Nota – Danish National Library for Persons with Print Disabilities
Copenhagen, 2100
Denmark
Phone: +45 39 13 46 46
Website: http://www.nota.dk
Nota – Danish National Library for Persons with Print Disabilities – is a library catering to both visually impaired and dyslexic people. All patrons have access to Nota’s extensive collection of books and magazines in audio and other alternative reading media.
In 2000 Nota undertook a complete shift in technology which has changed the organisation and the way it works considerably. The industry culture of the past has been fundamentally changed into a culture based on knowledge, technology, and values.
Nota produces talking books, Braille books and e-books. Nota’s talking books present many different genres, narrated unabridged by professional narrators. Nota produces books, magazines, and newspapers as audio books.
In 2000 Nota began production of digital talking books according to the DAISY standard. Nota produces highly structured digital full-text talking books which makes it possible for users easily to navigate in the books.
To prepare the digital loan service, Nota has launched two different digital talking book clubs with 500 members. Once a month each member receives a newly produced full text DAISY book. The books are either fiction or very complex reference books.
Converting environment
The studio for converting analogue talking books to digital DAISY and NISO format was developed by Nota. The environment proved to be very efficient. Therefore Nota offers to convert talking books for other libraries throughout the world. Nota converted the collections of the Swiss Library for the Blind and the Norwegian library for the Blind.
Nota Software
In order to make the production of digital talking books efficient, Nota has developed the STD-editor and STEB-generator. The Structured Text Document Editor (STD) enables Nota and customers worldwide to mark up XML source-files. The Synthetic Talking E-Book generator (STEB) automates the production of audio books with synthetic speech.
Braille Music
Nota’s capability of producing Braille music dates back to 1920. Nota finds it of major importance that the knowledge of Braille music is kept alive and supported by the possibility of having new notes produced. Thus Nota offers production of new Braille music and sale or lending from its existing collection. Furthermore, Nota has a collection of more than 3.000 digitalized Braille music titles.