Bookshare collects certain personal information about its users, including student users to meet obligations under the Copyright Act that allows Bookshare to provide accessible versions of published works. Bookshare uses the information it collects to confirm that students have a qualifying print disability and that their use of the Bookshare service complies with the law. Bookshare collects only the information it needs to perform these legal functions and to provide the service effectively.
Bookshare operates under the School Official exception under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This exception permits educational institutions to provide student personal information to Bookshare without obtaining parental consent since Bookshare provides a service for a function that a school or district would otherwise have to provide themselves if a service like Bookshare did not exist. Bookshare encourages educational agencies and institutions that utilize Bookshare to determine if they require any additional privacy compliance documentation.
For educational agencies that must keep student names private, Bookshare allows student numbers or pseudonyms in place of student names if the educational agency submits a Confidentiality Rider form. Please note that the use of pseudonyms may prevent a student from easily obtaining an Individual Membership based on their school account or for Bookshare Customer Support staff to service their account should the need arise. Please contact Bookshare to request a Confidentiality Rider form.
Bookshare takes student data privacy and security very seriously and stores personal information securely, limits internal access to it, and does not share it with any other entity. More information can be found in our Privacy Policy.