----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Lingane" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 4:01 PM
Subject: Submit your Books Now!


> Bookshare.org - Books without Barriers
> e-Newsletter
> Volume 1, Issue 2
> Submit your Books Now!
>
> Welcome to the second Bookshare.org e-Newsletter.  Since our last issue,
> we have made significant progress towards our official launch,
> including:
>
> 1. You can now submit books over the Internet.
> 2. The volunteer website is now available so you can help prepare books
> for publication on Bookshare.org.
>
> As we described in our inaugural issue, Bookshare.org is a new online
> community that enables people in the United States with visual or other
> print disabilities to legally share scanned books.  Bookshare.org takes
> advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits
> the reproduction of publications into specialized formats for the
> disabled.  Our website has more details:  www.bookshare.org.
>
> 1.  SUBMIT YOUR BOOK SCANS TODAY
> If you have books you have already scanned, don't wait -- share them
> with Bookshare.org now!  The collection will grow as fast as our
> community submits books.  Whether you've got one book or a thousand in
> your library, you can help build, and then enjoy the Bookshare.org
> collection.
>
> Simply email [log in to unmask] to find out how to get started
> submitting books.
>
> For your convenience, we have again included detailed information about
> book scans below.
>
> We also maintain a list of recent best-sellers that aren't already in
> the collection.  Send an email to [log in to unmask] to request
> book suggestions from this list.
>
>
> 2. VOLUNTEER OVER THE INTERNET TO PREPARE BOOKS FOR PUBLICATION
> The community of volunteers helping to build the collection is already
> growing, and volunteers include those with and without visual or print
> disabilities, computing professionals and Internet novices. Anyone with
> an Internet connection and an interest in making books accessible can
> get involved!
>
> The volunteer website is now ready for use.  Let's get these books
> ready!  Volunteers help build the collection by publishing books to the
> Bookshare.org system, using a simple process that can be performed over
> the Internet.  Email [log in to unmask], and we can get you
> started.
>
> While we have rigorously tested the website, as an initial volunteer you
> may still encounter some undetected bugs.  Your involvement, feedback
> and patience at this stage is invaluable. You can help attain the goals
> of offering 20,000 books at launch and presenting a high-quality,
> informative, easy-to-use website.
>
> With your help, people in the United States with print disabilities will
> have dramatically increased access to books.
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
> BOOKSHARE.ORG UPDATE
> * As of today, 9,500 books have been submitted, and we need your help to
> get all of them - and the additional books being submitted every day -
> prepared for easy access.
>
> * Many of these books came from people who have submitted their large
> personal collections.  If you have a large quantity of books, email us
> at [log in to unmask] for information about how to submit them.
> Share all that scanning effort with this community.
>
> * The website work is about 90% done.  By the end of this month we will
> start beta testing the entire site functionality, a process that will
> last about 6 weeks.
>
> * Bookshare.org also maintains an interactive discussion mailing list.
> The list, Bookshare.org-discuss, is the place to make suggestions for
> the community, discuss feedback, or talk about topics involved in access
> to print such as scanning and reading technology. You can subscribe to
> the list by sending a blank email to [log in to unmask]
>
> * On October 19th, Jim Fruchterman will be speaking about Bookshare.org
> at the Closing the Gap conference in Minneapolis - currently scheduled
> for 3:30 pm on Friday.  If you are attending, we'd love to meet you!
>
> * Bookshare.org has been named a finalist for the Tech Museum of
> Innovation Awards:  Technology Benefiting Humanity.   Bookshare.org is
> one of five finalists for their Equality Award.  You can read more about
> it at:
> http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/techawards/press_resources.html.
>
> * Be sure to tell your friends.  The more people who know about
> Bookshare.org and take an active role in supporting its development, the
> more extensive the collection will be.  Feel free to forward this email
> to other people you know who could benefit from being a part of the
> Bookshare.org community.
>
>
> We continue look forward to your involvement in this online community,
> and as always, welcome your ideas and suggestions.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> The Bookshare.org Team
> [log in to unmask]
> www.bookshare.org
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
> DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT BOOK SCANS
>
> If you have digital copies of books that you have scanned in for your
> own use, you can now submit them to Bookshare.org.
>
> Here are some guidelines about what materials we can and cannot accept.
>
> Below, you'll find a set of preferences we've put together for scanned
> materials if you are scanning new books to submit to Bookshare.org.
> Following these preferences will help ensure the highest quality books
> that have useful markings such as page numbers and chapter indications.
>
>
> Materials we are accepting:
>
> - Complete scans of books.
> - Digital books in almost any format.
> - Books either copyrighted or in the public domain.
> - Materials that do not violate any of the restrictions listed below.
>
>
> Materials we cannot accept:
>
> - Any copyrighted material that does not contain the original copyright
> notice (including copyright owner(s) and date).
> - Copyrighted dramatic works (such as plays).
> - Exams, teachers' editions of textbooks or sample course materials.
> - Partial book scans, such as individual chapters.
> - Any materials that are proprietary, or were obtained in breach of any
> contract, or illegally.
>
>
> Preferences:
>
> Scanner settings
> 1.  Keep Exact View / Image File
> - If your scanner allows you to do so, keep the image file of the
> scanned pages along with the text translation.  If you are using a
> Kurzweil 1000 version 6 or Kurzweil 3000, the image file is saved with
> the .kes file format.  If you are using OPENBook or WYNN, the image
> files will be included if you have "Keep Exact View" enabled.
>
> Why do we ask for this? Over time, as the quality of Optical Character
> Recognition technology improves, we hope to be able to go back to the
> original image files that are submitted to provide an even higher
> quality book.
>
> However, the size of books scanned with exact view on is quite large,
> and people with limited disk space or slow connections may find this
> impractical.  We want your book with or without the images!
>
> - If your system does not allow you to keep the image file of the
> scanned pages along with the text translation, please save the scan in
> RTF.
>
> Bookshare.org can accept digital books in many different formats.  If
> you've got digital books in other formats, you can definitely still
> submit them to the collection, and we welcome your submissions!
>
> 2.  Two page scanning
> - If you choose to scan two pages of a book at a time, select "two page
> scanning" so that the resulting file will differentiate between the two
> pages.
>
> 3.  Keep blank pages
> - Do not discard blank pages if your scanning software has such a
> setting.  Having all of the pages, including the blank ones, will help
> provide page numbers that correspond to those in the original book.
>
> Scanning
> 1.  Copyright notice
> - Make sure to include the scan of the copyright notice. This is found
> on the back side of the title page. Bookshare.org cannot legally add
> books to its collection that do not contain the original copyright
> owner(s) and date.
>
> 2.  Entire book
>
> - Scan the book cover, book jacket (if it has one), and all of the pages
> before and after the content.
> - Make sure to scan the book in its entirety; no single chapters will be
> accepted.
>
> 3.  Careful layout
> - Make sure that the book is square on the scanner when you scan.
>
>
> Saving the Scan
> Following these guidelines will save the most amount of information
> about the book, such as page numbers, chapters, emphasized text, etc.
> 1.  Optical Character Recognition
> - Run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on your scanned material
> before submitting it. This will help increase the quality of the
> submission.
>
> 2.  File format
> - If you are using a commercial OCR package, save the scan in the RTF
> format.
> - If you are using OpenBook, WYNN, or the Kurzweil 1000 version 6 or
> Kurzweil 3000, save the scan in the default format for the program. For
> example, for OpenBook the default results in a file with the extension
> .ark.  For the Kurzweil products, the default results in a file with the
> extension .kes.
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
> ABOUT BOOKSHARE.ORG
> Books without Barriers
>
> Bookshare.org is a new online community that enables people in the
> United States with visual or other print disabilities to legally share
> scanned books.  Bookshare.org will launch in late 2001.
>
> Where do the digital books come from?
> The Bookshare.org collection is built and shaped primarily by its
> community of members and supporters. By scanning a book to submit to the
> collection, a Bookshare.org member can provide all other members access
> to that book.
>
> Who can access the books?
> Copyrighted digital books will be available only to U.S. citizens or
> residents who have a disability that affects print reading. Both
> individuals and organizational memberships will be available. Qualified
> organizations are those that provide accessible material to individuals
> with print disabilities.
>
> Why is Bookshare.org legal?
> In general, it would be illegal to share or distribute copyrighted
> books.  However, Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in
> U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into
> specialized formats for the disabled.  This project is possible under
> the law in the United States, as long as the copyrighted digital books
> are only available to people in the U.S. with bona fide disabilities and
> the nonprofits and schools that serve them.  For more information,
> please visit our website at http://www.bookshare.org/about/legal.
>
> Who is providing Bookshare.org?
> Bookshare.org is a project of the Benetech Initiative, a nonprofit
> organization.  The Benetech team originally developed the Arkenstone
> reading systems, and is now using the power of technology to introduce
> new projects such as Bookshare.org - www.benetech.org.
>
> Copyright © 2001 Benetech
>
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