The ABC Global Book Service, formerly known as the TIGAR Service, is an on-line catalogue that allows participating libraries for the blind and organizations serving people who are print disabled, known as authorized entities, to obtain easily the accessible content they need. The Service supports the goals of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty at a practical level.

A participating authorized entity contributes its catalogue and may request accessible digital books contributed by other organizations for the purpose of supplementing its collection and distributing to people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled. Read more: How can I join?

Persons with print disabilities can be given direct access to the ABC Global Book Service by eligible authorized entities, allowing beneficiaries to search and download accessible books themselves. Read more: How to provide Beneficiaries with a login to the ABC Global Book Service.

In countries that have ratified the Marrakesh Treaty and implemented its provisions into national law, these works can be exchanged across borders between authorized entities without needing to obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Students looking at large print on a computer
Image: WIPO
The titles contained within the ABC catalogue do not imply the expression of any opinion or endorsement whatsoever on the part of WIPO concerning their content.

Quick facts

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Over 8 000 music scores (partitions) in braille.
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A secure, automated mechanism to transfer accessible digital books across borders.
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A centralized procedure to obtain authorizations in those countries that have not ratified and implemented the Marrakesh VIP Treaty.

Why use the Service?

By using the ABC Global Book Service, authorized entities can:
  • add accessible digital books to their collections free of cost;
  • provide a wider range of accessible digital books in different languages to patrons;
  • go to one source for the international exchange of titles from countries that have ratified and implemented the provisions of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, as well as those that have not;
  • review only one exchange contract – no need to have separate agreements with other authorized entities.

How can I join?

There is no fee or financial contribution required to use the ABC Global Book Service. To participate, an organization should:
  • meet the definition of “authorized entity” as set out in article 2 (c) of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, including that it:
    • is not for profit;
    • serves persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled “beneficiaries” (as set out in article 3 of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty);
    • discourages the reproduction, distribution and making available of unauthorized copies of titles; and
    • maintains due care in, and records of, its handling of titles;
  • sign an agreement with WIPO that sets out the provisions for becoming a member of the ABC Global Book Service;
  • submit information about the titles contained in its collection (known as “metadata”) such as author name, publisher, year of publication, etc.;
  • provide the electronic files of its titles to the ABC Global Book Service, when requested by other participating authorized entities;
  • compile statistics about the number of ABC titles it supplies to its patrons.
  • Contact Us to talk to us about joining.

How to provide Beneficiaries with a login to the ABC Global Book Service

A participating authorized entity that is eligible can give its own beneficiaries direct access to the ABC Global Book Service, so that these end-users can search and immediately download accessible books via: 

A participating authorized entity is considered eligible to offer its beneficiaries access to the ABC Global Book Service catalogue if it meets the two conditions below.  The authorized entity:

  1. is located in a country that has both joined the Marrakesh Treaty and transposed its provisions into national law; and
  2. agrees to the Terms & Conditions of the ABC Beneficiary Application (formally known as the ABC Supplementary Application). Read T&Cs in English, T&Cs in French, T&Cs in Spanish.

Please Contact Us if you are interested in providing your end-users with access to the ABC catalogue via either the ABC Beneficiary Application and/or Dolphin EasyReader App.
 

Participating authorized entity by country

Total number of authorized entities: 146

Country Organization
Antigua and Barbuda The Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired (UBV)
Argentina Asociación Civil Tiflonexos
Biblioteca Argentina para ciegos (BAC)
Armenia National Library of Armenia
Australia Braille House
VisAbility
Vision Australia (VA)
Austria Hörbücherei (HBOE)
Bangladesh Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)
Belgium Eqla
La Lumière, Œuvre Royale pour Aveugles et Malvoyants
Ligue Braille (LBB)
Luisterpuntbibliotheek (LPB)
Bhutan The Muenselling Institute (MI)
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Instituto Boliviano de la Ceguera (IBC)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Central Library of East Sarajevo
Brazil Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos
Bulgaria The National Library for the Blind “Louis Braille 1928”
Burkina Faso Union Nationale Des Associations Burkinabé pour la Promotion des Aveugles et Malvoyants (UNABPAM)
Canada BC Libraries Cooperative 2009, National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS)
Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Quebéc (BAnQ)
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA)
Chile Biblioteca Central para Ciegos (BCC)
Fundación Chile, Música y Braille
China China Braille Library
China Braille Press
Colombia Instituto Nacional para Ciegos (INCI)
Universidad de Antioquia
Côte d’Ivoire Association Nationale des Aveugles et Volontaires pour la Promotion des Aveugles de Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia Croatian Library for the Blind (CLB)
Cyprus Pancyprian Organization of the Blind 
Czech Republic Czech Blind United (SONS)
Denmark Danish National Library for Persons with Print Disabilities (Nota)
Dominican Republic Asociación de Ciegos del Cibao de la República Dominicana (ACICIRD) 
Biblioteca Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (BNPHU)
Fundación Francina Hungría (FFH)
Ecudaor Universidad Técnica de Ambato
Egypt Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA)
El Salvador Asociación de Ciegos de El Salvador
Estonia The Estonian Library for the Blind (EPR)
Ethiopia Ethiopian National Association of the Blind
Fiji United Blind Persons of Fiji (UBP)
Finland Celia Library (CELIA)
France Accompagner Promouvoir et Intégrer les Déficients Visuels (previously known as Groupement des Intellectuels Aveugles ou Amblyopes) (apiDV)
Association Valentin Haüy (AVH)
Association des Donneurs de Voix (ADV)
Gambia The Gambia Organisation Of The Visually Impaired
Germany German Center for Accessible Reading (previously known as German Central Library for the Blind) (DZB)
Ghana The Ghana Blind Union
Greece The Hellenic Academic Libraries Link (HEAL-Link) (AMELIB)
Guatemala Benemérito Comité Pro Ciegos y Sordos de Guatemala (BCPCSG)
Honduras Unión Nacional de Ciegos Hondureños (UNCIH)
Hungary The Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted
Iceland The Icelandic Talking Book Library (HBS)
India DAISY Forum of India (DFI)
Indonesia Mitra Netra Foundation
Iraq Modern Education for Kurdistan
Ireland Vision Ireland Library Access Service
Israel The Central Library for Blind and Reading Impaired People (CLFB)
Jamaica Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB)
Japan National Association of Institutions of Information Service for Visually Impaired Persons (NAIIV)
National Diet Library (NDL)
Jordan Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Kazakhstan The Republican Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired Citizens
Kenya Kenya Institute for the Blind (KIB)
Book Bunk Trust
Kiribati Kiribati Association For The Blind And Vision Impaired
Kyrgyzstan The Library and Information Consortium (AFB)
Latvia Latvian Library for the Blind (LNerB)
Lesotho Lesotho National League of the Visually Impaired Persons
Lithuania Lithuanian Library for the Blind (LAB)
Luxembourg Fondation Lëtzebuerger Blannevereenegung
Malawi University of Malawi, Chancellor College (UOFM)
Malaysia St. Nicholas’ Home, Penang (SNH)
Malaysian Association for the Blind
Mali Union Malienne des Aveugles
Malta Malta Libraries (ML)
Mexico Discapacitados Visuales I.A.P. (DIVIAP)
Mongolia The Braille and Digital Library for Blind, Metropolitan Library of Ulaanbaatar (UBPL)
The Mongolian National Federation of the Blind (MNFB)
Morocco Association Marocaine pour la Réadaptation des Déficients Visuels
Myanmar Myanmar National Association of the Blind (MNAB)
Nepal Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD)
Niger L'Union Nationale des Aveugles du Niger (UNAN)
Nigeria Nigeria Association of the Blind
Netherlands Bibliotheekservice Passend Lezen (BPL)
Dedicon
New Zealand Blind Low Vision NZ (BLVNZ)
Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ)
Norway National Library of Norway (Tibi)
Pakistan The Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB)
Palestine Palestine Association of Visually Impaired Persons (PAVIP)
Panama National Library Ernesto R. J. Castillero
Panama University of Panama (Simon Bolivar Inter-American Library)
Paraguay Poder Legislativo, Congreso de la Nación
Peru Biblioteca Nacional del Perú
Philippines National Library of the Philippines
Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI)
Poland Central Library of Labour and Social Security (DZDN)
Portugal Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (BNP)
Qatar Qatar National Library (QNL)
Republic of Korea National Library for the Disabled in Korea (NLD)
Republic of Moldova National Information and Rehabilitation Center of the "Association of the Blind People of Moldova"
Romania Fundaţia Cartea Călătoare (FCC)
Russian Federation Bashkir Republican Special Library for the Blind named after Makarim Husainovich Tukhvatshin
Russian State Library for the Blind (RGBS)
St. Petersburg Library for Blind and Visually Impaired (SPB)
Saint-Lucia St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The National Public Library of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (NPLSG)
Sierra Leone Educational Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ECBVI)
Singapore Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped
Slovakia Matej Hrebenda Slovak Library for the Blind in Levoča
Slovenia Minka Skaberne Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (KSS)
South Africa South African Library for the Blind (SALB)
Blind SA
Spain Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE)
Sri Lanka DAISY Lanka Foundation (DLF)
Sweden Swedish Agency for Accessible Media (MTM)
Switzerland Association pour le Bien des Aveugles et malvoyants (ABA)
Biblioteca Braille e del libro parlato della Unitas (UNITAS)
Bibliothèque Sonore Romande (BSR)
SBS Swiss Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Print Disabled (SBS)
Tajikistan The National Library of Tajikistan
Thailand National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, TAB Foundation (TAB)
The Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand (CFBT)
Trinidad and Tobago National Library and Information System Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia Bibliothèque nationale de Tunisie (BNT)
Loisirs et Cultures pour les Non et Malvoyants (IBSAR)
Association braille pour l'éducation et la culture
Türkiye Association of Visually Impaired in Education
Uganda Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB)
Ukraine Ostrovskyi Central Specialized Library for the Blind (CLBU)
United Arab Emirates Kalimat Foundation
United Kingdom Calibre Audio
Torch Trust for the Blind (TT)
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
United Republic of Tanzania Zanzibar National Association of the Blind
United States of America American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
Braille Institute of America (BIA)
California State Library, Braille and Talking Book Library (CSL)
The Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)
Jewish Braille Institute (JBI)
Spoken Word Ministries, Inc (SWM)
Uruguay Fundación Braille de Uruguay (FBU)
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Instituto Autónomo Bibloteca Nacional y de Servicios de Bibliotecas
Viet Nam Sao Mai Vocational and Assistive Technology Center for the Blind (SMCB)
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe National League of the Blind (ZNLB)