Well, thank you Robert, but we do get benefits--what I think my husband called psychic pay, or something like that. Here are the benefits I've received: 1. I've met a lot of people I really like and admire, who not only brighten my day with their humor and writing and thinking abilities but help me to appreciate my health and not complain about minor aches and pains. 2. I get to read twice as many books as I would otherwise, because I read as I validate, and also read on my own. 3. I've been introduced, because of validating, to authors and books I never would have thought of reading, and learned, from some of the nonfiction, about things I would never have otherwise. 4. Because I've validated books written by so many different writers, fiction and nonfiction, my ability to recognize good writing from bad has improved. 5. I feel my life is worthwhile because I'm doing something to benefit others, and not just sitting around spending my retirement years in frivolous pursuits. smile And I love hearing about different kinds of canes and technologies and dogs and NLS readers and what things were like then and now. Of course I'm old enough to know what blind students and others had to go through 50 and 60 years ago; it's just too bad that all this wonderful technology is so expensive. G.Cindy ***WISH LIST (CALLED REQUESTED ADDITIONS TO THE BOOKSHARE COLLECTION)IS AVAILABLE AT http://people.delphiforums.com/jamiecalton/Book_Requests.htm http://www.friendsofbookshare.org/ http://studentpages.alma.edu/~07jmyate/book_requests.htm A LIST OF BOOKS CURRENTLY BEING SCANNED IS AVAILABLE AT http://people.delphiforums.com/jamiecalton/scanning.html Jake's site for useful links: http://www.jbrownell.com/bkslinks.html ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping 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.