and if their author’s book isn't supplied on release day, they'll usually find it in their
hearts, months and months after the author has stopped talking about it, to give over
said author's "latest." Furthermore if that book has already been uploaded by a pitying
volunteer, it can get taken down once publishers deign to supply their version, due to
agreed-upon conditions. Exceptions are made if the volunteer-provided copy is better
proof read or contains vital image descriptions, but the act of replacing someone's
contribution has lately resulted in offending and alienating some who have worked with
the site since its infancy. As a Bookshare user, taking a side is pointless; volunteers
have a right to be upset, yet rejecting the quantity of titles publishers provide the site is
nonsensical.
Personally, all of this results in a knee-jerk reaction of wondering whether I'll even
be able to get a title when it sparks my interest. I love when the wondering is
unfounded, though it makes those moments when I'm forced to endure prolonged
curiosity or suspense all the more memorable and infuriating. A good book can be
emotional enough on its own, and the gratitude for the advances in accessibility that
have occurred in the past twenty years is always present and a show of how much
progress has been made. Having to combine this enjoyment and thankfulness with
dismay that the fifty-fifty chance difficulty of obtaining books is a reality that probably
won't be changing soon is a bittersweet reminder of how progress could be made even
better.
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