Category: Uncategorized

Making Research Fun with Bookshare – Part One A guest post from Deborah (Debee) Armstrong, the alternate media specialist at De Anza Community College in Cupertino CA. When you think of doing research over the summer, do you immediately think, “Oh no, this is not going to be fun and definitely not over the summer!” I thought so! How do I know this?  I am a college alternate media specialist with vision impairments.  I scan textbooks for print-impaired students and assist them with discovering alternate reading and study methods.  I do lots of research and consider myself to be pretty…

A post from Collection Development Manager Carol James We’ve seen so many images of strife on the evening news, and so many stories of seemingly intractable conflicts in the Middle East.   In recent months, we’ve also witnessed exciting, and sometimes violent, impulses towards change and new beginnings.  How much do we really understand about the rich cultural and historical diversity of the many countries that make up the modern Middle East?  From Kandahar to Benghazi, this list of books by historians, journalists, government insiders and people of the region themselves may deepen, broaden, and challenge our understanding of what’s happened…

Melanie Sorenson was the definition of a power Bookshare Member. A voracious reader and a student of 19th century history, she sometimes downloaded over 100 books a month. Melanie, the student member of the Bookshare Advisory Board, sadly died last month at age 20 from complications stemming from the H1N1 virus. When Melanie was a freshman, and the only student who was blind at Whittier College, she suggested that the office of Disability Services turn to Bookshare to produce the books in the format she needed to be able to access them for her classes. About seven weeks before every quarter,…

A guest post by Davis Graham, Executive Director CFO of the Manatee Diagnostic Center, in Bradenton, FL. Today the successes which have taken place in my life have been from a compassionate ear, a foundation of a solid family, Jesus Christ’s presence in my life and technology. Bookshare has for the first time in my 50 years of life, put me on the edge of a reading chair which was never in my life before. This chair is at work, at home, on vacation, and in my conversations with many. Today the written word is not a hurdle to me…

The triple tragedies in Japan of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents have touched the hearts and minds of all around the world as we feel their pain and realize how quickly the world can change. The tragedies pose many questions. What causes earthquakes and tsunamis? What special attributes are true of Japan and the Japanese people that will help them survive this devastation and recover from it? We thought we’d pull a few titles from the Bookshare collection on earthquakes, tsunamis, and Japan for those wanting to read more. Brief extracts from the book synopses indicate age level, if a…