TSLAC’s Talking Book Program: Inventory, Appraise, and Design a Database for Copyright Permission Letters

The Talking Book Program (TBP) within TSLAC records books in audio format for Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. Prior to 1996, TBP had to get permission from the copyright holder to record a book in their studios. For this project, I looked at the records of over 3,000 books while also separating the permission letters from internal collection information materials. I created a metadata schema and determined the best database to use based on the letters and interviews with stakeholders. The design and instructions will allow TBP to build and enter data into the searchable database.