[bksvol-discuss] Re: NLS vs. Bookshare

  • From: "Mike and Lori Castner" <mandlcastner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 10:49:49 -0700

Hi Jamie,
With me, it's not a question of nls VS Bookshare.  The NLS provides a very good 
service for both talking and braille books.  Bookshare does a good job too.  
The advantage bookshare has is the ability to choose a book on the spur of the 
moment and be reading your book in a matter of minutes.  NLS has the advantage 
if you want hardcopy braille.  If she has a braille notetaker, she might look 
in to Bookshare.  My experience with the braillenote has been very satisfying.  
Also, she might get drawn in by the cause and start validating books.
Mike Castner
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jamie Yates 
  To: Bookshare Volunteers 
  Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 6:41 AM
  Subject: [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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