Starting in May 2023, Bookshare will raise its membership fee for non-student Individual Members. This will be our first fee increase in our history of over two decades and is an action we take with great consideration.
Since our founding in 2001, Bookshare has scaled dramatically to provide a reading lifeline to book lovers around the world. In our first ten years, we built a library collection that provided access to over 100,000 titles in multiple accessible formats. By 2016, the collection grew to over 500,000 titles, and in 2021, we crossed one-million titles, providing more accessible reading options than any other library or bookstore. Throughout Bookshare’s growth, we never raised fees; in fact, we waived an additional $25 initiation fee to make joining Bookshare more affordable despite rising inflation.
Today, the costs of managing the world’s largest collection of accessible ebooks have caught up to us. Effective the week of May 8th, we will increase our annual membership fee from $50 to $79.99 for non-student Individual Members. This fee will be applied at your annual renewal and will help us to continue providing the books you want, high-quality reading tools, and world-class support.
We understand that this may be a significant increase for some members. For those who need financial assistance, you can request a 25% membership fee discount on the Bookshare website starting the week of May 8th. A Bookshare membership continues to be free for U.S. schools and students of all ages with a qualifying reading barrier.
Thank you for your ongoing support and helping make the Bookshare community what it is.
The Bookshare Team
If you wish to check on your current Bookshare subscription, please visit your account summary.
For more information on Bookshare’s updated fees, visit our FAQ.
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