[bksvol-discuss] Re: 550 books in the download queue
- From: "Jesse Fahnestock" <Jesse.F@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 03:52:15 -0700
I think it's valuable for everyone to recognize these multiple perspectives --
Kenneth is not the only person who feels this way. If your own predilection is
for highly-edited books, that's OK, but it's best to prioritize your validation
efforts with both perspectives in mind.
As a side note, I believe replacement/descriptive text for images that could
not be included is allowed under the law, although volunteers should be careful
not to editorialize. In my opinion the safest course of action is often to
remove the garbled bits and insert [image removed]. But some minimal
description of the image removed is allowed.
jesse.
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Kenneth A.
Cross
Sent: den 10 augusti 2004 12:06
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: 550 books in the download queue
I doubt that it would be permissible to edit and describe material that is
copyrighted. To correct test is one thing; to give descriptions of what
appears is quite another. I have a history book right now on the list which
has perhaps a hundred pictures. Many of them generate garbage, and I can't
describe any of them because I can't see them. Even if I could, such
editing would exceed what I believe the law allows. I can remove the book,
and perhaps will, but it presents a very interesting perspective on the wars
of the past century or so and gives extensive information. More important,
it could provide some real suggestions to the reader for further research.
But, alas, it is book with a fair rating. You see, I don't think our
function should be to make things perfect, but to make them available.
Consider, for example, the following. Recording for the Blind puts out a
book on tape or disc. In our collection there is a copy of that same books
with many, many errors. The Recording for the Blind tape will give me
someinformation, but if I can't understand or don't know how to spell some
of the words, I have no remedy without going to the book in scanned form.
That alone could make the presence of the book useful. Now I have seen
scans which should be rejected, some of which are on the system. They
should be rejected because they convey no useful meaning to the reader or
are so deficient that they generate interest and frustrate its acquisition.
But the decision about that is not one for a machine. Just consider
material by Lewis Carroll and you can come to recognize how complex the idea
of validation can be.
----- Original Message -----
From: <socly@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 3:01 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: 550 books in the download queue
> Ken and Julie,
>
> I guess I didn't make myself clear. I wouldn't reject a book until I'd
looked at it and was sure that I couldn't fix it without *too* much trouble.
> I've modified my offer to fix anything and everything, having found myself
working on one book that not only was awful but was boring to
> me. I was afraid the one I'm working on now would require too much work,
from what had been posted about it, but it's quite interesting and
> so the work is not a problem. I keep working beyond the time I'dplanned to
stop just because I want to know what happens next, and I'm so
> involved with the characters.
>
> But Ken, science and history books don't have to be rejected or be
considered unreadable because of the things that don't scan well. The
> maps, diagrams, etc. that you mention can be described, or explained
briefly. Formulae can be expressed in English or with Greek letters or
> Greek letters written as English, e.g., {Greek beta]. I've downloaded and
saved the Greek alphabet because I had just such a situation in a
> book I was validating. Fixing the dates in some histories is a job I won't
offer to do again, though. I finally gave up reading Society in
> Medieval Italy (I can't remember the exact title) and just skimmed looking
for the dates and footnotes and used the spell check and wrote in
> the synopsis that I'll keep the file and if any reader has a problem
figuring something out they can contact me.
>
> I don't understand why some books which are submitted with an Excellent
rating, as Shelley recently posted, appeared on the download list
> as Fair, unless either the scanner didn't put the rating or the automatic
rater over-rode what the scanner put. In case the latter occurs, I
> suggest that scanners check their submissions when they appear on the
download list, which I gather is instantly, to see the rating. Then
> maybe they can post in the discussion or validate it themselves if there's
no way they can change the rating at that point.
>
> Cindy
>
> Let me present another point of view. Almost all advanced science
> books
> will have maps, diagrams, figures, pictures, formulae, and other
> material
> which will not scan well. I don't want to be denied science scans
> just
> because of this. I would rather have the book in a quasi-readable
> form than
> no book at all. In a similar vain, many history books have elaborate
> maps,
> figures, pictures, and foreign words which scanning in its present
> form
> won't make accessible to the blind. Again, I would prefer to have
> what can
> be scanned.
>
> I have read many books which have poor scanning of the top
> line--title or
> whatever--but where the total content of the book is perfect.
>
> Now I will grant that the more pedestrian the book, the more readable
> it is
> likely to be, but there is need for the others. And, by the way,
> anything
> like twenty thousand books, currently in copyright rather than public
> domain, is a goal we are no where near.
> --
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