How to borrow talking books

Swedish citizens abroad with print impairments may contact MTM to borrow books.

Lending

Persons with a print disability in need of adaptations of printed matters, are entitled to borrow talking books. Those are e.g.

• the visually disabled
• the physically disabled
• people with reading and writing disabilities
• people with aphasia
• people with developmental disabilities
• the hard of hearing (for auditory training)
• the chronically ill and convalescent

Talking books can be borrowed from the local library. No medical certificate is required. In addition to the stock at the local library b any talking book can be borrowed from the county library, and from TPB through the inter-library lending system.

The web-based book-catalogue: TPB-katalogen

The database TPB-katalogen contains information on all talking books in stock at TPB regarding author, title, narrator, duration, short presentation of the content and details about the recording. Libraries can reserve a book from MTM by using the catalogue.

Public libraries

In Sweden the lending of talking books is an integral part of the public library system. Talking books can be borrowed at the local library or school library. Public libraries in the municipalities are run by local authorities and funded with local taxes.

The county libraries give advice, co-ordinate interlibrary loans and library development. They are funded by the county councils as well as through government grants. Local libraries have their own stocks of talking books and county libraries have a comparatively large talking book selection.

Inter-library loans

MTM is the national agency responsible for the administration of talking book loans to libraries.

All Swedish public libraries and school libraries may borrow talking books directly from MTM. The normal lending time is two months.

Talking books are exempt from postage when sent to and from libraries. Most borrowers prefer to visit the local library to borrow their books. People unable to come to the local library themselves may have their talking books sent to their home free of charge.

The university library provides course literature service to students with print impairment. Read more about student service.

Broadband distribution and downloading of talking books

University libraries and public libraries can download talking books from MTM’s digital library and write the files to a cd-rom for lending. The downloading requires a broadband connection since talking books may have a file size of 500-600 megabytes. Libraries wanting to download must have a permit from the government to do so. In April 2007 500 libraries throughout Sweden have such a permit.

TPB-katalogen

Web-based book-catalogue (information in Swedish)