Press releases

O'Reilly DRM-Free Ebook Bundles Now Include DAISY Talking Book Format: Making Reading Even More Accessible

Press release: September 8, 2010

Andrew Savikas
"Our mission at O'Reilly is to change the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators, and making our books available in accessible DAISY format helps us accomplish that mission."
—Andrew Savikas, VP, Digital Content

Sebastopol, CA—For years O'Reilly Media has supplied digital files of our books to Bookshare, a non-profit that provides accessible reading material to the print disabled. For qualifying readers, these ebooks are made available worldwide. And now, through a collaboration with Bookshare, we've started making the easy-access DAISY (Digital Accessible Information Systems) formats available within our ebook bundles on oreilly.com for more than 800 titles.

"Although the DRM-free EPUB files in our ebook bundles are compatible with many reading systems for print disabled customers, many others prefer the DAISY format that Bookshare provides, and either don't qualify for access via Bookshare, or would prefer to pay for the ebooks," said Andrew Savikas, VP, Digital Initiatives, O'Reilly Media.

He added: "Our mission at O'Reilly is to change the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators, and making our books available in accessible DAISY format helps us accomplish that mission."

Among the first publishers to embrace digital publishing, O'Reilly offers lifetime access to ebooks purchased through their online commerce site, oreilly.com. Five DRM-free file formats—PDF, ePub, Kindle-compatible .mobi, DAISY, and Android .apk—are provided whenever possible. O'Reilly customers who have already purchased oreilly.com ebooks will find the DAISY files in their accounts.

DAISY digital formats assist people who, for various reasons, have challenges using regular printed media. There are more details on the DAISY format from the DAISY Consortium, including a list of software and hardware reading systems. The DAISY Consortium is an international association that develops, maintains and promotes international DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) Standards.

For more information about all of O'Reilly Media's ebook formats, see:
http://oreilly.com/ebooks

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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