What’s Your One-in-a-Million Book?

Celebrating one million books in the Bookshare collection

Bookshare officially has over one million books in the core collection! That’s a lot of reading, far more than any one person could read in their lifetime. Even our Bookshare power users, who read up to a hundred books a month, would not come close. So why celebrate one million books?

Changing Lives through Information Access

Books open new worlds. They shift our perspectives, feed our curiosity, and empower us to build knowledge and connections. During our Books Beloved campaign, we asked members of the Bookshare community to share books that impacted their lives. From The Secret Garden and Flowers for Algernon to The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time, books have left a lasting impact on the Bookshare community. Histories, mysteries, memoirs, and self-help texts – the diversity of beloved books only further serves to underscore the impact that access to such a wide range of books can have on a person’s life.

“The childhood stories I could never read and only heard others talk about finally came alive. Because of Capti and Bookshare, I can discuss stories I love and build friendships. I no longer have to be the one outside the circle.”
Justin N., Bookshare user

The Right to Read

At Benetech, we believe that access to information is a human right. No person should be limited in their pursuit of knowledge by an inaccessible format. Whether you want to read up on ancient Egyptian art, study for your driver’s test, or read every single Agatha Christie mystery cover to cover, we are here to eliminate access barriers.

Bookshare users have read Bookshare books to become high school valedictorians, participate in book clubs, pursue engineering degrees, and advance their careers.

“From textbooks to research materials to novels, Bookshare is an essential tool for students. I only wish it was available when I was in college.”
Jolene Nemeth, Vocational Rehabilitation Technologist and Bookshare user

Thank You for One Million

Bookshare’s growth in 20 years has been tremendous, and we are grateful to the entire community that has helped the collection grow from the beginning to where it is now:

the dedicated volunteer community that catalyzed Bookshare’s initial growth and continues to contribute to the collection;
the 1000+ publishers who regularly donate new titles to Bookshare, often making them available on the same day that they are released to the public;
our technology partners who work with us to ensure that people can read books on any device;
our hardworking staff, who are constantly working to improve the Bookshare platform and make it easier for everyone to use and find the books they need;
our network of global partners and global outreach team who help ensure that the Bookshare collection is accessible to people all across the globe, and not just in the United States;
the many individual donors and institutional funders whose generosity makes Bookshare possible.

And to you, our community of readers, thank you for choosing Bookshare to read in ways that work for you. Within the one million books, we hope you find the one that changes your life, shifts your perspective, sparks a new passion, helps you master a challenging concept, or empowers you to pursue a new career.

Make a contribution to Bookshare to help more people with reading barriers find their one-in-a-million book.

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