If you've always wanted to be in a recording studio and put your voice to work for the benefit of others, you've come to the right place. If you do not possess a wonderful reading voice (i.e. if no one besides your mother has complemented you on having a great voice), do not do this. College-level texts (not novels) are requested by blind or dyslexic students for translation onto CDs and tapes so they may read them. Accordingly, the material is highly academic and in some cases where technical illustrations must be desrcibed, it takes training to be able to pull that off. In addition, there is a logical protocol which all readers follow that must be mastered before jumping into the rhythm of recording. A minimum 2 hour weekly commitment is required.

That being said, the staff is terrific, always on hand to answer your questions. You'll likely start out by directing others who are reading, serving as a monitor, keeping them on track, and later progress to reader. Some volunteers do not read at all, and m

PROS: helping others get the information they need; reading and using recording equipment; great staff
CONS: minimum 2 hour commitment a week for at least a year