Volunteers Archives - Bookshare Blog

Published April 15, 2016

Appreciation for Bookshare’s Blue Ribbon Volunteers

One of the things that makes Bookshare so special is the community of volunteers that we have the privilege of working with. In recognition of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16), we wanted to acknowledge their contributions and share just how much we appreciate each and every one of them! The Bookshare volunteers are an amazing group of 182 individuals. Over the past year they have scanned, submitted, and proofed over 2,000 books for Bookshare, the world’s largest online accessible library for people with print disabilities. Bookshare receives the majority of its titles in the form of digital files directly from the 850…

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Published August 14, 2015

Meet the Fab Four: Benetech Summer Interns

Benetech’s Summer Internship Program has been going strong for three years. Each summer, several college students work on Bookshare-related projects and learn about Benetech’s programs in the areas of global literacy, human rights, and Benetech Labs. Read on to learn about our four fabulous interns — Alyssa Aliotti, Paige Brown, Michelle McLaren, and Mitchell Mankin — as they describe the valuable work they accomplished. My name is Alyssa Aliotti and I am entering my second year at UCLA. I plan on double majoring in Economics and International Development Studies. When I was looking for summer internships I was very excited about Benetech’s…

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Published April 30, 2015

Experience Our Impact: Join Us for an Open House on May 3

Please join us for a special Bookshare Open House at the headquarters of Benetech, our parent nonprofit. What will you get to experience? See and touch our latest work in 3D printing Try our reading tools, like Bookshare Web Reader Learn about our important work with mentor teachers and parents through partners like Understood.org, and more! Don’t miss the special event: When: Sunday, May 3, 2015 Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm Where: Benetech’s Office 480 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 (Parking is available in Lot C-5 behind the building) RSVP: Via BookshareOpenHouse@benetech.org or Facebook We look forward to…

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Published April 20, 2015

Bookshare Volunteers Rock!

On this Volunteer Recognition Day, we thank our volunteers who make Bookshare the best it can be. Bookshare and Benetech, our parent nonprofit, are so fortunate to have the generous support from volunteers around the world. You are positively impacting people with print disabilities, and we appreciate your life-size contributions! In this blog, let’s catch up on the latest and greatest from the Bookshare volunteer community. Congratulations to Marcus Garner! Did you know that every year through the Mayrie ReNae Scholarship Fund, Bookshare provides a free membership for someone in need? Mayrie is remembered for her volunteer work and valuable…

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Published January 26, 2015

Donor Spotlight: Lavelle Fund for the Blind

What is it like for a nonprofit to have a successful, lasting partnership with a private philanthropic foundation? And what are some of the social benefits and impact that may result from such a relationship?At Benetech, we’re fortunate to have had long-time support from funders who have been willing to bet on us. One foundation that has been a committed supporter of our work is the Lavelle Fund for the Blind. I’d like to share our experience with Lavelle, where they took a series of calculated risks in grantmaking.The Lavelle Fund exemplifies the tremendous social return that bold philanthropy can…

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Published December 16, 2014

Bookshare’s 2014 Winter Bulletin Just Released!

Our quarterly newsletter, the Bookshare Bulletin was just released! This Winter 2014 edition is a wonderful recap of a tremendous year and an exciting preview of 2015. Thank you for this amazing year and enjoy reading the bulletin! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead A message from Betsy Beaumon, VP and General Manager, Benetech Global Literacy Program From our family to yours, we wish you the very best holiday season. Thanks to your support, Bookshare is serving more members than ever with a collection of…

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Published November 24, 2014

Giving Thanks, Looking Ahead: An Open Letter to the Bookshare Community

Dear Friends, I always appreciate hearing from our members and getting a glimpse into how Bookshare is making a positive difference in their lives. Oftentimes, the stories our members share with us are deeply moving, but there’s something especially rewarding in hearing someone new to our community commenting on what they’re able to accomplish with Bookshare.Consider the following statement that one of our members has anonymously shared with us: “I recently activated my account, and am thrilled with your service and how it works seamlessly with my iPad. This is the first time I have been able to read books…

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Published November 14, 2014

Donor Spotlight! Carole H. Lake

Thank you Carole H. Lake, Bookshare Member, for this wonderful guest post! Why do I support Bookshare, the accessible online library for people with print disabilities operated by the Benetech Global Literacy Program? Well, I support it for a number of reasons, but first let me tell you a story. My grandmother was a highly educated woman and an avid reader. Sadly, she developed glaucoma, and lost her eyesight in her 60s. I used to go down to the Texas State Library and pick up books on records for her. No, not books on tape—books on vinyl! They were heavy,…

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Published September 16, 2014

Bookshare Mentor Teachers Go Extra Mile to Inspire Independent Readers

Dedication is the one word we use when referring to the more than 500 U.S. teachers and specialists who participate in the Bookshare Mentor Teacher program. Because of their commitment throughout the school year, hundreds, if not thousands, of new educators, parents, and students with qualified print disabilities are now members of Bookshare. They can effectively use the library and reading technologies for academic success. Are you an educator who wants to go the extra mile to ensure reading equality and independence? Do you want to empower more students to stay on task with reading assignments in school and become…

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Published August 26, 2014

Team-Up for Textbooks: Volunteer to Help Students with Print Disabilities

Post written by Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager for Benetech and published on August 19, 2014 on the Benetech blog. * * * By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/author/brendah/#sthash.zKQVLSuF.dpuf By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/2014/08/19/team-up-for-textbooks-volunteer-to-help-students-with-disabilities/#sthash.p2N1sT90.dpuf By Brenda Hendricksen, Volunteer Program Manager posted in Bookshare on August 19, 2014 – See more at: http://benetech.org/2014/08/19/team-up-for-textbooks-volunteer-to-help-students-with-disabilities/#sthash.p2N1sT90.dpuf Across the U.S., thousands of students with print disabilities will start their school year without the textbooks they need for class. These students…

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Category: Volunteers