Bookshare Introduction Script

Warm-Up: Challenges to Access (2 minutes)

"Good morning, everyone! Let's start with a quick thought: What's one challenge you've observed students facing when trying to access reading materials? Just a quick thought, no need for long answers."

(Allow 1-2 librarians to quickly share one challenge.)

"Thank you. Those insights are crucial, and they lead us right into today's topic: Bookshare, a powerful tool to address these very challenges."

Introduction to Bookshare (5 minutes)

*(Transition to Bookshare Introduction Slide Deck - Slide 1: Unlock Bookshare's World!)

"Today, in just 15 minutes, we're going to Unlock Bookshare's World! My goal is to give you a clear overview of how Bookshare can be a game-changer for our 7th-grade students with reading barriers, and how you, as school librarians, are key to its success."

*(Transition to Slide 2: The Reading Barrier)

"As you mentioned, some students face significant reading barriers. Imagine words blurring or pages being impossible to turn. Bookshare is designed to break down these barriers."

*(Transition to Slide 3: Enter Bookshare!)

"Bookshare is an online library of accessible books, free for qualifying U.S. students with print disabilities. It's about ensuring equal access."

*(Transition to Slide 4: Who Qualifies for Bookshare?)

"Who qualifies? Students with a print disability, including visual impairments, learning disabilities like dyslexia, or physical disabilities. A professional confirmation of eligibility is required."

*(Transition to Slide 5: What's Available?)

"It offers a vast collection: textbooks, fiction, test prep – thousands of titles, ensuring students can read what their peers read."

*(Transition to Slide 6: How Does It Work?)

"Students can read in many ways: audio, braille, large print, text-to-speech. It's all about flexible formats for diverse needs."

*(Transition to Slide 7: Your Role: The Organizational Sponsor)

"Crucially, your role as a school librarian is to sign up your school, add eligible students, assign books, and manage access. You are the link!"

*(Transition to Slide 8: Questions & Next Steps)

"Bookshare empowers every reader. Now, let's see it in action briefly."

Bookshare Quick Demo & Activity Intro (5 minutes)

"I'll now give you a very quick tour of the Bookshare website. I'll highlight key areas like searching for a book and where to find student management tools. I also have a Librarian's Quick Guide to Bookshare Activity for you."

(Perform a very brief live demonstration: log in, quickly search for a book, point out download options and the member management section without going into deep detail.)

"This guide is something you can use for your own exploration later. For now, just follow along as I quickly show you some highlights."

Q&A and Next Steps (3 minutes)

"We have a moment for one or two quick questions. What's on your mind?"

(Address 1-2 questions.)

"To wrap up, please take a moment to reflect on this Bookshare Cool-Down Reflection. What's one key takeaway for you?"

(Distribute or display the Cool-Down Reflection.)

"Thank you for your time and for helping us make reading accessible for all our students! Please reach out if you have further questions or need assistance setting up."

Bookshare Warm-Up: Access Challenges

Question: What are some of the biggest challenges you've observed students facing when trying to access reading materials in your school library or classrooms?

Think about various types of barriers, not just academic ones.

Bookshare Cool-Down Reflection

1. What is one key takeaway about Bookshare that you learned today and will remember?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Librarian's Quick Guide to Bookshare: Your Exploration Roadmap

This guide is a roadmap for you to explore Bookshare further at your own pace. During this brief session, we'll quickly highlight key areas.

Part 1: Quick Website Overview (Follow along briefly)

1. Accessing Bookshare:

   • Navigate to www.bookshare.org.
   • Note where the login and sign-up options are. Feel free to explore as a guest for now.
     
     
     

2. Searching for Books:

   • Locate the main search bar.
   • Observe how to search for titles or subjects relevant to 7th-grade students (e.g., "The Giver"). Notice the variety of results.
     
     
     

3. Understanding Reading Options:

   • From a search result, quickly identify the different accessible formats available for a book (e.g., audio, large print, braille options).

Part 2: Key Librarian Functions (For your future reference)

These steps outline how you'll interact with Bookshare as an Organizational Sponsor.

1. Becoming an Organizational Sponsor:

   • Consider the information and steps needed for your school to register for an Organizational Membership.
     
     
     

2. Adding Student Members:

   • Reflect on the process of adding eligible 7th-grade students to your school's Bookshare account. What student data would be required?
     
     
     

3. Assigning Books to Students:

   • Envision how you would select and assign a specific book to an enrolled student within the platform.
     
     
     

Part 3: Reflection & Next Steps

1. What is one specific feature or capability of Bookshare that you are most interested in exploring further?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What is one action you plan to take this week regarding Bookshare (e.g., visit the site, discuss with a colleague, identify a student)?