will purchase significant numbers of DAISY titles from other agencies around the world to increase the available selection for library members. More information about the DAISY format can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Although digital technology will provide new ways to access information in the future, clients will continue to receive Library materials in the post.
A limited amount of digital information will soon become available online and in the future a greater amount of online content will be available. News papers and magazines will be the first products to be made available. In the future, there will be digital online options available for downloading audio or text in the DAISY format.

Vision Australia is producing books and magazines in DAISY now. It will continue to add more to the collection all the time. Our aim is to add 2000 titles to our collection each year.
Vision Australia is producing books, magazines and newspapers in DAISY now. It will continue to add more to the collection all the time. Our aim is to add between 2000 to 3000 titles to our collection each year. Vision Australia is entering into partnering arrangements with other producers and blindness agencies to extend the collection even further.
Vision Australia aims to have approximately least 8,000 DAISY books in the collection by 2008.

You can contact the Library Reader Services team member on 1300 654 656
You can search for DAISY books in the library catalogue on the library web site, thru Visway and on the phone with LibTel.
You can request specific book titles or sign up for regular delivery of books from the collection. Some clients who already have their own digital playback devices are currently borrowing DAISY books.
Join the Digital Club by calling the Reader Services team and receive monthly email updates on Library news and new titles.

Although the production of books on tape is becoming increasingly expensive, Vision Australia will continue to provide books in this format until it is prohibitively expensive and equipment is no longer available.

CDs will be labelled with the book title in large print.
Cases will have both Braille and large print labelling on them. This depends on the length of the title and the presence of any subtitles. Labelling is as large as the title allows.
It is not possible to put a Braille label on a DAISY CD, because it would damage your digital playback device. We ask all of our clients not to put labels on DAISY CDs. A good practice is to always keep the CD in its case whenever you are not actually playing it.