January 2011 - Bookshare Blog

Published January 31, 2011

Exciting New Apps Seen at ATIA

I walked the hall at ATIA 2011 in Orlando, FL specifically looking for apps for iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches (iOS devices) that simplify life for individuals with disabilities and exemplify the convergence between consumer and assistive devices. At first, I wasn’t sure how many I would find, but it didn’t take long to discover quite a few. As a technology user since the very early days of the Apple II+, I have watched applications and uses of technology continually descend to the lowest common denominator, to the cheapest, smallest platform available. The trend is happening again with the Apple…

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Published January 26, 2011

Announcing the Read2Go App: The DAISY reader for Bookshare on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

Our members talked, and we listened! Announcing the new Read2Go App, the DAISY reader for Bookshare on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Read2Go is an accessible e-book reader that was developed by Benetech (the parent nonprofit for Bookshare), in partnership with Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd (best known for its PLEXTALK® brand of digital talking book players). Read2Go is the most full-featured, accessible DAISY reader for the Apple device market. This very easy-to-use app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch connects directly to Bookshare for immediate on-the-go reading. From within the app, individual users and schools supporting students can…

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Published January 26, 2011

Attention MAC Users…Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition 2.0 for MAC and PC Now Available!

Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition with support for Snow Leopard on Macintosh computers is now available! But it’s not just for MAC users. We highly recommend ALL Members upgrade to this version for better performance with large books. Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition is a DAISY reader designed for people with learning disabilities. Read:OutLoud allows users to read multi-modally, take notes, look up definitions and more. It is not recommended for use with screen readers and can only read Bookshare books. Read:OutLoud Version 6 Bookshare Edition includes the following enhancements: • Supports Mac OS 10.4 – 10.6 and Windows XP, Vista, and 7 • Opens books faster • Supports…

Agreement with Leading Independent Book Publisher Brings Eclectic Collection to Bookshare Members

One of the leading independent book publishers in North America, and the largest woman-owned trade book publisher in North America, Sourcebooks, has signed an agreement with Bookshare to provide an extensive selection of titles across its imprints. This partnership means that our Bookshare members will receive access to an eclectic and exciting breadth of Sourcebooks titles. When asked about this partnership, Betsy Beaumon, the Vice President and General Manager of the Literacy Program at Benetech had this to say: “Our agreement with Sourcebooks is especially important because, in addition to their wide-ranging list of general interest titles, they publish several…

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Published January 12, 2011

RAND Corporation to Offer Publications through Bookshare

RAND Corporation has entered into an agreement granting Bookshare world rights to distribute its collection of more than 15,000 RAND research publications, reports, and commentary to people with print disabilities. And we think this is pretty exciting! RAND is a fascinating organization, doing some amazing work, and being able to bring their collection to our members will be especially important to our postsecondary and graduate student members. RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. RAND focuses on issues such as health, education, national security, international affairs, law and business, the environment,…

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Published January 7, 2011

What We’re Reading {January 7, 2011}: Start the New Year with these Award Winners

There were so many terrific books published in 2010! This week I thought I would share some of the titles that won various awards in 2010. All of these books are available in the Bookshare collection. Happy Reading! 2010 National Book Award Winners Nonfiction: Just Kids by Patti Smith Poetry: Lighthead by Terrance Hayes Young People’s Literature: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Man Booker Prize of 2010: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson While these books didn’t win the big prize, they made the short list: Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey Room by Emma Donoghue In a Strange…