Library services and resources for people with dyslexia

Libraries are welcoming to all and we’re particularly keen to encourage use by children and adults who have difficulties with reading. If you haven’t been into a library for a while we think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer.

The Access Card

Anyone with a condition which makes reading a problem, such as dyslexia, can ask for an ‘Access Card’. This is a library card which allows the holder to have special borrowing rights:

• You can have up to two audiovisual items free of charge – music CDs, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs and video games. (You can take out more, of course, but you will need to pay for them.)
• All your audio books, on tape or CD, are free
• You can request any item free of charge
• You won’t be charged fines – but please could you make every effort to return your library loans on time so that others can enjoy them too

You won’t have to prove that you are eligible for an Access Card but we do ask that you let us know why you are applying for one.

Audio Books

We have a great range of books on cassette tape and CD all read by professional actors. Most of them are unabridged though we also have some shorter versions as well for those who prefer them.

The titles you see on the library shelves are just a very small part of the total collection so do check the catalogue or ask library staff to do it for you. Remember that Access Card holders can request any titles free.

Large print books

Libraries have always been the best source of large print books which use a bigger, clearer typeface. Some people assume they must be abridged but they’re not. Many with eyesight problems prefer them while others simply find them more convenient.

Quick Reads

If you haven’t got the time or the inclination to get into a full-length book, you should try one of the new Quick Reads. These are short, well-written books aimed at grabbing your interest. You can get Quick Reads in three different forms

• as a book with ordinary size print
• as a large print book
• as an audio pack which includes the book and an audio version of it on both tape and CD

Graphic novels

These are books which tell a story using a combination of words and drawings in box strips, like a comic. The variety of subject matter and the quality of the art work make them very popular with all ages, especially teenagers.

Essential Skills collection

Books from this collection are aimed at helping adults to improve their essential skills like reading and numbers.  Also available are short reading books for different levels of ability. Some of these come with tapes and CDs.

Children's books

The publisher Barrington Stoke produces a range of books specifically for children with dyslexia and those who are struggling or reluctant readers. Visit their website www.barringtonstoke.co.uk for more information, or ask at your local library for their titles.

Bee Aware Scheme

It’s an odd name but a great idea for helping certain people including those who have to rely on audio formats, like tape and CD, for their reading. If you can’t find the audio book you’re looking for in the library catalogue you can check the Revealweb catalogue http://www.revealweb.org.uk/

Joining the Bee Aware Scheme allows you to request items from here free of charge. It’s a national scheme which requires that you fill out a declaration form. Library staff can now countersign it.

Access technology

Libraries can provide

• Free access to computers linked to the internet. All of these have a range of software, including the Supernova program which magnifies the screen and will also read everything on it in an electronic voice
• Many libraries have CCTV magnifiers which enlarge books, maps, photographs – in fact whatever you can fit underneath them. Some models allow the colour scheme to be changed so that print, for example, doesn’t have to be black on white.