Partnership Enhances Reference Service with Text-to-Speech Technology

  • By Kevin Hudson
  • 03/28/13

Reference and information skills company Credo has partnered with ReadSpeaker to add text-to-speech features to its Literati suite of software and services.

The partnership announcement comes as part of an active week for the reference company, which also acquired onlinetutorsolutions.com to bolster its tutor service availability.

Text-to-speech technology is now available to libraries utilizing Literati Public, and will be available soon to institutions using Literati Academic, Student Athlete, and School, according to a company release.

The partnership is designed to enhance accessibility of Literati reference services to those with limited literacy skills, visual impairments, dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities, and English language learners.

"We're focused on making authoritative information accessible to all users. Text to speech removes barriers," said Carol Helton, Credo's executive vice president of marketing and customer solutions, in a release. "We are very excited to leverage (ReadSpeaker's) experience, expertise, and technologies to make Literati an even stronger solution for libraries and the diverse user base that they serve."

ReadSpeaker technology speech-enables online content "on the fly," which means that ReadSpeaker collects the text that a user selects, produces the audio, and streams it without any downloading. Speech is available in more than 35 languages and more than 100 voices, according to the company Web site.

"Literati is unique in that it helps individuals hone information skills that transfer beyond the classroom to the workplace and everyday life," said Joop Heijenrath, ReadSpeaker cofounder, in a release. "We are proud to partner with Credo to enhance Literati and support such an important mission."

About the Author

Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • figures sitting around a round table, discussing over an open book, papers, and glasses

    Alliance for Learning Innovation, Digital Promise Form National Education R&D Advisory Committee

    The Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) and Digital Promise are bringing together a coalition of education leaders to help develop a national education research and development agenda and foster innovation in schools and districts across the country.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.