Introduction

For the next several months a limited number of print-impaired patrons of the Illinois Network of Libraries Serving the Print-Impaired will have three months of no-cost, no-obligation access to Bookshare. Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the scanning and reproduction of books and other publications into specialized formats for the use and enjoyment of print-impaired users.

• Bookshare.org is a web-based system supplying accessible books in digital formats designed for people who are print-impaired. These digital formats are the NISO/DAISY XML-based format for the next generation of talking books, and the BRF format for Braille devices and printers. A ccess to copyrighted books from Bookshare.org is limited to people in the United States with bona fide print impairments and the schools and nonprofit organizations serving them.

• If you are a current patron of one of the Illinois Talking Book Centers and are interested in trying Bookshare for three months at no cost and no obligation to you, please contact Tom Peters (tpeters at tapinformation dot com). Be sure to include the word Bookshare in the subject line of your email message.

• One hundred trial passwords are available on a first come, first served basis. You will need to have access to a computer with Internet access in order to participate in this trial.

• Print-impaired patrons in Illinois who contact Tom Peters by the end of each month will be enrolled in an online orientation session to be held in the middle of the following month. The exact date, time, and online meeting location will be emailed to you. After you have attended the orientation session, your trial will be activated.

• To open the digital book files after download, you will first need to install the Bookshare.org Unpack tool. Also, for members who want to read the DAISY format books, (DAISY is the digital talking book standard), download the Victor Reader Soft DAISY player. Instructions on how to download and install these software packages are contained in the getting started guide.

• Sometime during the course of your three-month trial, please complete the feedback survey.

• At the conclusion of your no-cost, no-obligation trial, you will have the option of starting a one year individual subscription to Bookshare. If you elect to subscribe, your cost will be only $35, compared to the normal first-year membership fees of $50 plus a $25 startup charge. If you elect to continue your subscription into a second year, your cost will revert to the normal subscription fee at that time.

• Getting Started Guide in HTML (coming soon)

• Feedback Form (coming soon)

• Tom Peters
  
  email: tpeters at tapinformation dot com
  
  phone: 816.228.6406