This Christmas thousands of pounds will be spent on books which are either unwanted, or will be left on a shelf to gather dust after a single read. Did you know that for just ?50 you could give the gift of reading to hundreds of visually impaired people right here in the Isle of Man? The Manx Blind Welfare Society’s Book for Life campaign, which has now been launched for 2012, is aiming to ensure people with sight issues can continue to enjoy their favourite literature. Alongside it numerous other services, the Manx charity, based at Corrin Court, Onchan, maintains a lending library with more than 4,000 audio book titles, all available to more than 400 visually impaired society members at no cost. However, all those titles are held on old-fashioned cassette tapes, many of which are damaged or reaching the end of their useful life. The MBWS is replacing its library and adding new titles in digital format, on USB sticks, but the process is expensive for an organisation funded entirely by donations. Each new library book costs ?50, but the value to visually-impaired library users is immeasurable. Individuals and organisations can buy a Book for Life for just ?50. Each book will be marked with the name of the donor and you will receive a certificate thanking you for your kind donation. You can choose from a range of genres, including fiction, factual, biography and reference. A Book for Life is also a wonderful gift – you can have the name of a friend, relative, colleague or loved-one placed on the donated audio book and present them with the certificate as a record of the gift. This is a gift not just to one person, but to hundreds of people, and one which will last for generations. Ian Cooil, Chief Executive of MBWS said: “Our lending library allows more than 400 visually-impaired people in the Isle of Man access to thousands of books on audio cassette. However, as time passes the cassettes are becoming damaged and dirty, plus it is becoming an outdated way of listening to audio books.” “We want to replace our existing titles and continue to improve the choice available, and audio books in digital format are the best option. They are easier to use, less likely to become damaged and will last much, much longer. “However, replacing an entire library of thousands of titles will be expensive, which is why we are asking the Manx public to help. Each Book for Life costs ?50, little more than buying two new hardback best-sellers which may be read once, if at all, and then left to gather dust or thrown away.” For more information and an application form, contact MBWS on 674727 or call into Corrin Court, Onchan ENDS