Talking Book Services

The Greater Victoria Public Library provides diverse collections, resources and services to meet the needs of any individual who cannot read or access regular print material.

If you have a print disability (permanent or temporary) due to blindness, visual impairment, physical disability or learning disability, you can register for our Talking Book Service. This service is located at the Central Library and is open during the library’s normal operating hours.  For information and to request an application form, please call the Talking Book Department at 250-413-0363.

As a registered Talking Book patron you will have access to over 15,000 items in the Talking Book collection. This material consists of books on DAISY CDs, regular CDs, MP3s and audio cassettes. All material in the Talking Book Collection can be delivered to the local branch of any registered borrower or mailed to you free of charge.

Registered borrowers can work with Assistive Services staff to choose material. Members can also select from the Talking Book catalogue or request regular audio titles from the Library’s complete catalogue.  Members can also visit the Talking Book Department in person, located at the Central Library and open during normal library hours.

To Apply:

Print off and fill in the Application for Talking Book Service. Please mail to the address on the form, or bring it in person. For information, please call the Talking Book Department at 250-413-0363.

Wheelchair Access

All 10 of our locations are fully accessible by wheelchair. All branches also have wheelchair-accessible computer workstations.

The DAISY (Digital Audiobook) is a book on CD. A DAISY CD can contain up to 30 hours of material. DAISY CDs can be played on a sophisticated or newer model CD player or on special DAISY Reader or DAISY Player.

A DAISY Player (also known as a DAISY Reader or Victor Reader Classic) is a specialized piece of equipment that will allow the listener to jump from page to page, bookmark specific pages, and also has the ability to go directly to retain the reader’s place when stopped or paused. All DAISY Players can play regular audio CDs and MP3 formats as well as DAISY standard digital books.

DAISY Players are available for a one month trial loan period to members of our Talking Book service. Following this trail period the machines can be purchased from the CNIB.  Please note, that GVPL does not currently offer computers with DAISY software.

Other Collections

Registered Talking Book patrons also have access to regular audio-visual items that are available to all of the library’s patrons. These include books-on-CD, books-on-tape and Downloadable Audio Books. This material is available through the Library’s catalogue and can be reserved for pick-up at any of our branches. Help and information about our Downloadable Audio Books is available on our website or please ask staff.

Large type editions of many popular fiction and non-fiction titles are available at all of our library branches. This material is available through the Library’s catalogue and can be reserved for pick-up at any of our branches.

Helpful Sites

Assistive Media - a free internet-based audio reading service for people with visual/reading impairments worldwide.

Voiceprint Canada - full text spoken-word versions of current articles from leading newspapers and magazines, making local, regional, national and international news and information accessible.