We are proud to announce that Bookshare has a new Special Collection on Deaf and Deaf-Blindness. Now, rather than doing a subject search, books on these subjects can be found in one place. (If this link doesn’t work for you, go to the Bookshare homepage and choose “and more…” under the Browse Booklist link, where you’ll find our full list of Special Collections.)
The current 200+ books gathered into one easy-to-locate group are categorized by topic: Culture, Biography/Autobiography, Sign Language/Training, Other Nonfiction, and Fiction. (Please note—while all fictional books have deaf characters, some are very minor or poorly portrayed.) Books for readers of all ages (young, teen, and adult) are included. Many of these books are now out of print or hard to find.
Of course, all the books in the Special Collection are still available by specific or global search, but having them listed in one spot can save time and bring up some surprises, especially for students doing research papers. This collection will also be valuable to the two groups that originally requested it: Bookshare members with print disabilities providing professional services to deaf and deaf-blind customers and deaf-blind members requesting books they remembered or wanted to read.
I am excited to announce that our most recent addition to the Deaf and Deaf-Blind Special Collection is Ruth Silver’s autobiography, Invisible: My Journey through Vision and Hearing Loss, published in 2012.
Anyone may browse the Bookshare collection to see what’s available, but only members may download books in digital formats. (An exception is public domain books, which may be downloaded by anyone.)
Books are available to download in various digital audio formats (including MP3), digital formats for small or large print, and digital (refreshable) braille.
Anyone interested in Bookshare and how to become a qualified member may find that information on the homepage, www.bookshare.org under the Membership tab.
Enjoy and check back for new additions!
Liz Halperin, MEd, MA is a Collection Development Associate for Bookshare and the Deaf-Blind Contact.
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