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Experience
RFB&D's AudioPlus®
Digitally Recorded Textbooks -
A Breakthrough in
RFB&D's Learning Through Listening®
Recording for the Blind
& Dyslexic® now offers members unprecedented
audiobook navigation via the most recent addition to our audiobook
family: RFB&D's AudioPlus digitally recorded textbooks on
CD. For more than a decade, RFB&D® has committed extensive
time and resources - both human and financial - toward the development
of this exciting and unique digital audio technology. Read on
for more information about this invaluable reading accommodation.
Following are the most frequently asked questions
you may have about RFB&D's AudioPlus books.
How are RFB&D's members benefiting from
this new audiobook format?
Digitally recorded books offer many benefits to
our members, most notably:
- Instant access:
The book does not have to be navigated from beginning to
end, as is the case for cassettes. Digital audio technology
enables you to start the book at any given point. For example,
you will be able to go directly to a page or move from chapter
to chapter at the press of a button - there is no need to
forward through beeptones as you do with analog tape.
- Better audio
quality: Digital audio produces recordings with significantly
less noise than analog (e.g., "tape hiss"). Also,
unlike analog recordings, the copies sound exactly the same
as the original recording - every time!
- Convenience:
Digitally recorded textbooks can be stored on CDs, which
can each hold more than 40 hours of recorded material. That
means that a book traditionally recorded on 10 RFB&D
cassettes will now fit onto a single CD. A student using
five large textbooks may now only have to carry five CDs
rather than 50 cassettes!
What
is digital audio?
Digital audio is sound recorded as data or numbers.
A computer can be used to record and play back the sound of a
person's voice. Because the audio is stored as data, it provides
several benefits over analog tape recordings, which is how RFB&D's
cassettes have traditionally been recorded.
RFB&D's
AudioPlus books were developed in cooperation with two standard-setting
organizations: an international group known as the DAISY Consortium
(Digital Accessible Information SYstem) and NISO (National Information
Standards Organization).
How will RFB&D adapt digital audio technology
for practical use?
RFB&D's AudioPlus,
which is now available to RFB&D members, combines the
digitally recorded textbook with embedded information about
the book's structure for navigation - a digital "table
of contents" - to enable you to navigate more easily
through the book's different parts.
RFB&D's AudioPlus
Text™, which will debut in the future, will contain the
audio recording, the digital table of contents and the book's
full text synchronized with the audio. In practical terms,
RFB&D's AudioPlus Text will offer even more enhanced search
capabilities, allowing users to search for specific terms
in the text, right down to the word level. In addition, RFB&D
members who have a learning disability will be able to see
the text displayed while they listen to the audio.
Both versions eventually
will be available to all of RFB&D's members but for now,
RFB&D's digitally recorded textbooks will be created as
RFB&D's AudioPlus books because they can be produced more
quickly. At press time, more than 10,000 of RFB&D's most
requested titles are available on RFB&D's AudioPlus CDs,
with more being produced all the time. Visit RFB&D's
online catalog to view available book titles.
What equipment do I need to play these digital
audio books?
RFB&D offers, for nonprofit sale, a number of
playback options for use when listening
to RFB&D's AudioPlus digitally recorded textbooks on CD. You
may choose portable or desktop CD-ROM players specially equipped
to play RFB&D's books, or you can use a standard multimedia
computer equipped with a CD-ROM drive and specialized software.
We encourage you to visit RFB&D's website at www.rfbd.org
for updates on playback option availability and costs.
What about all the existing books that are
already recorded in analog format in RFB&D's library?
In anticipation of our members' desire for books
that are easier to navigate, we have identified the most requested
titles in our library and have been converting them from analog
to digital format. We are continuously adding new digitally recorded
titles to our collection.
Can I borrow RFB&D's AudioPlus books
with my current membership, even if I've been using RFB&D's
Classic Cassettes?
If a book you want is available in digital format,
as long as you are equipped with a playback device or software
able to play RFB&D's AudioPlus books, you'll be able to borrow
it. As mentioned earlier, CD playback options are available directly
from RFB&D. Because of US copyright law, you will be required
to sign and return a Copyright
Acknowledgment Statement.
How much will the playback equipment or software
cost?
This website has information on the currently available
playback options. We are continuing
to investigate additional hardware and software from different
manufacturers and as new products become available, we will update
our site accordingly.
How can I get more information about RFB&D's
AudioPlus CDs?
We encourage you to visit and bookmark this website
or call RFB&D's member services department toll-free at 800-221-4792.
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