Useful Organisations No.9

12 Lant Street, London SE1 1QH. Tel: 0171 407 9417; fax: 0171 403 1377; email: info@listening-books.org.uk; website: www.listening-books.org.uk

Membership costs £50 for individual members.

Listening Books is an audio books charity for those with physical as well as print disabilities. It is an easy to operate postal library. Members receive a catalogue from which they can make their selection on the enclosed order form. Cassettes are sent out promptly (by Freepost) and the library staff are always on hand to answer questions.

Listening Books has recently published a catalogue to its new children’s library. With over 1,000 titles for children from 7-15 it includes classics and new titles as well as a wide range of Key Stage 3 and GCSE titles. The new library makes sure that children who find reading difficult can enjoy the very best of both classic and contemporary children’s books. Through the audio tapes they have access to the stories which lie at the heart of building a literate future. The current emphasis on reading reflects the enormous importance of literacy in all its aspects, including the role of stories in helping people both to explore other worlds and to make sense of their own lives.