[Promotion-technology] Fwd: The Bookshare Bulletin

Fri Oct 2 21:07:31 UTC 2009

The nice part about Winamp is it jumps in five second skips.

Good to chat as well ma'am.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Tabor" <souljourner at sbcglobal.net>
To: "'Committee on the Promotion, Evaluation and Advancement of Technology'" 
<promotion-technology at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] Fwd: The Bookshare Bulletin

> Hi, Gary:
>
> Good suggestion; thanks! Gold Wave also has a fast-forward feature and 
> there
> is also a feature where I can adjust all the sound at one level, which is
> convenient. Thanks again, Gary! Good to hear from you!
> Susan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Wunder
> Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 7:47 AM
> To: Committee on the Promotion, Evaluation and Advancement of Technology
> Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] Fwd: The Bookshare Bulletin
>
> Susan, I like your questions but only have a partial answer to one of 
> them.
> If I were doing the sound editing and wanted to look for things too loud,
> I'd first bring the sound file up in Winamp, use the right arrow to fast
> forward through it, and listen to the background. Sound above the normal
> range can be heard and you can find the time using the appropriate jaws
> keystroke which is shift control T. Then you could go back in Goldwav and 
> do
>
> your editing.
>
> Gary
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Susan Tabor" <souljourner at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "'Committee on the Promotion, Evaluation and Advancement of 
> Technology'"
>
> <promotion-technology at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 10:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] Fwd: The Bookshare Bulletin
>
>
>> Hi, Everyone:
>>
>> I am new to this list. My name is Susan Tabor. I'm from Lawrence, Kansas.
>> I
>> see this list as a good way to get a hefty amount of good technological
>> information in one place!
>>
>> I have a question--well, more than one. First, I use Gold Wave at work 
>> for
>> sound editing. If anyone here uses it, I'd like to know if there is a way
>> for speech users to do a sort of scan edit of a file. In other words, my
>> sighted colleagues, with a click of a mouse, can scroll from line to line
>> and see if any of the lines of sound look "irregular so they then then 
>> can
>> click right onto that specific area and edit it without having to listen
>> to
>> every single thing." I'm wondering if there is a way for us to do
>> something
>> like that. If not, editing hour-long broadcasts will be a bit tedious, 
>> I'm
>> thinking.
>>
>> Next, I'm looking for user manuals for MegaDots 2.2 and for Duxbury 10.5.
>> I
>> looked on Duxbury's website and couldn't find them. Maybe I missed the
>> right
>> area. I have installation manuals for both but no operating/editing
>> manuals.
>>
>> Lastly, I'm asking every blind person I know this question; Dave Andrews,
>> please bear with me! I know I've already bugged you about this and you've
>> been very helpful!
>>
>> I'd like input from any of you who'd like to respond what you think is 
>> the
>> most accessible CD burner out there. A lot of the info I have gotten has
>> been kind-of vague, some involves things to which I don't have access.
>> Thanks a lot!
>> Susan Tabor
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David B
>> Andrews
>> Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 9:20 AM
>> To: dtb-talk at nfbnet.org; promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [Promotion-technology] Fwd: The Bookshare Bulletin
>>
>>
>>
>> David Andrews
>> Chief Technology Officer
>> Minnesota State Services for the Blind
>> 2200 University Ave. W., #240
>> St. Paul, MN  55114-1840
>> (651) 642-0513  Office
>> (612) 730-7931  Cell
>> (651) 649-5927  Fax
>>
>>
>>>>> "Bookshare" <Bookshare at mail.vresp.com> 9/30/2009 7:21 PM >>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Issue 4 :: Fall 2009
>>
>>
>> The activity at Bookshare this Fall is non-stop and we're busier than 
>> ever
>> with new books, features and software. We're excited to announce
>> additional
>> publishers and universities as well as conferences and webinars.
>> Membership
>> is now over 60,000 and we have 57,000 books in our collection.
>> Connect with Bookshare
>> Come friend us on Facebook, or follow us on both standard Twitter and
>> Accessible Twitter. Also, look for our new Bookshare Blog, launching 
>> soon.
>> In This Issue
>> A Fall Update
>> Bookshare Volunteers
>> Professional Development Workshops
>> University Partnerships Growing
>> International Program Expands
>> Readers Voice Contest Extended
>> Upcoming Events
>> Unsubscribe
>> The Bookshare Bulletin was sent to you because you wished to receive
>> information about Bookshare or you subscribed at our web site.
>> If you no longer want to receive The Bookshare Bulletin, please click the
>> unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.   A Fall Update: New 
>> Software
>> for Bookshare
>> By Betsy Burgess
>> Can the Bookshare you already know and love get any better? The short
>> answer
>> is yes. We've added some exciting new capabilities in the last few months
>> and have more planned. There's something for everyone.
>> Textbook Search Improved
>> Are you a K-12 educator looking for NIMAC (National Instructional
>> Materials
>> Access Center) textbooks? You probably remember how hard it was to just
>> figure out how to find out which textbooks were available.
>> Now, it's much easier; you just go to Bookshare. Any Bookshare member
>> authorized to download NIMAC books can now use our new "one-step" search
>> that allows you to simultaneously search through Bookshare and the NIMAC.
>> If
>> the book is in the NIMAC, you'll get a "Request Book" button or guidance
>> on
>> how to get the book - depending on which state you're from. One-step
>> search
>> should get textbooks to students much more quickly: in under a week in
>> some
>> cases or no more than two weeks.
>> Digital Images
>> Many Bookshare Members told us that digital images topped their wish
>> lists.
>> Well, wish no longer. Digital images are here. All NIMAC textbooks are
>> available for download as a DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)
>> file with - or without - images: your choice. We'll also start including
>> image descriptions in other books.
>> Don Johnston's Read:OutLoud and Dolphin Easy Reader text to speech
>> software
>> already display the images but do not include descriptions. If you want 
>> to
>> know how the assistive technology you use will support images, please
>> contact your vendor. Have faith - assistive technology is increasingly
>> incorporating digital images.
>> More Powerful Search
>> Have you ever wished you could search Bookshare for all references to a
>> certain topic? Maybe you've been baffled about the source of a famous
>> quotation. This fall, Bookshare is launching full-text search.
>> When students need to conduct research for a school report, they can now
>> search all books in our collection simultaneously.
>> A search for "William Shakespeare," for instance, will return all books
>> with
>> William Shakespeare in the title or in the text of the book - as well as
>> Shakespeare's works. Watch for the Bookshare Blog to learn how to use 
>> full
>> text search and for more information. Note that you still will be able to
>> search by author, title, or ISBN.
>> Software for Bookshare
>> Don Johnston has introduced a Macintosh version of its Read: OutLoud
>> Bookshare edition software. The program is specifically designed for
>> people
>> with learning disabilities.
>> Humanware has upgraded VictorReader Soft Bookshare edition to version 
>> 2.6.
>> We're encouraging everyone who uses this software to download the latest
>> version.
>> For more information on software tools, go to
>> www.bookshare.org/readingTools
>>
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> Bookshare Volunteers
>> By Pavi Mehta
>> If you thought volunteering at Bookshare only meant scanning and proofing
>> books, you haven't met our summer volunteers. Of course, our crew of
>> nearly
>> 30 in-person volunteers did some scanning and proofing, joining the ranks
>> of
>> some 1,700 virtual volunteers. But this summer, those visiting our cozy
>> Palo
>> Alto, California offices, also helped us market, develop our business and
>> engineer our services. You name it - they did it.
>> Volunteers have now scanned and proofed more than 23,500 books.
>> Here are three snapshot profiles of individuals who lent us their time 
>> and
>> skills over the summer.
>>
>> Satej Soman Satej Soman will be a high school senior this fall.  His
>> previous experience proofreading scanned books for the National Institute
>> for the Blind in Mumbai, India, led him to Bookshare. He pretty much hit
>> the
>> ground running, assisting us with processing books submitted by our
>> outsourcers and helping with inventory checks.
>> When Satej is not volunteering, he is listening to music, biking or
>> reading.
>> He plans to volunteer with us again next summer.
>>
>> Vonn Xavier Vonn Xavier, a Stanford University communications student,
>> spent
>> her summer helping us process vendor submissions and working on a draft 
>> of
>
>> a
>> manual for vendors assisting with Bookshare's collection development. 
>> When
>> Vonn is not volunteering with Bookshare she's finishing up her senior 
>> year
>> at Stanford. Her impetus for volunteering? "I believe in Benetech's
>> mission
>> to serve humanity with technology," she says. "And, I love books."
>>
>> Kartik Gopal Kartik Gopal just graduated with a master's degree in
>> management from Stanford and is currently involved in a start-up venture
>> of
>> his own that seeks to put technology to meaningful use for people with
>> visual disabilities. Kartik is working with Bookshare on a launch plan 
>> for
>> Route 66 - an exciting Internet-based initiative that will provide 
>> reading
>> and writing instruction to adolescent and adult beginning readers with
>> developmental delays. With his 13 years of semiconductor engineering and
>> management experience across India, Germany, Singapore - as well as his
>> skills as an amateur bike racer, a marathoner and a mountaineer - Kartik
>> brings a unique blend of skills with him.
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> Professional Development Workshops
>> By Terri Icasiano
>> Educators: you told us in our recent survey that you want professional
>> development to help you understand how to use Bookshare and assistive
>> technology. When asked about your plans for spending stimulus funds, you
>> told us that you want to know how to improve education for students with
>> print disabilities. You also told us you'd be interested in professional
>> development from a non-profit such as Bookshare.
>> In response, we are developing professional workshops that qualify to be
>> funded under the stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
>> Act
>> (ARRA). Here is information about our first two workshops.
>> Aligning Assistive Reading Tools to Student Needs
>> This course is designed to review a broad range of assistive technology
>> software and devices available for students with print disabilities. The
>> goal is to identify the appropriate technology to meet the unique needs 
>> of
>> each student.
>> Through an interactive curriculum, course participants will learn how to
>> use
>> software and devices from a variety of vendors. They will then be able to
>> use their knowledge to make educated decisions about matching the right
>> devices and software to individual students. In addition, every
>> participant
>> will leave with action plans they can take back to the classroom to 
>> ensure
>> lasting results after the workshop is over.
>> Bookshare in Depth
>> In this workshop, participants will learn how to use Bookshare with their
>> students.
>> This course is designed to cover all levels of use. Through labs and
>> exercises, participants will learn how to create and manage class rosters
>> as
>> well as how to search, request, and download books. In addition, every
>> participant will leave with lesson plans they can take back to the
>> classroom
>> to ensure lasting results after the workshop is over.
>> Bookshare's support extends beyond the workshop. We include online
>> follow-up
>> coaching after each course. Coaching will focus on each participant's
>> progress and his or her implementation of action plans.
>> Watch www.bookshare.org for more information. Remember these workshops
>> qualify for ARRA funds.
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> University Partnerships Growing
>> By Cherie Miller
>> When a student at Michigan State University needs a book transformed from
>> pulp into a flexible electronic format, the staff at the Resource Center
>> for
>> Persons with Disabilities jumps into action.
>>
>> Tom Hwang They search the Internet - including Bookshare - to see if the
>> book already exists or if they need to process it themselves, says Tom
>> Hwang, specialist with the Resource Center.
>> Normally turning a book into an accessible electronic form involves
>> cutting
>> the spine off a book, scanning it and then making sure that the scan is
>> correct. That's something that can only be done by humans. The process 
>> can
>> take an hour for a super clean, very simple book.
>>
>> Complex books, on the other hand, take much longer. A scientific textbook
>> can take up to 200 hours to produce with descriptions of all of the
>> tables,
>> charts and graphs.
>> So it's a big time saver when Bookshare already has a book in its
>> collection.
>> Bookshare is "a treasure," Hwang says. "I feel it's quite a blessing for
>> students to have the Bookshare resources available."
>> Until recently, the process of sharing went one way. University students
>> with qualifying disabilities have always had access to Bookshare's
>> 57,000-plus book collection. Now, books are flowing two ways, thanks to
>> Bookshare's growing university partnership program.
>> When a university partners with Bookshare, it shares its accessible
>> materials with Bookshare, as appropriate under the terms of U.S. 
>> copyright
>> law. The partnership helps other universities. If one university scans 
>> and
>> contributes a book, other universities don't have to duplicate the 
>> effort.
>> However, the real beneficiaries of the university partnerships are the
>> students who have access to a much larger collection of books that they
>> can
>> use in their classes.
>> Currently, Bookshare has 14 university partners with more universities
>> expressing interest in the program all the time. These partners are
>> Alliant
>> University, Indiana University, Arizona State University, Hadley School
>> for
>> the Blind, De Anza Community College, Michigan State University, George
>> Mason University, Landmark College, Monterey Peninsula Community College,
>> Texas A&M, University of California, Berkeley , University of Idaho, the
>> University of Montana and Ohio State University, which boasts the largest
>> population of students with disabilities.
>> Sarah Terry, auxiliary services administrator for the Office for
>> Disability
>> Services at Ohio State University, says Bookshare and programs like it
>> represent the future.
>> "I have no reason to believe that Bookshare will not become an extremely
>> viable component to students having accessible materials, whether they 
>> are
>> textbooks or supplemental course materials in the future," Terry says.
>> "They
>> won't be the only player in the field but they'll probably be one of the
>> biggest ones supporting students."
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> International Program Expands
>> By Viji Dilip
>> Before Bookshare came to India, Balasubramanian Kannan would 
>> painstakingly
>> chop and scan his own books - 20 pages at a time.
>>
>> Balasubramanian Kannan "It took 15 to 20 days to complete a book," says
>> Kannan, a stenographer from Chennai, India.
>> In October 2008, not quite a year ago, Bookshare came to India and now
>> Kannan. Who is blind, can often find the books he is seeking already
>> transformed in to an accessible formats. He is full of gratitude -
>> especially because Bookshare is giving him access to computer programming
>> books, which he needs to make a career change.
>> "We appreciate your efforts to bring popular books," says Kannan. He adds
>> a
>> humble request: He wants "more and more books in the Indian section."
>> In fact, this is exactly what Bookshare is trying to do. Not only is
>> Bookshare now in India, but it is making inroads to other countries as
>> well,
>> including Kenya and Nigeria. Unfortunately, bringing books to countries
>> outside of the United States can sometimes be a complicated process.
>> In the United States, an exemption in the copyright law allows authorized
>> entities to reproduce or distribute electronic copies of published books
>> for
>> use by people with qualifying disabilities such as blindness. There is no
>> such law in India. In fact, in India, you cannot just take a book, chop 
>> it
>> and scan it and put it online. Instead, you have to talk to every single
>> publisher and author to get permission. The process is slow, but working.
>> Bookshare is growing every day. We now work with many big publishing
>> houses
>> and an equal number of small publishers. About 70% of our current Members
>> in
>> India are visually impaired and the remainder have physical and learning
>> disabilities.
>> In addition, Bookshare recently partnered with the DAISY Forum of India 
>> to
>> reach out to even more Members. Anyone who has a membership in 
>> Bookshare's
>> India program also automatically becomes a member of The DAISY Forum of
>> India. Member organizations of the DAISY Forum of India produce and
>> maintain
>> libraries of digital talking books, Braille books or ebooks. Bookshare
>> Members will automatically have access to their collection.
>> We've had some major wins. Recently, one of the biggest publishers of
>> Indian
>> literature, Sahitya Akademy, gave us permission to reproduce all of their
>> books. In addition, we have books from Oxford University Press, Orient
>> Blackswan, Seasons Publishing, Westland Publishing, Sheth Publications,
>> Zubaan books, Leadstart Publishing, Book Box and Pratham. We have more
>> than
>> 300 books published in India that have been added to our global
>> collections.
>>
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> Readers Voice Contest Extended
>> By Mario Oliveros
>> Calling all Kindergarten through grade 12 readers! The Bookshare Reader's
>> Voice Contest has been extended. You now have until Halloween, Saturday,
>> October 31, to enter.
>> Don't be afraid. This is not a Halloween trick - and you could get a huge
>> treat. The prizes are a choice of the Victor Reader Stream or a ClassMate
>> Reader, both portable, digital audio book player, from HumanWare. You 
>> just
>> have to be a Bookshare member in elementary through high school.
>> To participate, download books and write short reviews (about 100 words),
>> telling us why you liked (or didn't like) the book, discussing your
>> favorite
>> character and letting us know if you'd recommend the book. We know you've
>> been doing some summer reading. So now is your chance to have it pay off.
>> Winners will include those who read the most books and write the most
>> reviews.
>> All Bookshare Members, from kindergartners to high school seniors, are
>> eligible. Please help us spread the word. If you have not registered, 
>> sign
>> up! If you know a U.S. student in grades K-12 who is a Bookshare member
>> and
>> loves to read, let them know about the Reader's Voice Contest. Learn 
>> more.
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> Upcoming Events
>> By Inga Zukin
>> Webinars
>> Bookshare Reading Series: How to read on Macs with Read:OutLoud
>> Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 12:00 PM PT
>> Register here
>> Bookshare and the University Student - What's New for Fall?
>> Thursday, October 8, 2009 - 1:00 PM PT
>> Register here
>> To see archived Webinars, go to:
>> www.bookshare.org/about/training#Pre-recorded_Webinars
>> Conferences and Events
>> October 7-9, 2009
>> Bismarck, ND - Title I/Special Education Fall Conference
>> October 15-17, 2009
>> Bloomington, MN - Closing the Gap
>> Oct 17-20, 2009
>> Salt Lake, UT - The National Association of State Directors of Special
>> Education
>> Oct 18-20, 2009
>> Alberta, Canada - Canadian Vision Teachers' Conference
>> Oct 18-21, 2009
>> San Diego, CA - California Association for Postsecondary Education and
>> Disability
>> Oct 23-24, 2009
>> Niagara Falls, NY - 2009 New York State. Council for Exceptional Children
>> annual convention
>> Oct 28-31, 2009
>> Schaumburg, IL - Assistive Technology Industry Association, conference,
>> Chicago
>> Oct 28 - Nov. 1, 2009
>> Portland, OR - Council of Great City Schools annual fall conference
>> Oct 30-31, 2009
>> Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania Learning Disabilities Association of 
>> America
>> - Back to Top -
>>
>> Copyright C 2009 BenetechR. Privacy | E-mail Us | Visit Our Website |
>> About
>> Bookshare
>> _______________________________________________
>> Promotion-technology mailing list
>> Promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Promotion-technology:
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org/souljo
>> urner%40sbcglobal.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Promotion-technology mailing list
>> Promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Promotion-technology:
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org/gwunde
> r%40earthlink.net
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Promotion-technology mailing list
> Promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Promotion-technology:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org/souljo
> urner%40sbcglobal.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Promotion-technology mailing list
> Promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Promotion-technology:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/promotion-technology_nfbnet.org/gwunder%40earthlink.net
> 