India - Talking Library (V.G.Read)

Coimbatore: A ‘talking book library´ has been set up in a women’s college here, which can help replace the traditional Braille system of learning used by the visually impaired till now.


The facility, set up at the Nirmala College for women in the city, is the second of its kind in Tamil Nadu after Madurai. It is a joint venture between the Bharathiar University and the Lions Club International District 324 here.

“The library in the long run can help replace Braille books with cassettes, by which the visually impaired can hear and learn by themselves,” Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor, G Thiruvasagam said.

As of now the library has cassettes with 400 titles, covering a range of general topics. The cassettes will soon cross the 1,000 mark, covering all topics based on the State board and university syllabus, he said.

Rotary Helen Keller Talking Book Library of Madurai is supplying the cassettes, which will be enhanced to 5,000 in the near future, based on the demand. The Rotary would produce cassettes as required by the university, he said.

Stating that the cassettes would be sponsored by the Lions Club and the library jointly maintained by the college and university, Thiruvasagam said students can become members by paying Rs50.

They can select books from a Braille catalogue, listen to them in the library or take them home. Those from outside the city could borrow cassettes and return it by post in 15 days, after using it, free of cost, college sources said.