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Home > Reference > Factsheets > Playback Machines and Accessories Provided on Free Loan to Eligible Individuals and Institutions

NLS Factsheets

Playback Machines and Accessories Provided on Free Loan to Eligible Individuals and Institutions

March 1999

Background

Recorded materials loaned free by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped are available in recorded audio disc and audio cassette formats. Both disc and cassette recordings require specially designed playback equipment (see Part I, below), which is loaned free to eligible individuals and institutions. Special accessories (see Part II, below) for these machines are also loaned free. Cassette machines play at either 15/16 or the commercial standard 1 inches per second (ips); disc players are designed to play at 8, 16, and the commercial standard 33 revolutions per minute (rpm). Books and magazines are recorded on either cassettes or discs or both.

To obtain any of the equipment and accessories described below, individuals or institutions must first be registered for the Library of Congress Talking Book Program. To receive an application for the free library service, write to the Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542. All equipment and accessories are provided by the cooperating regional library serving eligible readers in their state of residence for as long as the reader is actively involved in the program.

Part I. Available Playback Machines

Talking-Book Machine

• plays recorded audio discs at 8 rpm, 16 rpm, and at the standard commercial speed of 33 rpm
• must be plugged into an electrical outlet; is not equipped with a battery
• has four controls; is simple to operate
• is needed to play flexible disc books and magazines

Cassette Machine

• plays audio cassettes at 15/16 ips and 1-7/8 ips, 2-track and 4-track
• is portable
• is equipped with a rechargeable battery and an electrical cord
• includes a variable speed control that permits speeding up or slowing down playback speed
• has ten controls
• instructions for using the cassette machine

Easy Cassette Machine

• plays audio cassettes at only 15/16 ips, 4-track
• must be plugged into an electrical outlet; is not equipped with a battery
• does not include a variable speed control
• automatically rewinds cassettes; automatically changes tracks
• lacks the versatility of the standard cassette machine
• may be unsatisfactory unless visual or physical disability makes use of standard cassette machine difficult.Please contact your cooperating library to discuss the suitability of the Easy Cassette Machine.

Combination Machine

• has eleven controls; is fairly complex to use
• combines features of the cassette machine and the talking-book machine in a single unit
• has variable speed control for both cassettes and discs
• has fast forward and reverse features for both cassettes and discs
• has tone arm locator to assure correct placement on the playing edge of the recorded disc
• has battery option upon request

Part II. Special Accessories for Playback Machines

Amplifier

• for persons with a significant hearing loss
• requires a separate application with medical certification; the sound is boosted to a level that can cause permanent hearing loss to persons with normal hearing.Please contact your cooperating library about the application procedure for obtaining this accessory.

Breath Switch

• for persons with little or no use of their extremities
• must be used with remote control unit

Extension Levers

• for persons who have difficulty manipulating the key controls on a standard cassette machine
• attaches to the key controls of the cassette machine

Headphones

• issued only to readers who require them for reading talking books where loudspeakers are not permitted, as in nursing homes and hospitals.

Pillow Speaker

• for persons who are confined to bed
• may be used with any playback machine
• is placed under the reader's pillow and is normally heard only by the reader

Remote Control Unit

• for persons confined to bed or with difficulty in mobility
• turns playback equipment on and off but will not control other functions such as volume and speed
• fits all playback equipment described in Part I, above
• requires a separate application. Please contact your cooperating library about the application procedure for obtaining this accessory.

Solar Panel Battery Charger

• for readers who do not have access to electricity. Please contact your cooperating library about the procedure for obtaining this accessory.

Individuals and institutions that wish to purchase their playback machines, that desire special features not included with NLS-provided machines, or that are ineligible for the free loan of NLS-provided equipment may consult a resource list published by NLS entitled Facts: Sources for Purchase of Cassette and Disc Players Compatible with Recorded Materials Produced by the National Library Service (NLS).

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Posted on 2004-10-20