Hi everyone. I think most of us end up with some damaged books in our collection sometimes. Would you be interested in putting your damaged books to good use? If so, there is a nonprofit organization that may be able to use them. Bookshare.org is a legally operated service that scans print books and makes them available for people who are blind or who have a learning disability. The books are de-spined and scanned in a high-speed scanner. Then the books are converted into a special format to make Braille or talking books. Since Bookshare cuts the covers off books to use them, this is a great way for people to help others while finding a welcome home for books with torn covers, battered covers, or books where the pages are all there but are loose in their binding. Bookshare donations are tax deductible, and you would know that your damaged books are making someone else's day brighter. Bookshare serves students, retired people, working adults--anyone who has a print reading disability. Right now Bookshare is active in the United States, United Kingdom, and India, and they plan to expand into more countries during the next five years.

If you have books you'd like to donate, please visit http://www.bookshare.org/about/donateBooksIndividuals  If you'd like to see if Bookshare already has books you're thinking about sending, just go to http://www.bookshare.org and do a search in the box at the top of the page.

As a blind woman who gets most of her books as talking books from Bookshare, I want to thank you in advance for any books you're willing to share. I can tell you that books are a particularly precious gift. For the first time, I'm getting to read books that were totally inaccessible to me just five years ago. With the resources I have access to now, I'm able to go to college to get my degree. I'm a mystery buff and love cookbooks. Bookshare has a growing collection of mysteries, and a small section of cookbooks so far. No matter which genre your books belong to, there is a disabled person longing to read them. This is a chance for you to be someone's hero. :)

What a great idea... I am going to vist that link right now and get info about all my damaged books

Thanks for the info.  I think many of us have damaged books and this is a great use for them.  Good luck in college!

Edited to add: And I signed up to volunteer as a proofreader:)  So thanks!

Wow what  a great way to get rid of damaged books and do something to give back at the same time. Off to that website now thanks for telling us about this!

Thanks for posting, Monica!  I'm going to go check it out now!

Yeah, thanks Monica.

I will definitely check this out!

:-)

This is awesome! Thanks so much for posting (and Sharon for having it in your siggy line.) I'll add it to mine too!

bumping this up so more will see it :)

plumlipstick (Monica W.) Thanks for the returned pm, I have a two friends looking through their books too.

Thanks for the info - I have a few I can send that are on the wishlist!