ABSTRACT

Online Digital Talking Book Technology with Web and Mobile Clients

By Tanakom Talawat

This report describes the project of Digital Talking Book (DTB) software development using the international specifications called ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2005. The primary purpose is to demonstrate the processes of applying the specifications to software development for the online delivery frameworks using web browser as a client. Research and development in this subject mainly consider about accessibility and navigation for the blind and visually impaired people which are the prospect user groups.

Due to the arrival of affordable broadband Internet access, online delivery method of the DTB which includes a bunch of MP3 and XML files over the Internet to the blind sounds feasible. Moreover, DHTML — a client-side scripting language, makes web browsers interactive enough to navigate the blind during the reading time. According to these two technologies, it is possible to use a web browser as the client tier to access the DTB in blind libraries around the world over the Internet. The successful development of this online delivery project leads to the new era of the Talking Book for the blind which has been in the cassette-based system since 1937.

Acknowledgments

The author is deeply indebted to Professor Weider D. Yu for his advantageous advising, Professor Dan Harkey for his benevolent recommendation, Mr. Monthian Buntan and members of the DAISY online delivery working group for their invaluable comments and assistance in the preparation of this study.