Access to NIMAC books

What is the NIMAC?

The NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center) is a U.S. national repository of K-12 textbooks, workbooks and other classroom reading materials in digital format for qualifying print-disabled students. The NIMAC was established under the IDEA 2004 legislation, which governs what must be deposited by educational publishers, in what formats, and who can access it.

Generally, textbooks published before 2007 are not required to be deposited in the NIMAC by the publisher. Each state and/or district's purchasing contracts with publishers will determine what books after that date are required to be placed in the NIMAC.

The NIMAC does not include textbooks for college or other postsecondary use.

Who can use NIMAC books?

U.S. K-12 students with print disabilities (as defined by the Chafee Amendment ) and an active IEP (individual education plan) issued by a public education agency can receive downloaded NIMAC books from their organizational sponsors.

Qualifying students who are attending private institutions or are being home-schooled can potentially work with local public schools to create an IEP that will help establish NIMAC access. These students will also need to have a sponsor with an organizational membership, who will manage downloading of NIMAC titles.

Students with a 504 plan, but no IEP, are not eligible for NIMAC access, per the IDEA legislation.

How to access a NIMAC book in the Bookshare collection

A teacher or other staff member of a U.S. education agency can download NIMAC books currently in Bookshare's collection for their K-12 students who have an IEP. Individual students, their parents, transcribers or non-student members cannot download NIMAC books from the Bookshare collection.

How to request a NIMAC book be added to the Bookshare collection

It takes from 1-2 weeks for a requested NIMAC book to be added to the Bookshare collection.

From a state where Bookshare is an Authorized User: Use the book request form to give us as much information as you can. If you've found it on the NIMAC already, please alert us to that fact in the notes.

From a state where Bookshare isn't an Authorized User: Search the NIMAC to find the book you need. If you find it, please ask your state's NIMAC Coordinator to assign the book to Bookshare.

Bookshare is an Authorized User in these states amd territories:

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Should it be in the NIMAC -- and isn't?

Contact the publisher to request that a digital copy of any textbook purchased after 7/16/2006 be placed in the NIMAC, if the request for a NIMAC version was written into your district or state's purchasing contract.

Options if you don't have NIMAC access

If you need a textbook for classroom use and don't qualify for NIMAC access, we can still convert a print copy into digital accessible form -- even if we already have a NIMAC version in the collection. Place a book request as soon as possible, since the conversion process is complex, and we can't guarantee a specific turnaround time.