This is Lara Long, the product manager, who occasionally will monitor this queue and soon will be querying the field for feedback. I'm interested about your feedback on the site Reggie. Feel free to email me directly with constructive feedback as we look at site improvements over the coming months! Thanks! Lara ________________________________________ From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carrie Karnos [ckarnos@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 3:20 PM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Out Sourcers Hi Christina, You're right with your explanation but there's another wrinkle that you might be unaware of. As you said, anyone anywhere can download public domain books, they're available to everyone in the world. We have another designation that's called world-wide access. If someone outside the US joins Bookshare (having a qualifying disability), that person can download books that have world-wide permissions, but they can't download books with US-only permissions. Several publishers have given us world-wide permissions for their books. Scholastic, for example, has told us that whenever we put a book published by Scholastic into the collection, we can mark it as having world-wide permissions. So blind children around the world can read books by Scholastic, providing that their parents or teachers signed them up of course. And we have some books that are restricted so that only Americans and Canadians can read them, but no one else. There's a variety of permissions available, because some publishers want to restrict their books to certain countries. Copyright law is complex enough within the US, but when you add on the copyright laws from the 100+ countries around the world, it's a nightmare. We have to remain within all US copyright laws or we'd be shut down by the government fast. And yes, you're right about volunteers. Sighted volunteers can work on books, but not download the non-public domain books in the collection. HTH, Carrie ________________________________ From: Christina <greensleeves1@xxxxxxxxx> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 3:01:52 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Out Sourcers Hi, Reggie. The way I understand it, members can't download books if they're not US citizens because of copyright laws unless the book is in the public domain. I don't think this pertains to volunteers though since you can be a volunteer without being a member. Volunteers can work on books but they can't download them. Christina ----- Original Message ----- From: Reggie & Brooks<mailto:regandlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 5:26 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Out Sourcers Now, that is interesting. Perhaps I have missed it, very probably have since I am not a real fan of the new site (oooo did I say that? My bad). Anyway, BKS is, or at least the last I knew, unable to be used by out-of-the-U.S. people (except public domain). However, outsources from Africa? Hmmmm! Sounds just a little strange to me. Reggie ________________________________ From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bob Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 2:02 PM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Out Sourcers Daproim Africa is one of the outsourcers. Bob “We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make,” Senator Edward M. Kennedy ----- Original Message ----- From: Gary Petraccaro<mailto:garyp130@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 12:58 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Out Sourcers I looked up a particular book and found that it was submitted and proofed by the same person, Daproim Africa. Has policy changed or is this one of the out sourcers? Thanks. 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.