Really good luck with the uni studies I can empathise with that one. I
studied history and politics and because nothing relevant was available in
braille or on tape spent more time scanning rather than reading books.
Without the understanding and help of my tutors who lent me their own
books to scan so I didn't have to spend money buying books that everyone
else got out of the library and the library staff who let me take
not-for-loan reference books out of the library to scan I'd have got
absolutely nowhere. Obviously it wasn't ideal because my perspective was
shaped by what books I could lay my hands on and scan at short notice
rather than forming views and opinions based on reading and evaluating a
wider range of sources and publications. I graduated in '98 but I don't
think the situation has improved much.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tink Watson" <tink@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 12:06 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Ethics of book sharing services
Andrew,
The only ethic with regard to books is the ethic of less than 5% of
all published books being converted to accessible formats.
The ethics are not a matter of booksharing, as you pointed out
everybody does it whether electronically or in print, but of basic human
rights. It is not ethical that children fall behind in education because
text books or set English books are not available in a timely manner, it
isn't ethical that I've got to get my partner to read my university text
books to me because they aren't accessible, it isn't ethical that I can't
read my god-children the books they'd like at bedtime and it isn't
ethical that people cannot just reach out and aquaint themselves with the
subjects, topics, entertainments and treasures that the World's books
hold, because publishers haven't enough business sense to realise they
are missing out on an opportunity to make an awful lot more money.
Ok, rant over. *Smile.
Tink.
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
