[bksvol-discuss] Re: [bksvol-discuss]Artical about Bookshare
- From: Anastasia Saridakis <anamatia81@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 08:46:25 -0700 (PDT)
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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