Member Detail: Canadian DAISY Consortium

The Canadian DAISY Consortium is a body of organizations consisting of libraries and associations throughout Canada which aim to provide services to blind and vision impaired persons.

• Alberta Learning Resource Centre, Alternate Format Services
• Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority
• CBMI Canada - Christian Blind Mission International
• CNIB Library
• Langara College
• Laval University
• La Magnétothèque
• University of Montreal

The largest of these organizations is the CNIB Library for the Blind. Founded in 1906 by the first blind university graduate in Canada, and merged with the newly founded CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) in 1918, the organization is now a world leader in library services for blind and vision impaired people. The Library has more than 60,000 titles in its collection, with 5,000 new titles added each year and serves more than 100,000 registered users.

CNIB Library services include talking books, braille books, electronic books, Print/braille Books for children, braille music, descriptive videos, and tactile pictures. The CNIB Digital Library and Discovery Portal for Children is a gateway to CNIB on-line services including the Library catalogue, e-books, on-line digital audio books, accessible Web sites, VisuNEWS-newspapers and magazines available on-line or by phone, and accessible games and chat for children.

The Library operates its audio and braille production and library services with 100 staff members and more than 600 volunteers.

The CNIB Library has entered into collection building agreements with organizations such as the National Library for the Blind and the Royal National Institute of the Blind in the U.K., and is considering other content providers from around the world.

The CNIB Library is currently producing original DAISY books in English and French, as well as converting analogue masters to DAISY books. A digital media unit has been established where print and electronic texts are manipulated and marked up for production. CNIB Production sites are established in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg. LpStudio/Pro is the primary original DAISY production tool used by the CNIB. WIPS and Sigtuna DAR3 are used for retrospective conversion at the CNIB. Other members within the Canadian Consortium are also producing DAISY books using LpStudio/Pro and other DAISY software, in Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, and Peterborough.