Hi, Everyone,I have stayed out of this discussion until now partly because I feel a bit uncomfortable with the topic and partly because I don't like to offer opinions which may be considered as criticism.
However, I feel somewhat compelled to share my thoughts for whatever they are worth.
Speaking in general, I think Chris raises some valid issues. If Power to the People was in fact a bestseller in September, it should be in the collection now or listed on the Bestseller page as "coming soon". It is not.
It has been suggested by many people that Chris can put the book on the wish list. That solution means that the book may never be added to the collection unless a volunteer chooses to obtain the book and scan it. That is not supposed to be the fate of bestsellers.
Also, it has been suggested that Chris scan the book--also not the fate of bestsellers--and he does not have a scanner.
Also, it is my understanding that bestsellers have to be scanned and validated inhouse as they need to be perfect; such perfection can sometimes be achieved only by someone who can compare the book with the scanned copy.
I think that Bookshare is a wonderful organization made of marvelous, considerate, book-loving, employees, volunteers, and readers. Nevertheless, I think Chris has raised a valid issue which I know is being reviewed by staff.
Cat Lover Lori----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Feist" <ccfeist@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 9:59 PMSubject: [bksvol-discuss] Best sellers that aren't making it into the collection
Hi all. After some investigating, I see that I'm still confused, and I believe with good reason. I'm posting this on both lists. To begin with, I'll quote directly from the Bookshare Web site."Bookshare.org is proud to be able to bring to its subscribers all the booksthat have appeared in the top 10 on the New York TimesR Best Sellers lists in fiction and nonfiction, hardcover and paperback alike, from September, 2005 through September, 2007 . . . We're working on our October/November 2007 best sellers; as new titles appear on these lists, we purchase these books, process them in-house, and add them to our collection." Based on the information above, all books that appear on the NYT top 10 shall be routinely added to the collection. It goes on to say, "Our volunteers make sure that the Bookshare.org library includes current books on The New York Times Best Seller list." And yet, for some reason unclear to me, it has been brought to light that Power to the People by Laura Ingraham was never added to the collection.First, Ann Coulter's new book is passed over, and now I learn of another top10 book that shared the same fate.It's significant to point out that Power to the People reached #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Let me repeat that. It went all the way, infact it debuted, at #1. How could a #1 book possibly get overlooked? Tothe best of my knowledge, there has been only one explanation given for itsexclusion, (and thanks to Jamie for bringing it to our attention). Surely there is a more adequate explanation. If there is, I'd really appreciatesome clarification. It's unfortunate that the book was not included at thevery least, and it raises some disturbing, but valid, questions-especially considering the similarity of both authors. Also on the Web site, I've discovered that Bookshare takes donations to assist in broadening the collection: "We obtain a new book either bypurchasing it or having it donated. Decisions on which books to purchase aremade based on user requests and surveys, best-seller lists, book award winners and recommendations from teachers and school administrators." Again, this is baffling because Power to the People has been both 1.requested and, 2. was a #1 on both New York Times and Amazon. I don't knowif the consideration of "user requests" is taken by a show of hands, but just in case, I'd like to add my request for Power to the People as well. As far as it's status as a best seller, I believe Power to the People's success speaks for itself. It has been suggested that if I want a best seller added to the collectionthat has been skipped over, I could always purchase the book myself and sendit to the Bookshare office or find someone to scan it for me. In view of Bookshare's policy on providing members with best sellers, plainly thatendeavor lies with Bookshare itself. I do understand that volunteers submitthe books they wish to, and that is what makes up a significant portion of the collection. However, clearly that process is not supposed to include best sellers. Let me close by saying I've merely raised some concerns I have. I'm notpointing fingers at anyone. In fact, I'm reading what people have to say onlist, and then reading the information on the Bookshare Web site, and for whatever reason, 2 + 2 is not equaling 4. Thank you for your time, Chris Feist - The one and only! To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
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