Calibre Audio Library

Calibre Audio Library is a registered UK charity (No 286614), set up in 1974 as Calibre Cassette Library. We feel passionately that having poor sight or other difficulties should not act as barriers to the pleasures of reading. Our formal statement of purpose expresses our role like this:

Calibre Audio Library improves the quality of life for people with sight problems or other disabilities, who cannot read, print by bringing them the pleasure of reading through a free nationwide postal service of recorded books.

A national charity, we lend audio books to around 16,000 members across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and other EU countries. Our members range in age from five to 105 and we pride ourselves in offering a wide choice of unabridged books for all ages and all tastes.

One of our guiding principles has always been to supply books in a format that can be played on ordinary household equipment. This means that members can select a player that suits their needs. For example they can listen to our audio books on portable equipment (like a purpose built USB player), so that they can take books into the garden, on holiday or on long journeys.

In addition to providing our lending service we also campaign with other charities to press the government to do more to end discrimination against people who have a sight problem or other disability. We are members of the Right to Read Alliance.

Many people are shocked to learn that 95 per cent of all books, magazines and other publications are never made available in other formats such as audio, large print and braille.

Calibre records more than 200 new audio books each year and over 4,000 of the books in our digital library are only available from us.