News about Bookshare: an ebook library for people with reading barriers
Grab your headphones because the #SummerOfAudio is back! Due to popular demand, we’re bringing back the Summer of Audio, and it’s bigger and better with 4,000 new human-narrated audiobooks and even more titles in high-quality text-to-speech audio.
2 CommentsSummer is the perfect time to catch up on all those books you have been meaning to read. It’s not too late to join our fun summer reading activity: Bookshare Bingo. The game of Bingo is believed to have originated in the 1920s by Hugh J. Ward who introduced it at carnivals around Pittsburgh and in Western Pennsylvania. Today, there are more versions of bingo than you can count, and our version involves reading at least five books that correspond to five categories in a row, column, or diagonal to get a bingo. Then you submit your Bingo card and…
Leave a CommentThe Bookshare team from Benetech is excited to attend two of our favorite conventions — the 76th Annual National Federation of the Blind (NFB) National Convention in Orlando, Florida, from June 30 to July 5, and the 55th Annual Conference and Convention of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from July 1 to July 9, 2016. Benetech salutes these important organizations and their efforts to ensure equal opportunity for blind and visually impaired people. In support, the Benetech / Bookshare team will attend both conventions and looks forward to meeting attendees, rekindling relationships with long-time members…
Leave a CommentSummer and a good book go together like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Frog and Toad, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, Winnie the Pooh and, well, you get the idea. And in case you are wondering what to read this summer, we have one hundred and fifty-five suggestions of juicy books into which you can sink your teeth. Whether you are lounging at home, reclining in a hammock, cooling off at the pool, catching some rays at the beach, going on a road trip, flying in a plane, or visiting grandma, you can take your favorite Bookshare books with you.…
Leave a CommentParents of children with disabilities often ask Linda Sherouse, a Library Media Specialist at North Hampton School in New Hampshire, how can I encourage more quiet time for my child who has a disability?” Linda’s reply is to find a good book and consider resources, like Bookshare, the world’s largest online library of accessible ebooks for people with print disabilities. “Over the years, I’ve helped many kids love to read voraciously and on their own,” says Linda. Bookshare – A Viable Reading Resource As an avid proponent of accessible books, Linda provides reading support for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. She…
1 CommentSet students up for summer reading success with books from Bookshare. The dreaded summer slide. Research suggests that a summer break can cause an average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students disproportionately affected (Cooper, 1996). Fortunately, access to books during summer helps students beat the summer slide, and Bookshare’s accessible online library is the perfect resource for kids who cannot read traditional print books due to disabilities like blindness, low vision, physical disabilities, and learning disabilities like dyslexia. Checklist for Teachers How can you make sure your students are set up with accessible ebooks…
Leave a CommentSummer is winding down and so is the Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge. For the past six weeks Bookshare members have found adventure in Travel & the Great Outdoors; tasted new cuisines in Food & Cooking; worked up a sweat in Sports & Fitness; played and tinkered in Games & Gizmos; saved the earth in Sustainability & the Environment; and explored their creative side in Crafts & the Arts. Many of you finally read that book you’ve been meaning to read for a long time. Thanks to all of the members who joined us on this journey and recommended their favorite…
Leave a CommentLiterary history is being made today with the publication of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. This much anticipated novel, written in 1957 before To Kill a Mockingbird, was believed to be lost for over 50 years. Lucky for Harper Lee fans all over the world, Go Set a Watchman is available in bookstores today. And even luckier for people who cannot read traditional books due to blindness, low vision, physical and learning disabilities, Go Set a Watchman is available on Bookshare, the world’s largest accessible online library, at the same time. With Bookshare, readers can listen to Go…
2 CommentsThe Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge is sprinting into week 4! It’s never too late to jump right in and join the fun. Thanks to all of the members who have recommended their favorite books including these: From Thom in Albuquerque, NM: Garlic and Sapphires. This is a great book about the food critic for the New York Times (Ruth Reichl) that is hilarious and funny. It tells of her bad chairs and her disguises in New York. From @silly_singer in Pelham, NH: Been meaning 2 read Playing For Pizza by John Grisham 4 a while now. 2 read it now…
Leave a CommentThe Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge is off and running! You are welcome to join the fun any time. Just find a book (or three), read, and share your favorites with the Bookshare community. Here is some of the buzz on Twitter using the challenge hashtag, #TurnUp4Books: From @MSPruske in Los Angeles: How to choose btwn 2 Jacks (Kerouac/London) for Wk 1 of @Bookshare Summer Reading Challenge (Travel & Outdoors)?? Pick both. #TurnUp4Books From @silly_singer in Pelham, NH: With a little motivation from @Bookshare I have finally gotten around to reading “My Path Leads to Tibet” From @NightingaleOG: Since returning home…
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