Which format should I use?

Here is a breakdown of the Anthology Ally formats based on your specific need. Please see Blackboard Help – Alternative Formats for more information.

What features do the different formats have?

Immersive Reader

This is a tool that makes text easier to read and understand by allowing users to customise the way text appears, including personalising the font, spacing, and background colour. Text-to-speech: Immersive Reader will also read text aloud, break words into syllables, and highlight different parts of speech, with options to change the accent, language and speed of the speech.

You can access Immersive Reader from any device via Edge browser.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Immersive Reader

• F9 in Edge browser

Keyboard shortcut Read Aloud

• Ctrl + Shift + U in Edge browser

You can also add the prefix read:// to the beginning of the URL in the address bar and Enter.

Example URL to activate Immersive Reader: read://https://libanswers.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/faq/243635

This will open the library FAQ: What is “Immersive Reader” and how do I use it? [opens in new window] in Immersive Reader.

If you use Chrome browser, try adding read:// at the beginning of the URL and it will prompt to open in Edge browser on windows.

For more information, please see: What is “Immersive Reader” and how do I use it?

Beeline Reader

BeeLine Reader makes reading on screen easier and faster. Instead of using plain black text, BeeLine Reader displays text using a subtle colour gradient that helps pull your eye through your readings.

OCRed PDF

Makes scanned documents searchable and more readable. Reduces file size.

Tagged PDF

A Tagged PDF alternative uses tags and elements—such as blockquote, paragraph, and headings—to add meaning to a page. It aids screen reader users with good content structure.

Audio

MP3 version for listening on personal devices, or when you want to take a break from reading.

• You prefer to listen than read.
• You’re an auditory learner.
• You want to read and listen to the content at the same time.
• You have a lot of material to read and find your eyes get tired.
• You read on your commute.
• You don’t want to, or can’t, carry print materials for any length of time.
• You have a visual impairment.

ePub

For reading and annotating as an e-book on an iPad and other e-book readers. ePub is compatible with these mobile devices apps:

Apple store: EasyReader, iBooks, NaturalReader, Thorium Reader, and Voice Dream

Google Play: EasyReader, Lithium and Voice Aloud Reader

What are the benefits of ePub?

Readers can take notes, highlight content, adjust text and background, and in some cases use text-to-speech.

Maybe these sound like you. If so, ePub is a good option.

• You want to adjust font size and background colour.
• You want to highlight content, take notes, and bookmark important pages.
• You want to be able to copy, paste, and search text.
• You want to use text-to-speech and adjust the speed of the speech.
• You prefer to read.
• You read on your commute.

Electronic braille

BRF version for tactile reading on electronic braille displays.

HTML

Mobile-friendly responsive version for easier reading in browser and on mobile devices.

Visit this webpage to learn more about Alternative Formats [opens in new window] which also provides suggestions of apps that you can download to your devices.

Reader mode for Mac OS

You can use Safari Reader to view a webpage article in one page, formatted for easy reading and presented without navigation or other distractions. You can adjust the background colour, font and font size. A table of contents and summary are shown for longer articles.

The following video describes all the format options (captions available). Video length 02:45 minutes. Navigate to 0:25 for the relevant start point.