[bksvol-discuss] NLS vs. Bookshare

My friend sent this to me and asked me to ask opinions of the Bookshare 
volunteers. You can email me privately if you wish offlist at 
jamieyates@xxxxxxxxxxx
   
  My feeling is that for $50 a year for pretty much unlimited books, Bookshare 
does a very valuable service. I don't know and understand completely how NLS 
works but from helping her with some problems I spent a long time on hold with 
the Cleveland library trying to sort out her NLS account (she doesn't have a 
Braille tty set up right now) and they were very helpful but it takes time to 
get a physical book in the mail. With Bookshare the access is instant. As a 
sighted person, I'm almost jealous! I have to drive 10 miles to the library to 
get the books I want. and then I can only keep them for 3 weeks. So I think 
Bookshare is pretty great and I tell people about it all of the time.
   
  Anyway here is what she is asking:
   
  Jamie,
This is from on of my DB friends. I thought you could share with the Bookshare
Volunteer list and send me any good things they have to say. (and your feelings
too)

a debate going on about Bookshare and National
Library Service which should be providing braille readers with ANY braille book
they wish to read free of charge. One member said she knew of others who could
not afford to pay the $50 annual fee for Bookshare, and neither could she.
Another said that she'd like to be able to curl up in a chair and read a
brailled book. She's not sure how to download a book and convert it into
braille.
I don't know anything about how to do this. I was wondering if you could
give your view on Bookshare vs NLS and what the advantages or disadvantages
are.
Why isn't the NLS doing what Bookshare is doing?




Jamie in Michigan 
Currently reading: Ceremony in Death - J.D. Robb

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