Leading International Organization, CABI (Center for Agricultural Bioscience International), to Provide Collection of over 500 Scientific Publications to Bookshare
Extensive Research Collection on Topics Covering Agriculture, the Environment, and Global Health
For all Bookshare-related questions, please contact:
Valerie Chernek
410-871-2670
vchernek2212@comcast.net
CABI Media Contact:
Caroline Scotter Mainprize
Tel: +44 (0) 1491 829361
Mob: +44 (0) 7974 076897
c.scotter-mainprize@cabi.org
September 30, 2010, Oxford, UK and Palo Alto, CA, USA – CABI, the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International, has entered into an agreement with Bookshare to provide their collection of nearly 500 titles in the areas of agricultural, animal and veterinary sciences, environmental sciences, human health, food and nutrition, leisure and tourism, microbiology and parasitology, and plant sciences.
“CABI wants to make our information and research available to the people who want and need it, in the way that they want and need it,” said Andrea Powell, CABI’s Executive Director, Publishing. “Our agreement with Bookshare means that individuals with print disabilities can easily find and use our unique content. We are delighted that we can enhance the research and study experience of Bookshare members.”
“The CABI mission is near to our hearts,” said Betsy Beaumon, Vice President and General Manager of Literacy Programs at Benetech, the nonprofit organization that operates Bookshare. “Through our partnership, Bookshare members will have access to a vast collection of scientific research on topics covering agriculture, the environment, and global health. CABI’s publications will help our members learn how to apply scientific expertise to solve problems in these areas.”
Fewer than five percent of the books needed by people with print disabilities have typically been available in accessible formats. For students, that percentage has been even smaller. The rapid growth of the publisher program has made it possible for Bookshare to include many specialty and independent publishers from around the world. Currently Bookshare has over 70 publishers contributing to the collection. Bookshare’s goal is to provide equal access to printed content so that members can compete effectively in school, pursue their career of choice, and participate fully in the intellectual discussions of the day.
Through an exemption in the U.S. copyright law, (17 U.S.C. § 121) known as the Chafee Amendment, Bookshare serves a community of individuals with qualified print disabilities, such as visual impairments, physical disabilities or severe learning disabilities that affect reading. Proof of disability is required for membership. The library offers over 90,000 books, including K-12 textbooks, postsecondary textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, literature, children’s books, reference works, and newspapers and magazines. Members can download books in the latest DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) and BRF (Braille Ready Format) file formats.
For access to the collection, qualified individuals of all ages are welcome to sign up for an individual membership; organizations serving qualified individuals are welcome to sign up for an organizational membership.
Publishers interested in contributing digital files to Bookshare to provide timely access for individuals with print disabilities should contact Robin Seaman, Publisher Liaison. For a list of publishing partners, please visit the Bookshare website.
About CABI (Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International)
CABI is a not-for-profit science-based development and information organization with nine centers worldwide. Our mission and direction are influenced by more than 40 member countries that help guide the activities undertaken. These include scientific publishing, development projects and research, and microbial services. Our staff research and find solutions to agricultural and environmental problems. We use science, information and communication tools to help solve issues of global concern. We particularly focus on improving food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less, combating invasive species, finding natural alternatives to pesticides and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. For more information go to www.cabi.org
About Bookshare
Bookshare is the world’s largest online accessible library of copyrighted content for people with print disabilities. Through its technology initiatives and partnerships, Bookshare seeks to raise the floor on accessibility issues so that individuals with print disabilities have the same ease of access to print materials as people without disabilities. In 2007, Bookshare received a five-year award from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), to provide free access for all U.S. students with a qualified print disability. The Bookshare library now has over 90,000 books and serves more than 100,000 members. Bookshare is an initiative of Benetech, a Palo Alto, CA-based nonprofit which creates sustainable technology to solve pressing social needs. www.bookshare.org