Bookshare: Books Without Barriers

Carolyn's Top 10 Reasons for Using Bookshare:

1.  Our students with print disabilities qualify and it's free.

2.  Bookshare has over 1 million titles as well as Book Collections(click to browse)

3.  Bookshare has textbooks, magazines, and newspapers.

4.  If they don’t have a title you can request it.

5.  There's no limit on borrowing time OR number of copies available.

6.  It provides ACCESS and FLEXIBILITY. Students can adjust text size, font, colors, voice, voice rate. Students can listen with synchronized/highlighted words and sentences OR mute audio and read independently at their own reading rate (following highlights if desired for increased focus). 

7.  Students can use Read&Write for Google Chrome to highlight, collect highlights, and export highlights to a new google doc that includes a source link. Students/teachers can create vocabulary lists using the builtin dictionary and picture dictionary (a chart opens in a new google doc with word, definitions, image, optional columns. See example here.

8.  It saves SO much paper and ink! 

9.  You don't have to worry about breaking copyright laws!

10.  Students can mark up Bookshare books but not hard copies.