[bksvol-discuss] Re: bookshare and web braille

  • From: "Allison" <alwaysallie@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 23:49:58 -0500

Okay okay, I admit it, I'm a hopeless idealist! All the below is very true. I am glad to know however that someone is in agreement with me that the basic idea is not truly an unethical one. Guess that's a first tstep.

Allison H.



----- Original Message ----- From: <talmage@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 9:10 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: bookshare and web braille



Hi Mike,

I have to join in here with Allison.
Regarding the legal side of the issue, NLS is part of the LOC, and if Congress wanted it to happen, it would. They play by a totally different set of rules from us mortals. The problem there is, it isn't an important enough issue for them to want to spend much time considering it. I would suspect the popular response would be that access is provided, and what we are talking about here is primarily just a matter of convenience for Bookshare members, so suck it up, and deal with it. Of course they wouldn't say it in just quite that manner, but I imagine that would be the bottom line. The other factor here would also be the NLS itself. Any recommendation of this sort would undoubtedly have to come via the NLS, and I just don't see that as happening. We are talking about governmental bureaucracy here, and bureaucrats tend to protect their bailiwick with an intense passion. I don't actually see that as a bad thing, because one of the first ideas that would probably occur to some Congressman running for re-election would be, "than why are we spending so much money for the NLS if these kinds of services are already out there?"
The only true ethical de lemma I can see that would result, is the NLS books would also have to be made available to any other organization similar to Bookshare that might come along so as to not favor any one private organization. I can see how this might cause a great deal of consternation, because it would be a lack of control, and who is to say that any subsequent providers that came along later would be as scrupulous as Bookshare, in adhering to copyright laws and secure practices.
As for the user base, it would seem irrelevant to me, because as it now stands, anyone who is a member of Bookshare could be a member of the NLS if they wished. The policy of the government has always been when dealing with a member entity, i.e. Federal dealing with State, State dealing with County, etc., is that you may be more restrictive but not less.
When, and if Bookshare ever opens up its offerings outside the U.S., I suspect that the NLS will be right there with them doing likewise. As it is, the NLS already has an exchange program established with Canada and Britain.
After saying all this, I guess I should mention, that I don't believe it will ever occur. That is with a proviso however, I don't see Bookshare being allowed to incorporate the NLS collection into Bookshare as single volume compilations. If Bookshare desired however, to include the Web Braille holdings in some future search scheme, I could see it as being feasible for Bookshare members to download Web Braille books from a Bookshare search engine. As it is, anyone can search the NLS collection on the Internet, you just have to be a member to download the Web Braille files. It would be possible to set up a Bookshare account to pass along a user's Web Braille log-in info so you could download the Web Braille files and never see the NLS site. This would however, require a major revamp of the Bookshare search software, rebuilding it along the lines of the one used by the NLS. Again, I can certainly see this as a good thing, but I also can't see it as happening.


Dave

At 07:10 AM 12/8/2004, you wrote:
Allison

Your points are well thought out; but I still have to agree totally with
Shelley for legal and ethical reasons.  The one point I want to adress is
your number 3.
The user base of BookShare and NLS are not necessarily one and the same.
Yes, BookShare, for the convenience of its customers, accepts
participation in the NLS program as a proof of disability.
However, you needn't be a NLS patron to take part in BookShare.
Also, if the NLS collection suddenly became a part of BookShare, this
might preclude BookShare, at some point down the line, to offer its
service internationally.
Also, some NLS patrons, now that I think of it, cannot use BookShare
services.
BookShare technically requires residency in the U.S. or its territories;
NLS provides service also to those living abroad who happen to be U.S.
citizens.
So the patron base isn't identical.




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