Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library

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All Library locations are accessible to people using wheelchairs.

PARL offers a variety of materials of particular interest to persons with sensory and cognitive disabilities.

Physical items:

• Large print books
• audiobooks & eBooks
• Playaway portable media players
• CELA deposit collections *

Downloadable titles:

• Overdrive
• NNELS *
• CELA *

Home Delivery Service:

• CELA *

* Some of these services require patrons to sign a print-disability self-declaration form. Please visit one of our branches for further details.

CELA & NNELS services for patrons with print disabilities

PARL is pleased to offer a variety of services for patrons with print disabilties, through CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service).

These services provide downloadable audio and electronic book formats (DAISY, MP3, e-text), described video, and braille to Nova Scotians with print disabilities. People can sign up to download books at home to their own devices or computers, or get help with downloads from library staff.

CELA also offers home delivery of materials, and a collection of titles available on-site in our branches.

What is defined as a "print disability"?

• severe or total impairment of sight or the inability to focus or move one's eyes (e.g. low vision or blindness)
• the inability to hold or manipulate a book (e.g. Parkinson's, MS, broken arm)
• an impairment relating to comprehension (e.g. dyslexia or brain injury)

What devices are compatible?

CELA & NNELS titles can be used on a wide variety of devices, including computers/laptops, iPad, iPhone, Android devices, MP3 players, DAISY readers, and can also be burned to CDs.

How can I get registered to start using these accessibility services?

If you meet the criteria for having a print disability as defined above, you will need to complete a Self-Declaration form at your local library. If you are unable to complete the form, you may have a "competent authority" complete it for you. You will then be assigned a library barcode and PIN with a "patron type" that will allow you to access the materials via:

• NNELS website (https://nnels.ca) - Includes tutorials on downloading NNELS titles and other useful information.
• CELA website (https://celalibrary.ca) - Includes tutorials on downloading CELA titles and other useful information.
• Bookshare (https://bookshare.org) - The world's largest online library of accessible reading materials.

Already registered? Log in with your library card.

Community Outreach

Library service is available beyond our seven branch locations. Our outreach services go where you live and work.

Borrow By Mail

If you have rural mail delivery our premiere free mail-order library service might be for you. Borrow By Mail offers library materials delivered right to your mailbox in Pictou and Antigonish counties. And not just books but audio books, magazines, and DVDs. With subsidized mail rates, courtesy of the Government of Canada, you simply request your materials online or by phone, we mail the materials to you in a convenient pouch, and you return them by mail in the same pouch, all at no cost to you. Learn more and register for Borrow By Mail.

Home-Bound Delivery Service

By request, delivery of library materials can be arranged to residential care homes and home-bound library members. Several of the local residential care homes (Seniors Homes) do receive monthly book deposits from the library. For individual deliveries, the library can arrange to have a bag of selected books ready for a family member or a friend to pick-up, or sometimes a volunteer may be able to make the home delivery. To find out more call us toll free at 1-866-779-7761.