What is Bookshare

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A. Bookshare is a new literary resource or online library available on the Internet, which provides the capacity for thousands of new books to be downloaded in digital formats. The service is available for individuals with visual, reading and other print disabilities for an annual fee.

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Q. How much does the service cost

A. It costs approximately �34 ($50) for annual subscription, in addition to a �12.50 ($25) set up fee.

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Q. What do I get for my membership fee

A. You can access Bookshare's entire collection of online books, inaccessible elsewhere - at anytime and you will not have to pay on a per book basis, the subscription fee covers all costs.

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Q. What is unique about this service

A. It is unique in that it has created an online community that shares book scans - thereby leveraging the collections of thousands of individuals who regularly scan books, eliminating significant duplication of effort.

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Q. How does this service affect a book's copyright

A. A loophole in the law (US Copyright Law) - which gives books that are translated into specialised formats for the disabled exemption - allows books to be downloaded that are still officially in copyright or covered by strict copyright legislation.

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Q. Will the books only be available in Braille

A. They are also available in audio formats.

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Q. How many books are available online

A. Currently, there are just under 8,000 but Bookshare hopes to increase this to 40,000 over the next two years. Progress could well be slow however, as the service depends on volunteers translating the books into Braille and audio formats which is incredibly time consuming. It currently has 100 volunteers translating literary works.

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Books on the Bookshare site are only available to subscribers that can prove they have a reading disability.

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Q. What digital formats can the books be downloaded into

A. Bookshare 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.

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NISO/DAISY is the new digital talking book standard - it provides the capability to distribute books digitally or on a CD that carries both digital text and recorded human speech. BRF is the standard Grade II digital Braille format.

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On registration, all members receive a copy of Victor Reader Soft DAISY player, which is necessary to read books produced for the DAISY digital talking book standard - and will read all books downloaded from the Bookshare site.

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Q. Where do the books come from

A. Its collection of books is provided largely by its community of members and supporters - by scanning a book for submission into the Bookshare collection volunteers provide access to that book to other members. Members who have existing digital copies of books are encouraged to submit them to the site so that they can be shared.

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Q. How long has Bookshare been going

A. It launched in February 2002, you can find out more online at

www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html.

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Q. Who runs the Bookshare project

A. It is sponsored by Benetech, a non-profit organisation that works towards providing technology for social projects that benefit the community. You can find out more about Benetech online at www.benetech.org.

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Q. Is this an American project, and if so can I still join Bookshare if I do not live in the US

A. At present the service is only available to US citizens because it makes use of the unique clause in US Copyright Law. Bookshare is currently looking into ways that its service can be expanded to reach an international readership - and it is expected to make an announcement to that effect very soon.

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By Karen Anderson