Benetech Partners with State Libraries to Bring Bookshare to Adult Patrons with Reading Barriers
Ensuring information is free and equally available to everyone through accessible ebooks
Access to information is a fundamental human right, and local libraries play a critical role in ensuring this right for the public. Libraries are a hub for the communities that they serve, providing free access to books, technology, services, and other resources for their patrons. Whether for enjoyment, career advancement, education, or civic participation, reading books improves peoples’ lives, and free public libraries ensure that this experience is accessible to anyone regardless of economic status.
Bringing the Benefits of Libraries to Patrons with Reading Barriers
Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, said
“libraries are the cornerstone of democracy – where information is free and
equally available to everyone.” However, the five percent of people with
reading barriers such as a visual impairment, dyslexia, or a physical
disability that makes it difficult to manage a printed book, do not benefit
from the massive collections of print books that libraries provide. They need
alternative formats such as audio or large text to read.
Talking book libraries meet that need for alternative
formats by offering audio and large print books for their members with reading
barriers. Benetech is partnering with these libraries across the US to vastly
increase access to books for their qualified patrons. Through these
partnerships, libraries can grant their patrons with reading barriers free
access to virtually any book they want to read from Bookshare’s enormous collection
of accessible ebooks.
New and Renewed Partnerships with Libraries From Coast to Coast
We are pleased to announce new partnerships with the
Colorado Talking Book Library, the Maryland State Library for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, and the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library.
Qualified residents in these states can now work with their libraries to gain
free access to Bookshare’s collection.
Libraries in Alabama, California, Georgia, Massachusetts,
New York, and Pennsylvania have all renewed partnerships to continue to provide
Bookshare access for their patrons. The complete list of partner libraries in
2020 includes:
- Alabama:
Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped - California:
California Braille and Talking Book Library (Sacramento), the Braille Institute
Library (Los Angeles), the Fresno Public Talking Book Library for the Blind,
San Francisco Public Library Talking Books and Braille Center - Colorado:
Colorado Talking Book Library - Georgia:
Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) - Maryland:
Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped - Massachusetts:
Perkins Library - New York:
New York Public Library - Pennsylvania:
Carnegie Library and the Free Library of Philadelphia - Washington:
Washington Talking Book & Braille Library
Currently, all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities
can access Bookshare for free thanks to funding from the US Department of
Education Office of Special Education Programs. The partnerships with state
libraries serve eligible residents who have disabilities and are not students.
Patrons Enjoy More Titles and Reading Options
Qualified library patrons are eligible for free access to
Bookshare’s huge online library, including bestsellers, literature, nonfiction,
picture books, educational texts, and career guides. They can choose from a
wide variety of customizable reading options, including ebooks in audio, audio
+ highlighted text, large text, and braille. Other benefits include:
- Same day
availability: get new books at the same time as retail bookstores - One-to-many
lending: No holds needed! Allow multiple patrons to access the same book at
one time. - Unlimited
downloads: Patrons can download as many books as they like. - Use
Virtually Any Device: Patrons can read on computers, tablets, smartphones,
and braille devices using free reading applications. - Cost-effective:
Bookshare allows libraries to provide their patrons with reading barriers
nearly unlimited access to the books that they want to read at a fraction of
the cost of interlibrary loans. Monthly reports on downloads make it easy to
track impact and return on investment.
“Every library should offer Bookshare to their print-disabled
patrons,” said Mark Lee, Library Services Administrator at the Carnegie Library
of Pittsburgh. “In addition to making reading accessible, Bookshare opens up
hundreds of thousands of titles, and in many cases, makes them available for
the first time ever to people who can’t read traditional print.”
Support All Readers with Bookshare
We want to work with your library to ensure free and
inclusive access to information for all. Please contact libraries@bookshare.org to learn more
about the program, and how you can get involved.
Read more:
Georgia Keeps Library Patrons Engaged with
Bookshare’s Accessible Ebook Library
The post Benetech Partners with State Libraries to Bring Bookshare to Adult Patrons with Reading Barriers appeared first on Benetech | Software for Social Good.
Source: Benetech
