Bookshare Blog

Published May 5, 2011

New Hachette Distribution Clients Collaborate with Bookshare

I have been working closely with Hachette to bring their four distribution clients on board with Bookshare. In addition to Peterson’s Publishing and Hachette Filipacchi, who have signed agreements with us, the remaining two clients have now signed our agreement and are contributing content with world rights to Bookshare in EPUB. Gildan Media Corporation Gildan specializes in personal development, business, and language learning. They have a small list of six titles this year. They have a small list of six titles this year. Gildan titles already in the collection include: The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggle Your Way to…

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Published April 25, 2011

Let Bookshare Relieve Your Stress

April is Stress Awareness month. For nearly 20 years, “The Health Resource Network” has set aside this month to educate people about ways to prevent and manage stress. Many agree that reading can be a form of stress relief because it helps individuals relax and let themselves be transported to a different time or place. Since stress affects so many people from all walks of life, we at Bookshare wanted to help enrich the lives of our members by recommending some helpful books. Whether you’re worrying over taxes, struggling with spring cleaning, balancing YOUR budget, or cramming for finals, we…

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Published April 21, 2011

A College Student Leaves a Legacy in Bookshare

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,…

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Published April 15, 2011

Welcome Taylor & Francis to the Bookshare Family of Publishers

Taylor & Francis Group, headquartered in London and one of the world’s leading international academic publishers, has signed an agreement with Bookshare. They will grant world rights to all books added to the collection. Initially they will give us titles that have specifically been requested by our Members. *Members, if you would like to see Taylor & Francis titles added to the collection, please send your requests via our Contact Us form. Select the Requesting a Book title from the drop down. Taylor & Francis (T&F) is a two-hundred-year-old company, founded in the UK in 1798, with 20 offices worldwide,…

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Published April 6, 2011

Norman Coombs, Ph.D., Pioneer of Accessibility Teachings for Equal Access

All will agree that some folks just think more brilliantly than others and accomplish things that many of us can only accomplish in our dreams. These visionaries come up with terrific ideas and take them to unimaginable places. And when it comes to doing good works with a brilliant passion, Dr. Norman Coombs take the prize. Dr. Coombs is one of our first Bookshare members to download and read digital books. You may not recognize him, but know of his strong advocacy and teachings to educators and faculties on the importance of accessibility issues. Dr. Coombs has created many accessible…

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Published April 1, 2011

Thank You to Bookshare

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…

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Published March 31, 2011

Bookshare Opens the Door to Women’s History

March is Women’s History Month in the United States. Since 1987, this month has been officially designated as a time to honor the numerous contributions women have made to society. It’s also a time to learn about the important role women have historically played in shaping the world we live in today. Did you know? * The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, passed on August 26, 1920. * Women’s History Month began in California in 1978 as Women’s History week. * In Canada, Women’s History Month is celebrated in October. * International Women’s…

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Published March 25, 2011

Want to Read? Earthquakes and Tsunamis

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…

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Published March 22, 2011

It’s about COMMUNITY

Community is very important at Bookshare. Student members, parents, teachers, and advocates all contribute to a vibrant Bookshare community that continually strives to support our children. This blog post focuses on the many ways students and families can participate in the Bookshare community. Bookshare in the community Although Bookshare is a small California nonprofit, we do all that we can to get out and meet families around the U.S. Often, we do this by attending and providing trainings at conferences and events. Last month, we attended two notable conference events for families. The PEAK Parent Conference on Inclusive Education…

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Published March 16, 2011

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated all around on March 17th, is an Irish holiday honoring Ireland’s patron saint of Ireland. We have very little factual information about him, and many tales made up by story tellers. Many customs are associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. For example, why do we wear green and decorate with Shamrocks? Bookshare has lots of books about St. Patrick’s Day! Below is a sampling of a few of the titles with short excerpts from the book synopsis. There’s something for every age. Jeremy Bean’s St. Patrick’s Day by Alice Schertle. For very young children, this book…

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