The University of Michigan Press (UM Press), long a provider of books in audio and other alternative formats, has signed a new agreement with Bookshare, a global leader in providing copyrighted, digital accessible books to people with print disabilities. The agreement will increase the number of formats UM Press makes available to the millions of Americans who have print disabilities and give even more people the opportunity to read UM Press books.
Under the agreement, UM Press titles will be included in the Bookshare library. Bookshare will convert electronic versions of UM Press books into digital text (for use with text-to-speech) as well as digital braille. These formats can be used for large print and digital audio. The titles are provided free of charge and the university will receive no revenues.
“We’ve always had a commitment at the Press to making our books accessible to as many readers as possible,” said Karen Hill, Associate Director and Digital Manager. “With this agreement, more than fifty Press titles are available immediately in easy, accessible formats as part of a Bookshare subscription, with many more to come.”
“UM Press titles will increase the academic and scholarly content available in Bookshare,” said Betsy Beaumon, Vice President and General Manager of the Literacy Program at Benetech, the nonprofit organization that operates Bookshare. “With the growth of academic content, more and more qualified college and graduate students are finding the books they need for their studies in Bookshare.”
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