Are you looking for something fun to do this summer? Get on the Bookshare Express, our annual summer reading event! This summer, all Individual Bookshare Members are invited to participate in our annual reading event that keeps getting better. In the event this year, take a trip to places near and far, real or imaginary, all through books! How do you participate? There are two ways to participate in this summer’s reading event: Summer Contest for U.S. students with Individual Memberships Summer Promotion for non-students and International Members Summer Contest for U.S. Student Members U.S. student members are invited to…
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Summer Crafts and Activities
Summertime is a great time to show off your creativity and try new things – especially when you can make them from old things! Here are some books which might spark your imagination and get fun new projects rolling with your family. What Can You Do With An Old Red Shoe? A Green Activity Book About Reuse by Anne Alter. In this “green” craft book, children can appreciate that recycling is a part of everyday life, and with a little creativity, exciting projects are only a few steps away. Turn a worn flip-flop into an art stamp, a ripped shower…
Leave a Comment26 University Presses Now Partner with Bookshare
A lot has happened over the year with university press partnerships. With three new partnerships in the last few weeks, I realized it was time to post an update. These three new university presses signing agreements to contribute digital files with world rights to Bookshare bring the total number of university press partners to twenty-six. The new partners are: Edinburgh University Press. As the imprimatur of one of Britain’s oldest and most distinguished centers of learning, they publish books of the highest academic standards. Their main subject areas are American Studies, Classics & Ancient History, Film & Media Studies, History,…
Leave a CommentPAR: a Process for Selecting Accommodations for Reading
A guest post from Ben Johnston, Director of Marketing for Don Johnston, Incorporated. This resource sounds great! Thanks for sharing it with us. With over 140,000 accessible books, Bookshare is a blessing for students with disabilities. This resource would have been unimaginable just ten years ago when days were spent scanning books. But with more accessible books than ever, how do you choose a reading accommodation best suited to a student’s needs? Two assistive technology leaders, Denise DeCoste, Ed.D., and Linda Bastiani Wilson, MA, Ed., from Montgomery County Schools in Maryland found the whole process of choosing reading accommodations to…
Leave a CommentNew Jersey Task Force Researches Services to Students with Reading Disabilities
We recently learned about the work of the New Jersey Reading Disabilities Task Force from Kathy Stratton, the mother of a Bookshare member. Appointed by the governor, this 11-member task force is researching the services available to students who struggle with reading to find out if the state is meeting the needs of its students with reading disabilities. On April 30, the Task Force held a public hearing to gather testimony; over 130 attended and 60 spoke. In Kathy’s words, “The theme was clear and consistent – schools are not meeting the needs of students who struggle with reading. Parent after…
Leave a CommentGoogle Selected Benetech for Google Summer of Code
Students to Contribute to Development of Go Read Every summer, Google sponsors “Google Summer of Code” (GSoC) which offers stipends to postsecondary student developers and pairs them with open source mentoring organizations. Given Google’s high engineering standards, selection as a mentoring organization is a great honor! This year, Benetech was awarded three, top-notch students and is asking them to work on Go Read development projects. Go Read is a free, open source, accessible e-book reader for Android phones and tablets. Currently optimized for visually-impaired readers (and usable by anyone), Go Read allows readers to enjoy Bookshare books whenever and wherever…
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