Volunteers
Bookshare’s goal of dramatically increasing access to books by people with print disabilities is being achieved primarily through dedicated volunteers. The Bookshare™ volunteer community is a vibrant mix of people both with and without print disabilities who love books. Techies and non-techies, grandmothers and high-school students, science-fiction buffs, published authors, teachers, artists and others, all come together virtually to help make the printed word accessible. Find out what’s happening in the volunteer community:
- Member Stories
- Discussion and Information Sharing
- Resources
- Items of Interest
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Membership Information
Discussion and Information Sharing
Bookshare has many avenues for sharing your ideas and insights:
- Join the Volunteer discussion group and meet other Volunteers. This
list is quite active. You can subscribe to the list in digest form, which
typically means one email a day containing all of the emails sent to the
list that day.
- Subscribe: Send a blank email with “subscribe” in the
subject line to:
bksvol-discuss-request@freelists.org - Digest Form (one email per day): Once you have subscribed, send a
blank email with “set digest” in the subject to:
bksvol-discuss-request@freelists.org
- Subscribe: Send a blank email with “subscribe” in the
subject line to:
- Share your thoughts, ideas, comments and questions with the Bookshare staff.
- Get handouts and materials for giving trainings, talks or sharing Bookshare information with groups and organizations.
- Sign up for newsletter for the latest Bookshare news.
Resources
There are a number of resources for people with print disabilities. Keep checking this page for new links:
Items of Interest
- View videos of Bookshare Members who use various assistive devices to read Bookshare books. The short profiles demonstrate how Members are using the technology. The longer stories describe how Bookshare has affected Members’ lives.
- Bookshare will be attending a number of conferences around the country. Get the latest information on conference dates and locations.
- Booksharian Heroes, a poem by Lissi, a Bookshare Volunteer.
- Read the latest Volunteer Newsletter [LINK to Volunteer Newsletter November 08.doc on Benetech site]
Volunteer Opportunities
There are many ways to contribute to Bookshare. You can donate funds, books, or time and expertise.
By volunteering with Bookshare, you not only help add books to the library, you also become part of a very lively community. Bookshare Volunteers hold contests, sponsor books clubs, and run a discussion group. In addition, Volunteers with print disabilities can earn credits toward their membership fees.
If you scan a book for your own use and want share the book file with others, or if you just want to help build the Bookshare library with other efforts, sign up as a Volunteer.
Membership Information
Membership in Bookshare is available to individuals with qualifying print disabilities and to the organizations supporting those individuals.
Through an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Bookshare is able to offer free memberships to U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students. Read more about the OSEP award.