Read Aloud Canadian Books Program

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the Read Aloud Canadian Books program. Since it began in March 2020, we have been pleased to have helped so many educators and librarians share recorded read-alouds of Canadian stories with their students and patrons.

The program was initially created to assist with online learning that was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It then became a complimentary add-on to our digital licence for K-12 independent schools, public libraries and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.

With low demand for the Read Aloud licence add-on following the pandemic, the Read Aloud Canadian Books program will end as of December 31, 2025. Until then, licensees  that have the Read Aloud Add-On can continue to use it to read all or part of select books from participating publishers and authors, and to post the video recording online or livestream the reading for non-commercial purposes.

Starting January 1, 2026, please contact the copyright owner(s) of the work directly to seek permission for read-aloud uses.

The Read Aloud Canadian Books Program allows educators or librarians at digitally licensed K-12 independent schools, licensed public libraries or EarlyON Child and Family Centres that have signed the Read Aloud add-on to read all or part of select books from participating publishers and authors, and to post the video recording online or livestream the reading for non-commercial purposes.

To learn more, including how your school, library or EarlyON Child and Family Centre can sign up for the Read Aloud add-on, please contact us at info@accesscopyright.ca.

Does my school, library or EarlyON Child and Family Centre have an Access Copyright licence?

List of Participating Publishers & Authors

Visit our Title Search & Permissions Tool and select "Search Read Aloud" to search the in-print titles that are available for use.

Are you a publisher or author that would like to offer your work for the Program?

Please contact Access Copyright’s Royalty and Client Services department at affiliates@accesscopyright.ca to join the Program.

Posting a Read Aloud Canadian Books Program work online?

Be sure to use #ReadAloudCanadian and tag Access Copyright (@AccessCopyright), the Association of Canadian Publishers (@CdnPublishers) as well as the publisher and author of the work. We would like to track and celebrate online anyone who participates in the Read Aloud Canadian Books Program.