[bookshare-discuss] Re: human narrated bookshare books; press release from Bookshare

  • From: Roger Loran Bailey <roger.loran.bailey@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: 'Bookshare-Discuss' <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 19 May 2022 22:27:06 -0400

If you don't like Australian accents you might have a problem with VisAbility books. Actually, I might better say that if you have a problem with any accent other than American you might have a problem with these books. My experience with VisAbility is this. They seem to have their own recording studios in Western Australia and use Australian narrators, but they also seem to get recordings from wherever they can around the world. I have come across book from that source that were originally recorded in Britain, South Africa and Canada. They even have a few that were originally NLS recordings This was all prior to Merrakesh. I think Australia has its own copyright exception that allows VisAbility to just grab any book recording they can get. It might be commercial or from who knows what original source as well as their own recordings. And, oh yes, they have talking books from New Zealand too. They seem to get them from any source that records books in English. I don't think I ever came across any of their books that were in some other language. I mentioned that their collection doesn't give the impression of being very professional and one of the main reasons is the lack of standard formatting. If you read NLS books you know what to expect in, say, the front matter. You will get the title, the author, a synopsis, an estimated reading time, the name of the narrator and so forth. Then at the end there will be something standard too like when it was recorded and so forth. In VisAbility books all of that varies. Sometimes there is not any front matter at all, for example. That is, the book just starts right in without even an announcement of the title and author. Other books have front matter, but it varies in what you get. All of this is likely because the books come from so many sources with different policies, but the impression it gives, at least to me, is that VisAbility comes off as a bit amateurish. Now, I have not yet downloaded and listened to any of these books through Bookshare. Perhaps Bookshare might have done something to standardize them or make them a better listening experience. That remains to be seen. On the accents again, I thought I liked British and Australian accents, but I noticed something on occasion. I can listen to one of those British or Australian accents narrating a book especially a long book, and think I am doing really  well with it. Then I finish and start a book from the NLS and find myself feeling a bit of relief at hearing the American accent. I think what was happening was that I was unconsciously straining just a little bit to  understand the accent and then when I come back to an accent that I am used to I find myself relaxing even if I didn't realize that I was not entirely relaxed with the VisAbility book. That sometimes happens when I switch from synthetic voice to human narration too, but not as frequently nor so strongly.

On 5/19/2022 3:12 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:

Thanks for that information. However, since I'm finding many human  narrators to be more and more irritating, I suspect I won't be happy with many of these books, especially if their narrators have Australian accents.

Miriam

 

From: bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Roger Loran Bailey
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2022 2:24 PM
To: 'Bookshare-Discuss' <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: human narrated bookshare books; press release from Bookshare

 

Bookshare is highly oriented toward schools. In fact, if you check the Bookshare most popular downloads list regularly you will see that the first several pages are mostly books that would be assigned in school or else are children's books. That probably explains why the press release seemed to be addressing teachers. Apparently it was a press release especially for teachers. However, if you follow those instructions for calling up the human narrated books and start browsing the ten thousand or so results it will become apparent that this is not just for children or students. And if these books come from the Australian VisAbility library I can attest from my personal experience that only a minority of them are for children.

On 5/19/2022 9:45 AM, Miriam Vieni wrote:

Unlike many folks on the DB Review list, I don't read children's books.

Miriam

 

From: bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Schneider, Katherine S.
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2022 10:37 PM
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: human narrated bookshare books; press release from Bookshare

 

I’d guess you could use them; they’ll never know if you’re a teacher, a grandma or just someone who knows that sometimes kids’ books are the best!

Kathie

 

From: bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Miriam Vieni
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2022 8:48 PM
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: human narrated bookshare books; press release from Bookshare

 

So, it sounds like this is a special program for students, not a program for every Bookshare user.

Miriam

 

From: bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <bookshare-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Schneider, Katherine S.
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2022 9:27 PM
To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookshare-discuss] human narrated bookshare books; press release from Bookshare

 

Welcome to the Summer of Audio.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Summer of Audio

 

Lock in your students' learning gains with Bookshare's #SummerOfAudio reading program. Bookshare’s new collection of human-narrated audiobooks (beta) has just been released, and we invite you and your students to experience Bookshare in a whole new way this summer.

 

Set Up Students for Summer Reading

 

Human-Narrated Audiobooks (Beta)

 

You asked for it! For the first time, Bookshare members can listen to books read by actors, authors, and celebrities. From How to Train Your Dragon to The Keeper of Lost Things, enjoy stories for every age and interest read by professional narrators.

 

Explore the Collection

 

Transition Tips

 

As the end of the school year approaches, students and teachers will be getting ready for their next transition. Whether your students are moving to a new grade, a new school, or life after school, you can make sure your students are set up to continue to thrive with Bookshare.

 

Get Transition Tips

 

 

 

 

This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (Cooperative Agreement #H327K070001). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

 

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Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
Senior Psychologist, Emerita
Counseling Service
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
schneiks@xxxxxxxx
Author of Hope of the Crow,  Occupying Aging: Delights, Disabilities and Daily Life, To the Left of Inspiration: Adventures in Living with Disabilities and a children's book Your Treasure Hunt: Disabilities and Finding Your Gold
Blog: http://kathiecomments.wordpress.com

 

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