From 1 April 2011, the cost of a Talking Book subscription for readers who also hire a DAISY player will be £82 a year due to the increased costs of buying and maintaining the players. However, we are pleased that for the sixth year running, the cost of a books-only subscription for customers who use their own player will remain unchanged at £50. Most Talking Book readers have their subscription paid for by their local authority but if you pay for your own, you will have received a letter from us to inform you about this increase.
In the last issue of Read On, we mentioned that we are investigating options to offer Talking Book readers a wider choice of players. We have now carried out research with local authorities to ensure we offer the right package of player and books to ensure they continue sponsoring readers. We will also be testing different players with members of our National Library Service focus group. This is an important project for RNIB's Talking Book Service and we will keep you up to date with developments.