[access-uk] Re: Ethics of book sharing services

  • From: "Sunil" <bosley20@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 12:22:36 +0100

Really good luck with the uni studies I can empathise with that one.  I 
studied history and politics and because nothing relevant was available in 
braille or on tape spent more time scanning rather than reading books. 
Without the understanding and help of my tutors who lent me their own books 
to scan so I didn't have to spend money buying books that everyone else got 
out of the library and the library staff who let me take not-for-loan 
reference books out of the library to scan I'd have got absolutely nowhere. 
Obviously it wasn't ideal because my perspective was shaped by what books I 
could lay my hands on and scan at short notice rather than forming views and 
opinions based on reading and evaluating a wider range of sources and 
publications.  I graduated in '98 but I don't think the situation has 
improved much.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tink Watson" <tink@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 12:06 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Ethics of book sharing services


> Andrew,
>
>    The only ethic with regard to books is the ethic of less than 5% of all 
> published books being converted to accessible formats.
>
>    The ethics are not a matter of booksharing, as you pointed out 
> everybody does it whether electronically or in print, but of basic human 
> rights. It is not ethical that children fall behind in education because 
> text books or set English books are not available in a timely manner, it 
> isn't ethical that I've got to get my partner to read my university text 
> books to me because they aren't accessible, it isn't ethical that I can't 
> read my god-children the books they'd like at bedtime and it isn't ethical 
> that people cannot just reach out and aquaint themselves with the 
> subjects, topics, entertainments and treasures that the World's books 
> hold, because publishers haven't enough business sense to realise they are 
> missing out on an opportunity to make an awful lot more money.
>
>    Ok, rant over. *Smile.
>
> Tink.
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