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What do I want to read? How do I find a book I’ll enjoy?

The Vision Australia Library collection is overflowing with choices. We offer an extensive range of fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers, magazines and podcasts for our members. With over 60,000 audio titles in the catalogue, there’s sure to be something to spark your interest!

We encourage all our members to actively shape their bookshelf to reflect their hobbies, interests and favourite authors. Take the guesswork out of choosing a book and set your preferences to shape a bookshelf specifically tailored to your reading habits.

Follow the instructions to learn how to tailor your catalogue searches. Invest ten minutes today, to help us find the best books for you tomorrow.

Search the catalogue

  1. Use the Keyword Search page to look for a specific title, author, or a keyword.
  2. Select the Type of material you’re looking for: book, magazine, newspaper, etc.
  3. Select your preferred Format before searching, so you only receive titles in the format you want. Eg. DAISY Audio or Braille.
  4. When reviewing the search results, use Add to Bookshelf to read now and Add Request to read later.

Browse the collection

  1. The Advanced Search enables you to browse the library collection by category. Choose one of 16 categories from the drop-down list.
  2. Then choose one sub-category, multiple sub-categories or all the sub-categories that interest you.
  3. You can narrow down the search criteria by including a Keyword, Title, Author or your favourite Narrator.
  4. Don’t forget to specify the Type of reading you’re wanting; book, magazine, etc.
  5. Always specify your preferred Format; DAISY Audio, Braille, etc.
  6. When reviewing the search results, use Add to Bookshelf to read now and Add Request to read later.

Automatic book allocation

  1. My Preferences provides you with the opportunity to have your bookshelf automatically filled with titles tailored to your interests. You need to Turn Profile Allocation On, for titles to be automatically sent to your Bookshelf.
  2. When defining your preferences, use the Include Categories page to select categories that match your reading interests. You can select any or all of the sixteen available categories.
  3. When you select a category, you will have the option to Select all the sub-categories that interest you. This enables you to narrow down your selection. Make sure you Save your selection of categories and sub-categories. The Save Button is at the base of the list of sub-categories. Books will automatically be uploaded to your bookshelf from your selected categories.
  4. In the same way, you can utilise the Exclude Categories tab to select the categories you don’t want to receive books from.
  5. When you select a category to exclude, you will have the option to Select all the sub-categories for exclusion, or just some of the sub-categories you particularly dislike. Make sure you Save your selection of categories and sub-categories. The Save Button is at the base of the list of sub-categories.
  6. In addition to excluding categories, you have the option to exclude Explicit Content. This includes Sexual content, Violent content, and Coarse Language. Make sure you Save your preferences regarding Explicit Content.
  7. At any time, you can change your preferences. You can include additional categories, stop excluding categories, and change your filters on explicit content. Always make sure you Save your changes to ensure your bookshelf reflects these new preferences.
  8. If you want to include or exclude specific authors from your reading preferences, please contact the Library on 1300 654 656 or email us at [email protected].

Subscribing to Newspapers, Magazines, Podcasts

  1. Your search results for Newspapers, Magazines and Podcasts will provide the option to Subscribe or View All Issues. You can select an individual edition to listen to, or you can subscribe to have each issue automatically arrive in your bookshelf when it becomes available.
  2. You can Review and Manage your Subscriptions at any time. You can Unsubscribe which will ensure your daily, weekly, monthly subscription will no longer appear in your bookshelf.