Benetech’s Bookshare by the Numbers 2019
By , posted on March 5, 2019At the end of 2017, I shared Bookshare by the Numbers. Since then, our collection and membership has continued to grow and reach new milestones. We have added over 100,000 more members and delivered 2,000,000 more books. We’ve expanded to new countries and added new publisher partners, allowing Bookshare to reach more people with more books than ever before.
These numbers show the scale at which software can be used to build a more inclusive future, in this case by providing people with reading barriers with a means to read and access information in ways that work for them. To give you a sense of how we’ve grown, and where we’re headed, here are a few more stats about Bookshare.
14,000,000+ |
Bookshare has delivered over 14,000,000 books to people with disabilities, transforming how they read and helping them succeed. Whether you read with your eyes, ears, or fingers, Bookshare delivers books that work for you. |
690,000+ |
There are 690,000 books and counting in the Bookshare library, including fiction, nonfiction, educational texts, career guides, and much more. Books come from our publishing partners, our scanning volunteers, and from our own scanning operation. |
600,000+ |
Bookshare serves over 600,000+ people with reading barriers. Members span all ages and come from all corners of the world. |
35,000 |
From large and urban to small and rural, 35,000 US schools and school districts across all 50 states use Bookshare to serve their students with reading barriers. |
870 |
Over 870 publishers share our vision for a Born Accessible future. That’s why they send us their files to add to the Bookshare library at the same time they send them to Amazon. If you want to read a book the day it’s released, chances are we’ll have it! |
346 |
With so many books in the collection, it’s hard to know what to read next! The Bookshare collections team has curated 346 special collections of reading lists that highlight authors and themes such as: “Focus on Finance,” “Memorable Memoirs,” and “Children’s Authors Take on Bullying.” |
99 |
Large school districts love Bookshare. That’s why 99 out of the largest 100 districts in the United States use Bookshare. |
88 |
There are Bookshare members in a whopping 88 countries. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and India already operate Bookshare at scale. We’ll make our services available wherever we’re needed. Your country could be next! |
47 |
To serve our readers from all over the world, The Bookshare library has books in 47 different languages from Afrikaans to Welsh. English and Spanish lead the way, but other language collections, such as Arabic, Hindi, and Tamil are growing. Browse the Bookshare library to see what books are available in your preferred reading language. |
27 |
Benetech partners with 27 libraries to bring Bookshare to community members. Those libraries are in the United States— Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania—and across the globe: United Kingdom, Canada, Kenya, Dubai, New Zealand, and more. Encourage your local library to sign up! |
1 |
Every member we add, every download – each one is another book read by someone who couldn’t otherwise read. Every single person should have the opportunity to read. That’s why we do what we do. |