University Partners Help Each Other

Bookshare’s University Partners Program has grown substantially. Today, 25 university partners (please see the list below) regularly contribute books they have scanned on their local campuses to benefit U.S. students with print disabilities.

By pooling books scanned on campuses in Bookshare, university partners help each other reduce the nationwide challenge and workload of providing accessible books for postsecondary students.  Scanning once and sharing saves costs associated with scanning and conversion. Finding a textbook that a student needs gets easier and takes less time; campus DSS staff are saying that more and more, they are finding books their students need in Bookshare.

University partners have already contributed 1745 postsecondary books this year.  Please keep them coming.  Student members of Bookshare download books every day and have downloaded over 162,000 books!

What Have University Partners Said about Bookshare?

“Since 2003, we have worked with Bookshare to contribute the books we scan for students with print disabilities,” said Margaret Londergan, Manager of Adaptive Technology and Alternate Media Services at Indiana University. “With more campuses participating, we plan to search Bookshare before we begin scanning.  This partnership will undoubtedly improve students’ wait-time and help us provide a true benefit for our educational community.”

Erika Higginbotham, Adaptive Computer Technology Specialist at San Diego Mesa College, said, “We look forward to the day of having a majority of textbooks available in accessible formats when school begins to support students in all required subjects.”

Bookshare University Partners as of Spring 2010

• Alliant University
• Arizona State University
• Boston University
• College of New Jersey
• De Anza College
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University Law Center
• Hadley School for the Blind
• Indiana University
• Landmark College
• Michigan State University
• Monterey Peninsula College
• Ohio State University
• San Diego Mesa College
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• Stanford University
• Texas A&M University
• Utah State University
• University of Arkansas
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Idaho
• University of Montana
• University of Texas, Austin
• Utah State University
• Whittier College