Logistics of Book Scan
October 21, 2022 4:15 PM Subscribe
Questions on getting an out-of-print book scanned?
I would like a digital copy of this book for research purposes. It's been out of print for decades so I'm not sure about copyright status, but as far as I can tell no digital copy currently exists. I'm getting a physical copy through interlibrary loan but I will eventually have to return it, plus, you don't have search functionality with a physical book.
I would like to create a digital copy if possible, but I'm not sure how I would go about it. The scan will be solely for my personal use.
I can think of the following options:
1.) Pay a service to scan and OCR the book. This is my preferred option if I can find a non-destructive and legal way to do it (and if these types of services will take library books).
2.) Scan it myself. I've never scanned an entire book before so I don't know what I would need for this. My least preferred option.
3.) Find and pay a student at the nearby large university to do it with university library scanning equipment. Also not ideal.
Am I on the right track here? Is there any other way I could go about this? Or any advice you would have about the three options above?
I would like a digital copy of this book for research purposes. It's been out of print for decades so I'm not sure about copyright status, but as far as I can tell no digital copy currently exists. I'm getting a physical copy through interlibrary loan but I will eventually have to return it, plus, you don't have search functionality with a physical book.
I would like to create a digital copy if possible, but I'm not sure how I would go about it. The scan will be solely for my personal use.
I can think of the following options:
1.) Pay a service to scan and OCR the book. This is my preferred option if I can find a non-destructive and legal way to do it (and if these types of services will take library books).
2.) Scan it myself. I've never scanned an entire book before so I don't know what I would need for this. My least preferred option.
3.) Find and pay a student at the nearby large university to do it with university library scanning equipment. Also not ideal.
Am I on the right track here? Is there any other way I could go about this? Or any advice you would have about the three options above?
I have this book scanner, and it works well, but I was not just trying to scan one book. The link in your question didn’t work for me, so I don’t know what book you are trying to scan. Scanning a whole book with a regular scanner is a pain in the butt, for sure.
posted by snofoam at 4:57 PM on October 21, 2022
posted by snofoam at 4:57 PM on October 21, 2022
Best answer: I am a librarian but not a copyright expert. Technically, based on my (theoretical and inexpert) understanding of Section 108, a library could scan the book for you because a copy may not be obtained for a fair price.
However, this does not give YOU the right to copy it yourself, and I do not know if there is an interlibrary loan dept out there that would take on this feat, even for a large fee. You could ask at any larger research libraries but I'd be surprised if they say yes.
Taking off my librarian hat, I do not care if you scan this book yourself with a manual overhead book scanner, though it sounds very tiresome. Putting said hat back on, please do not hand it over to a third party for scanning unless you want to risk a very large replacement fee (and sad librarians).
For what it's worth, I think this book is on Google Books, which can function as a (crappy) index.
posted by toastedcheese at 5:28 PM on October 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
However, this does not give YOU the right to copy it yourself, and I do not know if there is an interlibrary loan dept out there that would take on this feat, even for a large fee. You could ask at any larger research libraries but I'd be surprised if they say yes.
Taking off my librarian hat, I do not care if you scan this book yourself with a manual overhead book scanner, though it sounds very tiresome. Putting said hat back on, please do not hand it over to a third party for scanning unless you want to risk a very large replacement fee (and sad librarians).
For what it's worth, I think this book is on Google Books, which can function as a (crappy) index.
posted by toastedcheese at 5:28 PM on October 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
Newer book scanners are quick, easy to use, and you can scan a couple hundred pages in 20 min or so.
I wouldn’t think twice about taking the book out of a library and scanning for personal use.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:45 PM on October 21, 2022
I wouldn’t think twice about taking the book out of a library and scanning for personal use.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:45 PM on October 21, 2022
Best answer: I remember buying a book scanner off Indiegogo for like... $89. Now it's $109.
posted by kschang at 12:10 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by kschang at 12:10 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I'm not sure where you are, but you might check if your local makerspace / hackerspace has a book scanner; in San Francisco, here's Noisebridge's book scanner. This uses cameras, and is surprisingly quick.
I scanned a book a few months ago; I documented the major steps. I cut the spine off, used a scanner with a document feeder at the public library, and used only free / open software. Getting scans of the pages was only the first step.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:16 AM on October 22, 2022
I scanned a book a few months ago; I documented the major steps. I cut the spine off, used a scanner with a document feeder at the public library, and used only free / open software. Getting scans of the pages was only the first step.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:16 AM on October 22, 2022
Amazon shows the book available in hardcover: not cheap. It is a first edition.
posted by tmdonahue at 5:17 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tmdonahue at 5:17 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
As to copyright, the author Joan Fisher Box is still living so the book will be copyright in the US. (Currently, life plus 70 years.)
posted by tmdonahue at 5:20 AM on October 22, 2022
posted by tmdonahue at 5:20 AM on October 22, 2022
You could look for the author's email address, write her, and see if she has an ebook copy.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:06 PM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Pronoiac at 3:06 PM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. Looks like if I do this I'm going to have to DIY it.
posted by Ndwright at 4:41 AM on October 23, 2022
posted by Ndwright at 4:41 AM on October 23, 2022
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I would right the publisher and/or author (or their estate) and ask for permission to scan it for personal use. Anything else is illegal under copyright law.
Scanning is a long and tedious process and easy to get wrong and even damage the book in the process. Proper scanning machines (not flatbeds) are expensive.
posted by saucysault at 4:55 PM on October 21, 2022