[bksvol-discuss] Re: [bksvol-discuss]Artical about Bookshare
- From: Grandma Cindy <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 13:12:43 -0700 (PDT)
A wonderfully informative and well-written article,
Anastasia.
Cindy
--- Anastasia Saridakis <anamatia81@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Here is my artical. I wrote this in hopes that more
> people would join or at least take a lookat the
> site. Enjoy
>
>
> BOOKSHARE: A LIBRARY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
>
> by Anastasia Saridakis
>
> (Editor's Note: To check this library
> out for yourself,
> visit
> www.bookshare.org.)
>
> Imagine hearing a sighted friend comment
> on a wonderful
> book
> he/she read. Imagine being able to gain access to
> that book the same
> day
> from the comfort of your own home. A decade ago that
> would have been
> impossible for people in the blind community, but
> not any more.
>
> On Feb. 21, 2002, one web site decided
> to make that dream a
> reality. Benetech is sponsoring Bookshare.org, a
> web site where a
> member
> with a print disability can download an
>
> entire book in seconds. Bookshare currently has more
> than 4,000 members
> and
> more than 29,000 books in 33 different categories.
> As a result of a
> partnership with the National Federation of the
> Blind, this diverse
> library
> contains newspapers and magazines from all over the
> United States. In
> addition to its material in English, Bookshare.org
> contains material in
> other languages, including more than 1,000 books in
> Spanish. More
> books are
> approved every day.
>
> The Bookshare database reflects the
> interests of its
> members and
> volunteers.
>
> Bookshare has a section of books recommended by
> teachers for students,
> so
> when a student needs a book for school, he/she can
> find it more
> quickly.
> Bookshare.org currently highlights New York best
> sellers on its home
> page.
> The site contains the entire Harry Potter series,
> including the Spanish
> translations. The latest book in the series, "Harry
> Potter and the
> Halfâ??Blood Prince," was available on Bookshare the
> same day as it was
> available in print to the public.
>
> A book goes through a threeâ??step
> process before it can be
> on the
> site. First, a person
>
> scans, edits, and submits a book. This can take
> anywhere from an hour
> to
> several weeks, depending on many factors. Some of
> these factors include
> access to a computer, access to the book, the
> quality of the scan, and
> of
> course, time. Then, a validator picks the book up
> from the site,
> proofreads
> it and recommends it for approval. Finally, the book
> is approved by a
> Bookshare.org staff member who makes a final
> decision about the book.
>
> In general, it is illegal to scan and
> share copies of
> books.
> However, there is an exception in the United States
> Copyright Law. It
> states
> in part "... it is not an infringement of copyright
> for an authorized
> entity
> to reproduce or to distribute copies ... of a
> previously published,
> nonâ??dramatic literary work if such copies ... are
> reproduced or
> distributed
> in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind
> or other persons
> with
> disabilities."
>
> Bookshare volunteers can submit books in
> one of five
> formats
> including Arkenstone,
>
> Kurzweil, Microsoft Word documents, Wynn and rich
> text format.
> Arkenstone
> is a format that is only accessible to a user who
> has Open Book.
> Likewise,
> Kurzweil is a file format that can only be accessed
> with that software
> program. Bookshare is encouraging all its
> volunteers to submit their
> books
> in rich text format, which is accessible to more
> members than any other
> format. Once the book is downloaded, the talking
> software on the
> individual's computer helps make the print audible.
> If the user does
> not
> have such a program, he/she can download Humanware's
> Victor Reader
> software
> from Bookshare.
>
> A member or visitor can search the
> entire database by using
> the
> search function. A search can be done by title,
> subject or author. One
> can
> also search within a category. For example, if
> someone were searching
> for a
> book on Helen Keller, he/she could do a general
> search or search the
> disabilities category, which would cut down on time.
> Once the book is
> found,
> a page is displayed with the title, author, ISBN,
> copyright name and
> year,
> length, quality (excellent, good, or fair), and two
> synopses. One
> synopsis
> is 250 characters or less. The other is 500 words or
> less. This helps
> the
> user know if he/she has the right book before
> downloading it. Once the
> user
>
> is sure he/she has the right book, he/she can
> download it from the web
> site.
>
> Bookshare.org is different from other
> organizations that
> offer
> reading material for the blind in many ways. First,
> it costs money. It
> costs $75 the first year and $50 each additional
> year for the service.
> A
> volunteer can work off this cost by submitting or
> editing books. Each
> submitted book is worth $2.50 credit toward
> membership. If one wants
> credit
> toward a subscription but does not have access to a
> scanner, he/she can
> validate a book for a 50-cent credit. Validators are
> essential for
> Bookshare
> to run. These dedicated readers take books that were
> submitted,
> proofread
> them, and categorize them so they appear on
> Bookshare in the
>
> right place.
>
> A person can become a member by filling
> out a short online
> form
> and submitting a proof of disability to the site
> either proving that
> they
> are a member of the National Library Service (NLS)
> or getting a
> printable
> form filled out and signed by his/her eye doctor.
> Bookshare has a
> small
> staff and relies on its active volunteer community
> to grow the
> collection.
> If a member can get a volunteer to scan the book,
> Bookshare will have
> it on
> the site for the whole community. Bookshare has a
> wish list for this
> type of
> situation. Members need to keep in mind that there
> is no guarantee a
> book
> they ask for will be scanned, however.
>
> Bookshare also offers another unique
> feature for braille
> users.
> Any book in excellent or good quality can be bought
> in braille from the
> Braille Institute of America thanks to a partnership
> between the two
> organizations. Books can be purchased for 8 cents
> per braille page for
> unformatted and 36 cents for formatted braille.
> Membership is not
> necessary
> for purchase of braille books.
>
> I enjoy scanning books people request
> for two reasons.
> First, I
> know the book I submit will be read by a member who
> either wants it or
> needs
> it. Some people who use Bookshare have the equipment
> to scan books, but
> don't have the time. I feel fortunate that I have
> the time and the
> resources to submit books for others. I scan
> children's books often
> because
> they are fun to read, and parents, teachers and
> children can benefit
> from
> them. I also describe pictures in every children's
> book so the reader
> won't
> miss out on any visual information in the print
> copy.
>
> I learn a lot by scanning books on
> different topics, too. A
> friend asked me to scan a book for her on Buddhism.
> If she didn't ask,
> that
> would not have been a book I would have scanned. I
> learned a lot about
> the
> religion and I thanked my friend as much as she
> thanked me.
>
> Bookshare.org is a wonderfully diverse
> library that has
> affected
> the lives of its members in many ways. The size and
> scope of this
> library
> reflects the needs and interests of its members and
> volunteers. The
> site
> allows members to gain access to information in a
> quick and easy way
> that
> was unheard of 10 years ago. Bookshare.org has a
> growing collection of
> diverse reading material with no end in sight.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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