- From: David Poehlman <poehlman1@home.com>
- Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 18:54:00 -0500
- To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:@tux.w3.org;>
Bookshare.org - Books without Barriers e-Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 5 Public Beta is Underway! This is a short *special edition* of the Bookshare.org e-Newsletter, because we have an important announcement to share. 1. Public Beta is underway! 2. First 250 subscribers receive extended subscription 3. Submit Proof of Disability - get a head start on membership For the newcomers to the e-Newsletter, here's a brief introduction: Bookshare.org is a new online community that enables individuals in the United States with visual or other print disabilities to legally share scanned books. Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into specialized formats for the disabled. ------------------------ 1. Public Beta is underway! As of February 5, 2002, our website at www.bookshare.org is in public beta with full Bookshare.org functionality. The site is still in a testing phase, and we will continue to put on the finishing touches in preparation for launch on February 21, 2002. At this website, without registering, you can use the search functions to locate books already in the collection. You can also download any book that is marked as being in the Public Domain. Your feedback is critical in preparation for launch. Please let us know what you think! You can email comments directly to beta@bookshare.org. We also encourage you to subscribe to the Bookshare.org Discussion email list. Bookshare.org-Discuss will be an ongoing forum where you can provide feedback about the community or just discuss books and what you are scanning with fellow members. To subscribe, send a blank Email to the following address: bookshare.org-discuss-subscribe@topica.com 2. First 250 subscribers receive extended subscription As a tangible thank you for early testing and feedback during public beta, the first 250 members to purchase a subscription receive three additional months free! For those individuals who qualify for membership, you can now register (visit the "Join" link on the website), provide proof of disability, and subscribe. Your subscription will commence on the day that payment is received, giving you early access to the full collection. For the $25 set up plus $50 annual fee you'll get 15 months of full access to the entire collection - only $5 per month. Membership is available to U.S. residents with a qualifying disability, including visual impairments and blindness, reading disabilities, and physical impairments that make it difficult or impossible to read printed books. To find out more about membership, visit this link: http://www.bookshare.org/web/AboutMembership.html 3. Get a head start on membership by submitting your proof of disability today! To make sure that you can access the latest bestsellers as they become available from Bookshare.org, make sure to get your proof of disability taken care of early. For full access to the collection, including downloading copyrighted books, you will need to register on the website (visit the "Join" link), submit proof of disability, and pay for the annual subscription. Bookshare.org is already accepting proof of disability forms. For more information, and to view the form, visit this link: http://www.bookshare.org/web/AboutDisabilities.html We're looking forward to seeing you on the Public Beta website and hearing your feedback! Sincerely, The Bookshare.org Team info@bookshare.org www.bookshare.org
Received on Thursday, 7 February 2002 18:54:03 UTC