Fw: The Bookshare Bulletin
- From: "tribble" <lauraeaves@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "bprogramming" <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:05:54 -0500
The Bookshare BulletinThis is for tyler and anyone else recently graduated from
high school. There are articles in this bulletin that might interest you if you
aren't a member of bookshare.org. (If you are a member, you likely have
received this bulletin already.)
Have fun.
--le
----- Original Message -----
From: Bookshare
To: lauraeaves@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 10:56 AM
Subject: The Bookshare Bulletin
Issue 3 :: Summer 2009
Do You Twitter or Use Facebook?
Follow “Bookshare” on Twitter or Accessible Twitter and be
‘in-the-know’ about the latest happenings.
You can also become a fan of Bookshare through our new Facebook
page. Join us now!
In This Issue
Educators’ Corner
a.. K-12 Stimulus Survey Generates New Ideas
b.. Authorized User of the NIMAC
c.. Is Your School Leading the Way to Accessible Books?
d.. Educational Conferences
Family Time
a.. Transitioning from High School to College
b.. Make Summer Months Fun and Interesting!
c.. Summer Book Picks for All Ages
d.. Parent Conferences
Bookshare Highlights
a.. National Press Club Event
b.. New Member Stories
c.. Tell Us Your Story - Contest Winners
d.. International Update
e.. Volunteer Circle
f.. Book Quality
g.. Latest Stats
Unsubscribe
The Bookshare Bulletin was sent to you because you wished to
receive information about Bookshare or you subscribed at our web site.
If you no longer want to receive The Bookshare Bulletin, please
click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.
Educator’s Corner
K-12 ARRA Survey Generates New Ideas – (American Recovery and
Reinvestment ACT)
By Betsy Burgess
School districts have many ideas for stimulus funds, but here’s one
that’s well worth considering – services from Bookshare. Bookshare is free for
U.S. schools and students, that’s true; however, there are many other
worthwhile services Bookshare could provide that we just can’t deliver for
free, but that would qualify for IDEA Part B stimulus funds. (Individual with
Disabilities Education Act)
To find out what school districts want from Bookshare, and to help
us decide about new offerings that would support long-lasting improvements in
special education, we conducted a survey in May and June. Special Education
Directors, Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents of Schools
participated.
The survey asked about use of funds, plans to obligate funds, and
topics for professional development in special education, among other new
offerings appropriate to Bookshare.
Bookshare’s role in special education is unique. It offers a broad
nonprofit perspective and works with many vendors to ensure users have tools
and training to take advantage of the Bookshare library. From this perspective,
Bookshare will be offering a mixture of assistive technology products,
professional development and other requested services. Profit is not the
motive; rather our goal is to provide better training for teachers and better
access to assistive technology which leads to improved outcomes for students
with print disabilities.
Watch the Bookshare website in July for more details on new
offerings from Bookshare in conjunction with other partners that support the
goals of stimulus funds. In the meantime, would you like the results of the
survey?
Visit Contact Us and select ARRA (stimulus) Program from the menu
list in the field labeled: “My question is about.”
- Back to Top -
Bookshare Named Authorized NIMAC User in U.S. States and Territories
By Valerie Chernek
To expedite the process of providing accessible versions of
textbooks to students with print disabilities, your state can name Bookshare as
an Authorized User or AU of the NIMAC. Here is the current list of states that
have named Bookshare as an Authorized User: CA, CO, KS, MA, MD, MO, MT, NH, NY,
OR, TN, VT, and Guam. Is your state on the list?
What is the NIMAC? NIMAC stands for National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Center. It is a federally-funded, central repository
created by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to hold U.S.
K-12 digital textbook source files. U.S. textbook publishers are required to
submit files to the NIMAC when the request is made in writing at the point of
print book purchase. The files can then be used to create a variety of
specialized formats for students with print disabilities.
This process helps to make certain that all K-12 students with
print disabilities receive timely access to required educational textbooks
according to the IDEA 2004 Law. (Individual with Disabilities Education Act)
As an AU of the NIMAC, Bookshare supplements the work of other
state AU’s and can provide timely access to digital accessible textbooks for
students with qualified print disabilities and IEPs (Individual Education
Plan). A teacher or sponsor can request and receive converted student-ready
textbooks in accessible file formats from Bookshare in less than two weeks.
In states that have not named Bookshare as a state AU, teachers
request textbooks through one of their state AU’s, who may still assign the
book to Bookshare for conversion. This turnaround process will take longer,
from one to two months depending on the complexity of the book.
“When we find a required digitized book in the NIMAC, we make a
special notation to request it from Bookshare. Within a week, the books come
back in a more reader-friendly format. This is one of the real benefits of
working with Bookshare,” said Valerie Whitney, Special School District (SSD)
Area Coordinator for St. Louis County, MO and the Missouri Assistive Technology
Project.
- Back to Top -
Is Your School Leading the Way in Providing Books in Accessible
Formats?
The George Lucas Foundation, founded by the legendary filmmaker and
publisher of Edutopia magazine, is interested in creating a video about U.S.
schools that are leading the way in providing books in accessible formats and
using assistive technologies. We are collecting the names of leading K-12
schools.
Tell us what your school is doing with accessible books and you
could be part of this historic video. Visit our website and complete our
Contact Us form to let us know who you are and give a brief description in the
comments box about your K-12 school’s initiative to access digital books using
Bookshare. We will contact you in the fall to discuss the plans for this media
outreach.
- Back to Top -
Educational Conferences - Visit Bookshare Staff
a.. National Federation of the Blind (NFB), July 3-8 — Detroit MI
b.. American Council of the Blind (ACB), July 4-11 — Orlando FL
c.. LA Assistive Technology (LATI), July 15-17 — Baton Rouge LA
d.. 2009 AHEAD, July 20-25 — Louisville, KY
e.. PA Transition Conference, July 23 — Penn State PA
f.. Kansas AT Conference, July 30-31 — Kansas
- Back to Top -
Family Time
Transitioning from High School to College
By Cherie Miller
If you are a Member of Bookshare through an organization, (such as
your high school, a local library or the Department of Rehabilitation), then
the summer months are the best time to sign up for an individual membership.
That way you can take Bookshare to your next school with you, and access your
digital books anytime. Thanks to the OSEP (U.S. Office of Special Education
Programs) award, an individual membership is free to college students. Just
like an unlimited library card, you can select and download books independently
using your individual password on the Bookshare website.
Students under 18 will still need a parent or guardian’s signature,
but it’s easy to sign up. Ask your high school or organization to help you with
the paperwork or check it out on your own at the Bookshare website:
www.bookshare.org/about/membershipFAQ
Next Steps – Higher Education Textbooks and Reading Materials
It’s important now to check in with the Disability Student Services
office at your new college during orientation or before school starts to be
sure that your reading accommodations are in place at the beginning of your
classes. Students often choose to have both a college Bookshare membership, as
well as an individual membership so they can access digital books anytime and
anywhere for their studies and for their reading pleasure. Ask about Bookshare
membership and how it might benefit other university students with print
disabilities.
Taking a Break from School? –6 Weeks to Re-register Your Membership
If you are taking a break from school, please note that you have 6
weeks to re-register as a non-student Member.
Contact Bookshare’s membership department to re-register. Qualified
non-students pay $75 the first year; ($25 one-time set up fee and $50
membership fee.) $50 is the yearly membership fee.
- Back to Top -
Make Your Child’s Summer Months Fun and Interesting
By Mario Oliveros
School’s out and kids are gearing up for plenty of summer fun. Make
sure that your child’s summer fun includes reading and enjoying the simple
pleasures of a good book. During the school year, students are often too busy
keeping up with their class assignments to read merely for pleasure. Students
tell us about the books they love to read like Harry Potter, The Sisterhood of
the Traveling Pants, The Aesop for Children and the Twilight series about teen
vampires. One teacher wrote that her students read Maniac McGee by Jerry
Spinelli; a story about a boy from the east side of town whose life experiences
touched the hearts of many of her students. Perhaps you’ll look for this book
in the Bookshare library for your teen.
Summer is the perfect opportunity to match your child’s interests
and hobbies and strengthen reading comprehension and fluency skills. The
Bookshare library offers over 50,000 digital books, including newspapers,
children’s literature, fiction, non-fiction and best sellers. Start now! Talk
with your child and do a summer reading book search.
Can’t Find the Book You Want? Request It
Volunteers, partners, and the Bookshare staff work diligently to
get the books that our Members want to read. If you didn’t find the title you
searched for, ask for it.
Remember that your child will need an individual Bookshare
membership to download books at home. If your child only has a membership
through school, please register your child now for an individual membership for
anywhere, anytime reading all year round.
- Back to Top -
Summer Reading Fun - Pique Your Child’s Reading Interests
Picks by Mario Oliveros
Jack Plank Tells Tales, by Natalie Babbitt (Ages 6-9)
After spending years at sea, Jack comes to town to find a new
career. Is there any job that is right for an ex-pirate who is no good at
plundering, but loves to tell stories?
Fly High, Fly Guy!, by Tedd Arnold (Ages 6-9)
When Buzz and his family go on vacation, they don't want to take
Buzz's pet, Fly Guy, with them, but he joins them nonetheless. Though small,
the fly proves his mettle and saves the day with his flying skills.
Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal, by Jeff Kinney (Ages
10-12)
Greg and his best friend, Rowley, adjust to middle school, where
they are undersized weaklings. When Rowley grows more popular, Greg kicks off a
chain of events that tests their friendship.
Seekers: The Quest Begins, by Erin Hunter (Ages 10-12)
Three young bears of different species--one black, one polar, and
one grizzly--travel on a perilous quest to the Northern Lights, escorting a
shape-shifting grizzly cub whose destiny will affect them all.
Max (Maximum Ride #5), by James Patterson (Ages: 10-12)
Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely
recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the
most frightening catastrophe yet.
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer (Ages 12 and up)
17-year-old Bella meets an exquisitely handsome boy at her new high
school, and realizes that he is not wholly human.
Evermore, by Alyson Noel (Ages 12 and up)
Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family,
sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a
person's life story by touch.
- Back to Top -
Parent and Organization Conferences: Visit Bookshare Staff
a.. Region 1 Parent TA (Technical Assistance) Center Conference,
June 15-17 — Providence, RI
b.. Family Connect (NAPVI), July 17-19, Costa Mesa, CA
c.. TA Alliance, July 22-24 — Milwaukee, WI
d.. EKOM at Ross School, September 15 — Ross, CA
e.. LDA of Kentucky 2009 Summer Conference, June 10 —
Shepherdsville, KY
f.. Region 5 Alliance for TA Parent Conference, June 25-27 —
Denver, CO
g.. National Federation of the Blind National Convention, July
3-8 — Detroit, MI
h.. American Council of the Blind 2009 Convention, July 3-11 —
Orlando, FL
i.. NAPVI's Families Connecting with Families 2009 International
Conference, July 17-19 — Costa Mesa, CA
j.. Region 4 Parent TA Center Annual Conference, July 22-24 —
Milwaukee, CA
- Back to Top -
Bookshare Highlights
National Press Club Event
By Valerie Chernek
In April, we gathered in Washington D.C. at the National Press Club
to announce our partnerships with U.S. colleges, universities, and publishers.
Read the latest press releases about our partnerships to grow the
Bookshare collection with legally scanned books and digital files.
Jim Fruchterman
In this photo, Benetech CEO Jim Fruchterman is standing along the
National Press Club hall of fame adorned with photos of legendary media people,
politicians, presidents and celebrities. Jim and our distinguished panel spoke
to the press, the disability community and government officials about the
benefits of our new partnerships.
Jim set the tone of our event when he told the gathering, “Digital
media is the future for learners and individuals with print disabilities.
Working directly with book publishers and universities, we have an
extraordinary opportunity to knock down the barriers and raise the floor of
access to ensure that all individuals have access to read print publications at
the same time.”
Important Points of Jim’s Speech
1.. Bookshare is growing fast by harnessing the power of people,
organizations, schools, authors, volunteers and businesses to lower the
barriers for individuals with disabilities to access print materials. Our
educational goals are adding 100,000 books and 100,000 Members by 2012. You can
help us get there!
2.. Eleven U.S. universities and colleges now provide legally
scanned books to Bookshare through our University Partnership Program. We also
have more than two dozen publishers contributing digital files to the
collection.
Joining Jim on the panel: Jim Marks, President Elect of the
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and Director of
Disability Services at the University of Montana; Eugene Skonicki, a student
Member of Bookshare and a recent graduate of the Georgetown University Law
Center where he co-founded the Disability Law Society; and Allan R. Adler, V.P.
for Legal and Governmental Affairs at the Association of American Publishers
(AAP).
Panelist, Jim Marks
Jim Marks spoke about the university partnership. His message
focused on cost savings and efficient use of federal dollars and resources. Jim
validated our Bookshare mantra, ‘scan once, share many’ and talked about the
compounding effect of our partners’ contributions to increase the quantity of
books in the library.
“In addition to building a substantial collection of accessible
books, this program can ease the burden and the financial cost for university
scanning operation. We can serve thousands of students while saving our
institutions time, resources and tens of thousands of dollars in scanning
costs,” said Marks.
Eugene Skonicki talked about his individual membership and how he
uses the library for his graduate studies.
Allan Adler’s presentation pointed to concerns from the print
publishers’ perspective and the situation publishers face as digital content
expands.
All of our guests were excited about our new partnerships with
colleges, universities and publishers. Read a featured story in e-Campus News.
- Back to Top -
New Member Stories
Ashley Seymour
Megan Krapfl
Special thanks to Ashley Seymour, a college junior at University of
Michigan-Flint and Megan Krapfl, a 10th grader at Williamsburg Junior/Senior
High School, in Iowa for sharing their great stories with us.
These student Members worked with us to prepare articles for local
and national news and magazines about their use of Bookshare. Read their
stories.
- Back to Top -
Tell Us Your Bookshare Story – 2009 Member Contest
By Inga Zukin
Sofia Gallo
Twenty-two Bookshare Members sent us wonderful stories about how
their lives have transformed since they began reading books in digital formats.
We enjoyed hearing from you and reading your stories about how Bookshare has
made your reading experience more memorable.
Selecting our finalists was tough, but we now have a grand prize
winner through our Member voting process. She is Sofia Gallo, who wrote a story
entitled, “Twilight at 2 a.m.” Sofia selected a Victor Reader Stream by
HumanWare as her grand prize. Check out Sofia’s story and all the stories
written by our contest finalists.
Thanks again for telling us your story!
- Back to Top -
International Update
Bookshare India
By Vigi Dilip
Bookshare just launched its international program in India to
support some of the more than 10 million people with print disabilities. While
computers and the Internet are widely available, less than 5% of the books are
in accessible formats. Braille is expensive and students with print
disabilities often walk several kilometers, braving the scorching summer heat
or monsoons, to reach a school where books will be read to them by sighted
volunteers. Our mission is to help students worldwide have a better quality of
life by providing them with easy access to educational and informative books in
accessible formats.
In the absence of disability laws that allow for books to be
produced in alternative formats for individuals with print disabilities in
India and other countries, Bookshare approaches publishers directly to obtain
permission to offer their books online in the Bookshare library. We are pleased
that we now have global permissions from several publishers in India, including
Orient BlackSwan, Seasons Publishing, Oxford University Press and East West
Publications. We have also partnered with the DAISY Forum of India to obtain
content for our website. DAISY stands for the Digital Accessible Information
System.
In order to extend services to our India Members, Bookshare has
partnered with three NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in different parts
of India. These include Saksham Charitable Trust in the North and the East,
Xavier’s Resource Center for the visually challenged in the West, and Worth
Trust in the South.
Bookshare is also working in the UK, Canada, and South Africa. We
will continue to bring you more news about our International focus in the
coming months.
- Back to Top -
Volunteer Circle – NEW! Bound for Books e-Newsletter and Blog
By Pavi Mehta
As always, we remain grateful for the support and unwavering
dedication of the Bookshare volunteers. We are excited about the launch of our
new e-newsletter, Bound for Books.
Please send us an email to receive this newsletter. Bound for Books
will bring our volunteers the latest scanning and proofreading guidelines and
policy changes, while offering a view into the efforts and spirit behind the
people who make it all come together. The spring issue now features an
interview with Bookshare volunteer, Monica Willyard.
We’ve also launched the Bound by Books blog. Read it now!
- Back to Top -
Book Quality – Reprocessing and Fixing Errors
By Lindsie Verma
Have you noticed problems with books in READ:OutLoud or Victor
Reader Soft? In some cases, the problem is not with the software, but with the
book. We have a major initiative underway, including reprocessing the entire
collection, to bring the quality of all books up to the highest standard.
Reprocessing will fix some issues, but we need your help.
In late 2008, we implemented a new feature on our website for
Bookshare users to provide direct feedback about the quality of the books they
download. When you select a book title and go to the book’s information page,
you’ll find a box in the upper right corner called Quality Issues to report a
book issue you encountered while reading. Please report any errors you find.
You’ll hear back from us quickly as to when the errors will be corrected.
Here’s how to report a book issue:
Select “Report book quality issue” in the right hand corner of each
book page. A form will auto-generate with the basic information about the book
(title, author, etc.). Fields will also appear to enter comments and contact
information, which is kept anonymous. Please note specific examples or pages
that you are reporting about. This information is helpful for us to assess book
issues properly.
Within 24 hours, a report is logged on our system and you can check
the status of your issue by going to http://quality.bookshare.org or by
selecting “See all reported book quality issues” on the book’s download page.
Educational books with quality issues are fixed within one month.
Books of non-educational content are fixed within 2 months. Once a book quality
issue is resolved, we will contact you if you have opted to receive
notification. Thanks for helping us constantly improve the quality of our
books.
- Back to Top -
Bookshare Stats
a.. We passed a major milestone this past month: 50,000 books
b.. 1592 volunteers worldwide contribute their time and talent
each week
c.. More than 1000 books are added every month thanks to
volunteers, authors, publishers, universities, colleges and production partners
Have a terrific summer!
Sincerely,
The Bookshare Team
- Back to Top -
Copyright © 2009 Benetech®. Privacy | E-mail Us | Visit Our Website |
About Bookshare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this
message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following
link: Unsubscribe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
480 S. California Ave. Suite 201
Palo Alto, Ca 94306
Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.
Other related posts:
- » Fw: The Bookshare Bulletin - tribble
