Listening Books is a national UK charity providing an audiobook library service catering for anyone who finds that an illness, disability, learning difficulty or mental health condition, impacts on their ability to read or hold books in the usual way.

Our service does not just cover visual impairments, but many other difficulties that can make reading complex, including learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, other conditions such as Autism and ADHD, mental health conditions like depression and anxiety which may affect concentration when reading, Down’s Syndrome, problems with manual dexterity, arthritis, heart or neurological conditions and many other conditions.

As you may know audiobooks can be a wonderful source of entertainment, comfort and relaxation for those who are missing out on the enjoyment of reading. Audiobooks offer all of the benefits of reading, such as improved vocabulary and comprehension skills. Listening also removes barriers to enjoyment, making reading a fun and stress-free experience. Audiobooks are also a great way to encourage reading at home and during school holidays, as books can be downloaded to personal players or accessed on a home computer.

We have over 8,000 fiction and non-fiction audiobooks in our library for adults and children, from bestselling authors such as: J. K. Rowling, David Walliams, Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Malorie Blackman, Philip Pullman and many more. Members can borrow titles in three easily accessible ways:

• sent directly through the post on MP3 CD with no postage costs or late fees
• downloaded to a portable device like a phone or tablet
• or streamed online via a laptop or computer

The cost for membership is as follows:

• Online option (downloads and streaming) is £20 per year
• Postal option (mp3 CDs) is £35 per year
• Combination of online and postal is £45 per year

We do however have a number of free memberships available for anyone who would find it difficult to cover our membership fees for any reason. We don’t require any financial proof, just a self-referral that the membership fee would be a barrier to joining. A free membership covers both online and postal options listed above, so members can choose what works best for them. Please be assured that we are a charity and there are no hidden costs involved in our free memberships.

As a charity, we are also able to offer low-cost memberships to schools and up to 10 free membership for any pupils with a print impairment, who would find it difficult to cover our membership fees for any reason, for example pupils who receive Pupil Premium. For more information, please visit: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/why-join.aspx.

If you would like to find out more about Listening Books, please visit our website www.listening-books.org.uk.