[bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers

  • From: "Evan Reese" <mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 21:13:23 -0700

You could BSO them if it is really nagging at you. <grin>. You wouldn't even have to rescan them if you still have the original files, and the original books if you want to make certain to avoid any mistakes.


Unfortunately, the first book I submitted didn't even have page breaks, let alone page numbers. I always used to take them out when reading through my scans before joining Bookshare, thinking them unnecessary in an electronic file. This was January 2006, after the policy about page breaks being required was instituted; but I was unaware of it, and whoever validated my book either was also unaware of it, or just didn't bother to look or didn't care; and the staff - Gustavo at the time - apparently didn't check either - relying on the validator's good judgment, I guess. I could resubmit it with the page breaks intact - since I still have the original book and the original file - but I keep procrastinating. Other than missing page breaks and page numbers, the text quality is great, since I read through all of it. I would have to add nearly 600 of them, along with the page numbers, looking through the book and finding where each page ends. I keep thinking that I should redo it, but there are so many other books I want to do; and my standards are a lot higher now than they were then - having developed a serious case of Deranged Perfectionism. So I just don't think about it too much. <smile>. Maybe someday....

I did do a BSO of one of my own books last year because it had hard returns at the end of every line of print, and I was not aware - or it wasn't up on Jake's site at the time - of the method for eliminating them while not losing those at the ends of paragraphs. I have read that tip since then, but I still don't think I understand it.

I think many of us here have early submissions that would be inconceivable to put up now. I thought I was doing a great job at the time, but my standards have evolved over time, just as Bookshare's standards have improved. I don't know whether I want to go back and redo every book from back then, even though I know that they don't meet my standards of today.

At the same time, I do want to encourage people to do a better job with their submissions than I started out doing because I have a better sense of all the different ways these books may be read and therefore why it is important to keep them as authentic to the printed version as possible.

In other words, if you know you're doing the best job you can now, unless the old books are unreadable, I would concentrate on what you're doing now to add books to the collection.

Evan

----- Original Message ----- From: "Julia Kulak" <julia.kulak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 11:37 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers


Wow! That was a wonderful story, can I frame it, smile. Is there anything I can do about all the poor little books I submitted that had no page numbers?
Julia
----- Original Message ----- From: "Estelnalissi" <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 4:27 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers


Dear Allison,

You are in a fix because you say your scanner can't pick up the page numbers. Most of us are blind and would have the same problem with your book that's nipping at you. I'm so glad you're on this list where we can answer your questions and direct you to helpful resources.

Miraculously, Grand Cindy and Jamie Yates have made a hobby of helping us with books that confuse our scanners In your place, those like me who don't have handy or willing local sighted help, ask Cindy or Jamie.

Here's how they can help you. If you tell them the name and ISBN of your book, they'll check with multiple libraries and contact you when they pick up the book that's giving you trouble. They can tell you where to place the page one. Then, they can tell you if any pages are missing or skipped.

Unless there's an insert of photographs or unnumbered pages throughout the book, after you know where page one is, you just put the page numbers in order on the second line of each page. You'd leave the top line blank, then write the page number on the left margin. Then leave another blank line and after that the text would start. I think you already know to leave a blank line after the last line of text at the bottom of the page, too.

I have a masters and taught for 27 years. Books without pages gave me fits, frustrating me in studying or preparing lessons and wasting so much time I couldn't afford.

Now, I use page numbers to measure my progress and in book discussion groups with sighted readers, to find pages they are referring to. Without page numbers, instead of interrupting the discussions to ask members to help me find the place, I just sit quietly when everyone turns to page 127 because I know by the time I find it page, if I find it, they'll have moved on to another point in the book or in the conversation.

I lose track of how long newer members have been on the list. It's about 2 and a half years for me.

I remember when Bud was a new volunteer. He's not trying to pick on you when he encourages you to put in those page numbers. He endured the same sequence of shocks as he learned the finer points of submitting good scans. He is primarily if not completely, a scanner.

When he learned that to protect page numbers and chapter heads we have to leave a blank line above and below each page number he wrote something like, "You mean I have to put in all of those blank lines and page numbers by hand? That's going to add hours!" He may even have mentioned about needing a little comfort beverage to get over this new demand on his time!

Forgive me, Bud, if I have this wrong. I'm going by memory and you went through this ages ago.

Back to my story. There was a lapse of days until we heard from Bud again. he'd been a great, upbeat, gentlemanly addition to the list and I worried if the added work to preparing his submission would be the end of his volunteering. Then one day, he wrote one of his welcome announcements that he had a new book ready for our validating pleasure. Pointedly he announced., "All of the page numbers are present and I have left a blank line before and after each one."

I grinned all over my face and drank a toast of diet pop to him!

I have the very good fortune of validating for several superior scanners. One of them put a book on step one for me whose text was perfect. I was shocked to see weird stuff for page numbers and questions which were supposed to be numbered without numbers in it. Since this was the first book ever of over 30 books from her with this problem I messaged her asking what happened. She admitted she just couldn't get them to come out. She hoped I could make more since of the scrambled clues which were all she had to give. We work together so much that I knew she'd understand when I asked her to take her book back for a few weeks and store it on her step 2 page while I ordered a copy of her book from Amazon. We knew Bookshare would accept the book without the numbers, but we also new another member was likely to BSO it, and then she'd get a notice from Bookshare that her book was replaced by a better copy, better because someone would have taken it to put in the page numbers.

My copy has come now, and though using my one seeing eye gives me headaches, I use it when I must, with lots of magnification. The page numbers were missing because they were written in really pale ink, so light I think the scanner didn't pick them up. The question numbers were missing because each one was inside a white star which was itself inside a black ball. I also used a duplicate copy to get the chapter headers for another of my friends whose scans are wonderful. It turned out these were in cursive writing! What a pain...but entirely worth it.

Sometimes When I'm validating, I can't figure out problems I encounter. Then I have to hold the book while Cindy or Jamie gets a copy and helps me out off list.

Unless a validator uses an opticon or has a better scanner than yours, they probably can't figure out problems that your scanner can't see. So, either you or the validator calls on Cindy and works on other projects until they can help. I wonder just how many different volunteers they've assisted?

Cindy? Jamie? Have you counted?

We all have different reading styles and some of us use page numbers more than others. Jill, E, Grand Cindy, Jane, Maithe, the guys, and I am explaining the whys and hows of part of the process that most new volunteers have to learn. Sooner than you can imagine, you'll be the one explaining it.

You are the same Allison who was at the interesting nonfiction book meeting, aren't you? You suggested several interesting books. I've downloaded the Glass Castle and another person who was there downloaded another of the books you mentioned. I'm looking forward to discussing the social aspects of the Grimms' fairy tales with you at our next meeting. Don't expect me to recall any of the crowds of Germans the author quotes. I don't even try to pronounce those names, let alone remember them.

Always with love,

Lissi
----- Original Message ----- From: "Allison" <bookshare_girl@xxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 6:04 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers


Evan wrote:
"There will likely always be a minority
of submitters and/or validators who don't care about future readers..."


Evan,
please don't imply that I don't care about future readers. I do. I don't feel that was a very nice thing to say. You may remember, that I offered you the chance to put in my page numbers, but you declined saying you were just too busy. Well then, if you won't take the time to put in page numbers either, please don't complain or
say that the rest of us just don't care.

Allison

----- Original Message ----- From: "Evan Reese" <mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 2:17 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers


It does appear that a consensus is emerging: Keep page numbers, or add
them if they do not scan properly. There will likely always be a minority of submitters and/or validators who don't care about future readers, but I
am glad to see such a preponderance of posters in favor of maintaining
page number integrity.

Evan

----- Original Message ----- From: "E." <thoth93@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 1:22 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers


If somebody uses a fiction book as part of a paper they need to refer to
page numbers in a term paper or thesis.  Please keep page numbers.

E.
At 02:05 PM 10/8/2007, you wrote:
This is news to me that page numbers are "not" required. When eliminating the headings on pages that have been scanned, it would make my job much easier if I did not have to preserve the page numbers. This would mean a book without page numbers. I just started eliminating the headings, since
most people want them removed prior to uploading. With fiction I could
see that people would like to read and not be interrupted by page
numbers. So what is the consensus here? Should I leave the page numbers
in or out?

Jim Nuttall--Michigan

----- Original Message ----
From: Bud Schwab <budschwab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, October 8, 2007 12:07:50 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers

Hi Allison,

I don't do validating, I just scan and submit.  I've never had a book
that had no page numbers at all fortunately.  I just put in numbers
where they are missing for some reason.  Since they're not required
as yet I suppose the validator doesn't have to add them either.
Best.

BudAt 10:59 PM 10/7/2007, you wrote:
>Evan or Bud, I'll have my book ready to submit in a day or so.  I'm
>pre-validating it, correcting errors and such, but not putting page
>numbers in.  But since you say that you, as careful scanners and
>validaters, always put page numbers in by hand, I'm asking you,
>would you like to put the page numbers in my book?  You're welcome
>to it.  I would be happy to put "hold for one of you" in the title
>when I submit it.
>
>Best,
>Allison
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Evan Reese"
><mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 8:39 PM
>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers
>
>
>>I should have said that that's what I and other careful scanners
>>and validators do. Didn't mean to diss scanners - especially since
>>I do more scanning than validating myself. <grin>
>>
>>Evan
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Evan Reese"
>><mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 7:56 PM
>>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers
>>
>>
>>>Yup, that's what I do and what other careful validators do.
>>>
>>>Evan
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Julia Kulak"
<julia.kulak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 6:11 AM
>>>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Page Numbers
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hmmm, so if your scanner just refuses to get them most of the
>>>>time you ad them in manually?
>>>>Julia
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane Dickison"
>>>><janebiz@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 2:33 PM
>>>>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Page Numbers
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Hi Everybody,
>>>>>
>>>>>I know we've been batting this page numbers thing back and
>>>>>forth, but I think the page numbers should become more important
>>>>>because we are probably going to have a lot more students
>>>>>downloading for school.  An educator might ask them to read any
>>>>>of our books.  Having the page number would make it easier for
>>>>>her to make reference points.
>>>>>
>>>>>OK.....Start throwing those tomatoes.
>>>>>
>>>>>Jane D.
>>>>>To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
>>>>>bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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>>>>>get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself
>>>>>in the subject line.
>>>>
>>>>To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
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>>>>the subject line.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
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>>>subject line.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
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>>list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the
subject line.
>
>To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
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subject line.


Bud Schwab
W 6 Z Y P
Malibu, California


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