Guide
Reading Bookshare titles with Microsoft Word
My favorite types for reading Bookshare content in Microsoft Word, including custom
I started reading Bookshare titles with Microsoft Word when I was working on a school project and wanted a quick way to navigate my downloaded eBooks on my computer with a software I was already familiar with. My tablet and eReader were serving as more of a distraction than useful tools at that stage, and I found it easier to use keyboard shortcuts on my computer than spend time looking for an icon or switch back and forth between two devices. As a bonus, using Microsoft Word and the Word document format gives me more control over the formatting and zoom levels of content, as well as the option to add my own notes for text. Here are my tips for reading Bookshare titles with Microsoft Word as a user with low vision.
Background: What is Bookshare?
Bookshare is an online library with over one million titles that provides accessible eBooks for individuals with print disabilities. Bookshare offers a wide variety of content including popular novels, cookbooks, textbooks, memoirs and so much more, spanning across multiple topics, genres, languages and areas of interest.
Bookshare is available to US students (both K-12 and higher ed) free of charge and offers paid subscriptions for non-students and international subscribers that vary based on country of residence; in the US, the non-student subscription is $80 per year. Some public libraries and state agencies also offer free or discounted Bookshare memberships for registered individuals.
Bookshare file formats
Users can download Bookshare titles instantly with no wait times in the following formats:
- EPUB
- DOCX (labeled as Word)
- MP3
- Refreshable Braille
- DAISY
- DAISY Audio
- Bookshare web reader for reading in web browsers
All of the titles on Bookshare are available with these file formats, and users can download titles in multiple formats as well. However, I have come across some titles that have duplicate listings and may not list all file formats on each listing.
Related links
- Bookshare homepage
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- What I’ve Learned About Print Disabilities
- Five Myths About Print Disabilities
- Fast Facts About Bookshare
How to open Bookshare titles in Microsoft Word
To download a Bookshare title as a Word document, follow these instructions:
- Go to the page for the Bookshare book of choice
- From the “Select Download Format” dropdown menu, select Word. Alternatively, users can set their preferences within this dropdown menu so that Word is the default format for downloads
- Select the Download button
- Save the downloaded document in an easy-to-find location- I keep all of my Bookshare titles in a folder saved to my OneDrive cloud storage.
It’s worth noting that users do not need Microsoft Word to read documents in the Word file format – any word processing app or reading tool that supports these types of files will work. However, many of the tips in this post are specific to the latest version of Microsoft Word on Office 365/Microsoft 365.
Related links
Options for reading Bookshare titles in Microsoft Word
One of the benefits of reading Bookshare titles in Microsoft Word is the wide array of customization options that go beyond other mainstream eReading applications. By default, Bookshare content loaded in Microsoft Word is not displayed automatically in large print, so users can adapt the content to fit their needs.
Option #1: Customizing font sizes and styles
By default, Bookshare titles are in a read-only format, so users will need to save the document to their device before making any edits to the font sizes or styles. That said, Microsoft Word offers hundreds of options for font sizes and styles, including options that go beyond 72 pt font and the option to download custom fonts like Aphont and OpenDyslexic that are designed for readability. I recommend using a keyboard shortcut to select all text in the document (Ctrl-A in Windows), and then either selecting a font size/style to make all text the same size. Another option is to select all text and then use a keyboard shortcut to increase the font size incrementally (Ctrl-Shift-> will do this in Windows).
Beyond customizing text size and styles, other options that can be used to improve text readability include:
- Adjusting line and paragraph spacing in Paragraph settings
- Adjust character spacing/letter spacing for selected text in the font menu (Ctrl-D keyboard shortcut in Windows)
- Increase or decrease the text indent, or adjust the text alignment
Option #2: Open content in Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader is a simplified reading display built into Microsoft Word that can be used even with read-only documents as it doesn’t change the original appearance of the file. Immersive Reader can be found in the View tab and offers the following features:
- Adjust column width/margins
- Change page color
- Line focus: display between one and five lines of text at a time, blacking out surrounding text
- Text spacing: Increase spacing between characters
- Read aloud: read text out loud
- Zoom: Move the slider to adjust the font size of the displayed text (located in bottom right corner)
For read aloud and page color settings, users may need to save their Bookshare Word file as a new file to disable compatibility mode.
Option #3: Use Read Aloud or a screen reader
For users that want to listen to text as it is read out loud, Read Aloud can be enabled with or without Immersive Reader as long as the file is saved to the user’s device to enable editing. Another option is to use a separate text-to-speech or screen reader tool for reading text out loud and navigating the document with keyboard commands. Alternatively, users can also use a refreshable braille display to read DOCX files.
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- My Favorite Free Fonts For Print Disabilities
- How I Use Microsoft Immersive Reader With Low Vision
- How To Use Text-To-Speech With Low Vision
Tips for navigating Bookshare content using Microsoft Word
Looking for ways to improve your reading experience when reading Bookshare titles with Microsoft Word? Here are my favorite tips that I’ve used when reading books for my classes and working on research papers.
Use the navigation pane
The navigation pane can be opened with the Ctrl-F shortcut even in protected view/read-only mode to navigate through a document using headings, table of contents, or searching for specific words, phrases, or page numbers. It can also be opened in the drop-down menu for Check Accessibility in the Review tab. When reading a textbook or research paper, I use this tool to search for references and specific phrases/topics of interest.
Even though most of my Bookshare books have page numbers on them, I find it helpful to have people give me the first few words or sentence in addition to giving page numbers, so I know I’m in the right place. One time in high school, I didn’t realize my page numbers were off and my teacher and I both got frustrated that I had started reading out loud from the “wrong” page 74 in a book.
Add comments to text
This was so helpful when I was working on an extensive research project, because I could easily enlarge any text annotations or notes I made, as well as have them read out loud. Again, users will need to disable protected view/read only, but there are several options for highlighting text or adding annotations/notes that can be searched later. I prefer this over editing the text in the file itself so that I can easily find my notes with search tools later, as otherwise I would have to remember exactly what I wrote to search for it.
Experiment with display modes and layouts
Microsoft Word offers several display modes and layouts, as well as options for dark mode. When reading Bookshare titles in Microsoft Word, I recommend experimenting with the display modes and layouts located next to the zoom slider, which include:
- Focus mode: Opens Microsoft Word as a full-screen display, with no other applications visible
- Read mode: Displays text content full screen, with the option to use a horizontal slider or buttons to “turn pages” and read additional text. The zoom slider can be used to enlarge text without changing the font size or distorting format, no horizontal scrolling across lines needed
- Print layout: Default Microsoft Word display. Vertical scrolling is used to navigate document, the zoom slider can be used to enlarge text but requires users to scroll horizontally to read lines of text
- Web layout: Similar user experience to reading text in a web browser. The zoom slider can be used to enlarge text without changing the font size or distorting format, no horizontal scrolling across lines needed
Related links
- How I Use My eReader For School and Online Classes
- Sideloading and Low Vision
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting Grad School
More tips for reading Bookshare titles with Microsoft Word
- Want to learn more about accessible digital text features? I highly recommend reading A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Interested in reading Bookshare content using another mainstream eReading application? Check out Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility. I also talk about loading Microsoft Word documents into the Kindle library in How I Use Send-To-Kindle With Low Vision
- To learn more about assistive technology for reading and writing with low vision, browse Reading And Writing Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com
Updated July 2024.
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