Kansas Talking Books seeks volunteers to assist in making written material accessible for the visually and physically impaired. Editing audio, monitoring narration in progress and narrating are activities volunteers can participate in depending on need and the individual's skills.
Talking Books staff encourage people with audio editing experience or familiarity with computers and a willingness to learn to consider volunteering.
Once a volunteer is approved and accepts, the commitment to Kansas Talking Books is to complete at least one assignment.
Talking Books determines the selection of material, and provides the material to volunteers. The Talking Books director takes into consideration a volunteer's interests, reading and computer skills, schedule and needs of the program when matching volunteers to assignments.
An assignment may take multiple sessions, in one hour increments, to complete. Sessions at the Talking Books facility in Emporia are held during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kansas Talking Books is located at Emporia State University in Memorial Union, lower level. The location is accessible by stairs or elevator. Contact Talking Books staff in advance of your first visit for more specific directions.
Volunteers interested in narrating must audition, in person, at Kansas Talking Books. The audition is recorded and will include a test for pronunciation using brief excerpts from books and magazines. This audition is a "cold" reading, material is not provided in advance, and normally takes 30 minutes to complete.
Volunteer auditions are evaluated for the following characteristics:
Volunteers are notified as soon as possible. If a person is not selected as a narrator they are encouraged to consider other volunteer positions and can audition again at a later date.
1 Kellogg Circle
PO Box 4055
Emporia KS 66801
Monday-Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.