Bookshare.org
Bookshare.org is a central repository for scanned books, which are made available for download over the Internet for a modest subscription fee in digital grade 2 braille and the DAISY format. These digital books can then be read using any refreshable braille device or accessible software program, including the Bookshare.org Edition of the Victor Reader Soft DAISY book player that is provided with membership. The Victor Reader Soft has built in text-to-speech for people who want to listen to the books from their computers. Additionally, books can be ordered in embossed braille, without requiring membership. Information on ordering embossed braille books can be found at this link: embossed braille books.
The three-step membership sign-up process includes registering on the Bookshare.org web site, providing proof of a qualifying disability (including visual impairment, learning disability, or mobility impairment), and paying the $25 one-time setup fee and $50 annual subscription. The subscription gains access for the member to any of the books in the collection, numbering well over 15,000. At this time, only U.S. residents are eligible. More detail about signing up can be found at About Membership.
The entire collection can be searched without needing to be registered, by entering a book title or author or browsing through the categories. Many newly published books and best-sellers can be made available quickly as the books are created by scanning. Bookshare.org books contain the full text of books, but no pre-recorded audio. To listen to the books, a talking software program or device can be used. For K-12 students, a list of Teacher Recommended Reading can be found at this link: Teacher Recommended Reading.
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