I thought that Bookshare prefers that we leave such contacting up to the publisher liaison at Bookshare.
On 1/31/2012 12:51 PM, Kelly Pierce wrote:
Ann, Effective immediately, I have implemented a policy of ensuring that the author and/or publisher have been approached to donate their files and partner with Bookshare before scanning a book published in 1990 or later. I urge all others here to do the same. As I started the tedious effort of scanning and proofreading some books to which I really wanted access, I began to wonder if there were a better way. I checked and found the books available in EPub format, which Jim Fructerman says can easily be converted into DAISY by Bookshare staff and technical volunteers. As someone who has successfully advocated and created many accessible solutions for blind people during the past few decades, I have developed a knack for leveraging my skills, resources, time and energy to maximize my independence and often that of other blind people as well. Tens of thousands of people with disabilities have benefited from my high-quality solutions that created accessible banking, accessible voting, accessible public transit for the blind, Internet access, and technology access overall. It occurred to me that the only thing that stands between me and an existing EPub book is software that Bookshare controls that turns an inaccessible e-book into something blind people and those with disabilities can read easily. This is why I have adopted a policy of asking the publisher and/or author to donate their EPub books to Bookshare before I begin to scan or proofread a book. Further, publishers and authors need to hear from people with disabilities about the inaccessibility of currently available electronic texts. It can be surprising on how much can be obtained just by asking. I wonder why those who haven’t asked publishers and/or authors to donate their files to Bookshare feel comfortable asking volunteers to go through the tedious process of scanning and proofreading a book that is already in Epub and can be converted to DAISY in an automated and effortless process. The time available to this pool of volunteers is not limitless. Blind people and those with print disabilities will never achieve information equality without the cooperation and support of leading authors and the publishing community. Many are willing to help. They just don’t know how. Let’s inform and engage. Kelly On 1/31/12, Ann Parsons<akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:Hi Folks, I never pay attention to book requests because I'm a proofer, not a scanner, but this time, I have a request of my own. I just got a notification that Dana Stabenow has written a new novel in which her two prominent characters are featured. It's called Restless In The Grave. It's supposed to be coming out on February 14th. Is there any way that Bookshare or one of the volunteers could get a hold of it and scan it? I will proof, gladdly, if somebody will scan. I really don't want to buy the Kindle edition because I don't have the Kindle stuff on my new 'puter, and I hate the voice they use. Not only that, you can't read the dumb books except on your computer. I'd really really love Bookshare to do this book! I don't suppose its publisher is one we have in our list of donors? Don't know who publishes Stabenow books, but I could find out if necessary. Would somebody please forward this to the right place. Thanks. Ann P. -- Ann K. Parsons Portal Tutoring EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info Skype: Putertutor "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost." Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere. To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
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