Educators, This Week Is the Week for Individual Memberships Because…

An announcement next week about changes to Bookshare will let students with individual memberships (IMs) get books more quickly and easily. So get them ready!

Giving students individual memberships is really easy:

1. In your account, in “My Organization,” select “Members,” and click the box next to the names of all members you plan to give an individual membership.
2. Then select the “Individual Membership Form” at the bottom of the screen. Forms will have the basic information about your students filled in.
3. Print the forms and send them home for a parental signature, email address and mailing address.
4. Teachers or parents will need to mail or fax the completed forms, or scan them and send by email, to:

Bookshare Registration
The Benetech Initiative
480 California Ave, Suite 201
Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609
Fax: +1 (650) 475-1066

membership@bookshare.org

The steps are also written out in a Quick Guide called “Recommending Individual Memberships for U.S. Students.”

Top tips:

1. Add students to your organizational account before you print the forms. Don’t do the individual membership process first.
2. Use the “Individual Membership Form” button at the bottom of the “Members” screen, instead of sending a separate individual membership form.
3. Send in a form for every student with a parent or guardian’s signature.
4. Remind parents to provide all three: email address, U.S. mailing address, and a signature.
5. Provide a unique email address for each sibling getting an account.
6. If a student is transitioning, be sure the student’s individual membership is complete before you delete him/her from your account.
7. Find out which students have IMs in the “Members” tab. Select the button that says “View Members that have Individual Membership.” This button only appears when you have IMs.
8. Have students bring the forms back to school and you FAX or send them to Bookshare.

Watch this quick video about the process if you have questions.