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Free e-books offered to people with problems reading
georgialibraryglass

ATLANTA — Beginning this month, the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services is making more than 425,000 accessible e-books available for free to patrons who cannot read traditional print books due to blindness, low vision, dyslexia and other print disabilities.

The online library is made possible by Bookshare, a Benetech global literacy initiative. The library includes best-sellers, nonfiction, picture books, texts and career guides.

Currently, all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities can access Bookshare’s library for free under an award from the Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This new partnership serves eligible Georgia patrons of all ages.

"Bookshare will be a wonderful complement to our materials from the free national library program administered by the Library of Congress and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped," GLASS Director Pat Herndon said.

"We are proud to partner with GLASS to open up new horizons for Georgians with print disabilities," said Brad Turner, vice president of global literacy for Bookshare developer Benetech, a nonprofit Palo Alto, California-based organization that develops technology for social good.

Georgians with qualifying disabilities who wish to sign up for free access to Bookshare can go to www.georgialibraries.org/glass for more information, email glass@georgialibraries.org or call 1-800-248-6701.

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