InfoTech: Gale Databases Adding ReadSpeaker

Michael Rogers -- Library Journal, 4/17/2008 7:28:00 AM

• Text-to-speech capability being added to six online databases this spring
• No software downloads or special plug-ins required
• Any portion of the text or entire article can be streamed as audio

Gale has signed an exclusive agreement with VoiceCorp to implement ReadSpeaker, a service for speech-enabled web, to provide text-to-speech capability for six online databases. “This text-to-speech feature appearing on each document page will allow users to listen to the text as it is read aloud,” Gale said. The ReadSpeaker function converts text and streams the corresponding audio content without any software downloads or special plug-ins. Users can select any portion of the text or an entire article to be streamed as audio.

Available free to database subscribers, ReadSpeaker functionality will be added this spring to the following databases: Student Resource Centers, Discover, Junior Reference Collection, Kids Infobits, Opposing Viewpoints Reference Center, and Science Resource Center.

Gale product manager Tim Lovelace said, “ReadSpeaker aims to help make web content accessible for people with dyslexia, learning disabilities, or low literacy levels, as well as people [who speak] English as a second language, individuals with impaired vision, and others who like to listen, as well as read.”