You probably have it right. Let me add that these publisher
submissions are supplying a much higher number of high quality ebooks
in a very short period of time than volunteers could in years. Before
anyone starts mentioning the page breaks and descriptions of
illustrations I will admit that there are some trade-offs. The actual
text, though, is of high quality and the replacement of higher quality
volunteer submissions is at a low rate compared to all the high
quality publisher submissions that are being made. That means that
despite the work that has gone into making those volunteer submissions
I think it is probably worth it to have them displaced. Think about
this. A lot of work went into inventing, producing and perfecting the
old wood burning cook-stoves too. Would you want to go back to using
them just so that the work of the people who made them possible would
not now be in vain? I doubt it. Let's face it, ways of doing many
things become obsolete. They become obsolete because better ways of
doing them have been found and then it is time to move on. The point
of having these books available is to have them accessible to print
impaired people. The point is not to give gratification to volunteers
for having done a good job. If Bookshare volunteering becomes
obsolete then that is to the good. However, it has not become obsolete
yet. To remain relevant it is only necessary for volunteers to switch
niches and start submitting items that are not otherwise going to
enter the collection like books from small presses or books that went
out of print before publishers started keeping electronic files of
their books. Someday, perhaps, Bookshare or some future entity will
find a way to make every book that has ever been published or ever
will be published available in perfect quality. If and when that ever
happens volunteering at Bookshare will be completely obsolete. That
is, the jobs volunteers do now will be completely obsolete. Maybe some
other volunteer jobs can be found. If that time comes it will be for
the good. All the work that volunteers have done in the past will no
longer have a value, but until that happens the value will be there.
Remember, nothing lasts forever. Even Bookshare will not last forever.
I have no idea what the circumstances will be that will bring about
its demise. I can only hope that it will be replaced with something
better, but I cannot count on that. Whether it is replaced by
something better, though, or some kind of economic or other kind of
disaster puts an end to it, it will still have provided a useful
service up until that time. The same can be said about the services of
the volunteers. When obsolescence comes the work of the volunteers
will have been of great value up until that time. In the meantime,
partial obsolescence is nothing to complain about. As long as that
partial obsolescence is being brought about by something better it
should be celebrated.
_ _ _
"Socialism can be built only by free men and women working together to
lay the foundations for a new society and transforming themselves in
the process." - Ernesto "Che" Guevara
The Militant:
http://www.themilitant.com
Pathfinder Press:
http://www.pathfinderpress.com
Granma International:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kyle and Candice"
<candicat87@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 3:13 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I don't know what to think about things
right now
I think and i could be wrong that the publisher would be playcated
because in order to keep good relations bookshare must make
consessions they may not normally make. This meaning the publisher can
say we own this material not you so if you want our work you get our
version. I could be wrong, but it seems like this would be the way
bookshare would have to respond?
----- Original Message ----- From: solsticesinger
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 2:40 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I don't know what to think about things
right now
There may be a way of letting publishers know which books are already
in the collection, but, for some reason, bookshare staff seems either
unwilling or unable to do this. It may have something to do with not
knowing which books the publishers are going to donate, or it may have
something to do with the strange idea that a publisher quality scan is
better than a book that has been scanned and read by a volunteer.
Whatever it has to do with, no one seems able to change it. Instead,
we're supposed to simply deal with the frustration, or, be incredibly
selective about what we scan. I don't know about the rest of you, but
I scan things I want to read. So, I don't really want to wait and see
if a publisher might add it one day. At the same time, I don't want to
do a ton of hard work, only to find that it's worthless because the
publisher donated the book.
It would seem that bookshare, as an organization, would have some way
of protecting the work of its volunteers. However, this does not seem
to be the case, and, as a volunteer who submits many books to the
collection, I feel very undervalued by this kind of treatment.
Solstice Singer
Are you a fan of women's music? If so, join me, each Wednesday
evening from 7-10 eastern, for The Eclectic Collection: a Celebration
of Women In Music. Point your media player to:
http://mojoradio.us:9090
----- Original Message ----- From: Chela Robles
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:20 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I don't know what to think about
things right now
But, there has got to be a way though to let the publishers know
that someone has already done the title where x marks the spot on the
book, see? I won't give up though.
--
"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you
forever. It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be
sophisticated, but when you get the two of them together in a way
people can relate to, then I think you're on to something. You want
the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of
the arrangements, and the quality of the performances."-Trumpeter
Chris Botti
--
Chela Robles
AIM and E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx
Skype: jazzytrumpet
WindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx
I Volunteer for a non-profit organization called Bookshare, to find
out more go to: http://www.bookshare.org
--
On 7/27/2010 6:13 PM, solsticesinger wrote:
It doesn't seem to matter what we say, or how we object. We're
just told that it has to do with the contract that was signed with the
publisher. So, bringing this to anyone's attention seems a bit
fruitless. It's a contract. There's no way to get out of it right now.
Everything takes time, and on and on and on it goes.
Solstice Singer
Are you a fan of women's music? If so, join me, each Wednesday
evening from 7-10 eastern, for The Eclectic Collection: a Celebration
of Women In Music. Point your media player to:
http://mojoradio.us:9090
----- Original Message ----- From: Chela Robles
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 8:02 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I don't know what to think about
things right now
OK then, I'm just saying as a team we should approach whoever
is in charge of rejecting/putting less quality books about our hard
effort which pays for our memberships here, to the person directly,
and will that person speak up or forever hold their peace please?
Thank you! Honestly, I've heard a lot of what is going on here and I
hope you all won't take my words offensively, I was just trying to
encourage you all not to go away is all ok, sorry for the harm
hopefully not done yet, I might as well think about stuff like leaving
the two lists here, and I hope my text goes through this time instead
of a blank email. I'm not at all offended just annoyed at the fact I
try hard too, to keep you all calm, but then again, I'm only one
person like the rest of you.
I recently told someone I'd leave the lists for some reasons, but
would be willing to do behind-the-scenes work for Bookshare and if
that is the case, then I will think about bidding you all good-bye.
Please let us just try to convince whoever has been putting our hard
efforts asside and placing them with publisher poor quality books
which would have to be redone anyway to the person directly.
--
"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you
forever. It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be
sophisticated, but when you get the two of them together in a way
people can relate to, then I think you're on to something. You want
the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of
the arrangements, and the quality of the performances."-Trumpeter
Chris Botti
--
Chela Robles
AIM and E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx
Skype: jazzytrumpet
WindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx
I Volunteer for a non-profit organization called Bookshare, to find
out more go to: http://www.bookshare.org
--
On 7/27/2010 5:45 PM, solsticesinger wrote:
Chela,
What exactly is it that we're supposed to do? Hopefully, not
continue to do good and valuable work, only to have it replaced by a
publisher copy that is very often of poorer quality. I think that's a
lot to ask of people.
Certainly, I think bookshare is a valuable organization, and
I enjoy scanning. In fact, many know that it's sort of a zen activity
for me. However, when I see my hard work, as well as the hard work of
proofreaders, discarded because publisher quality books come along, I
am discouraged, and, personally, I think that's a valid feeling. My
time is too valuable to be wasted like this.
In the past several hundred books, I found six of my scans
had been replace. I received no email notices about any of these
replacements. If I hadn't browsed the new books section, I never would
have known. So, not only is my time being wasted, but I'm not even
being told that my scan has been replaced? I find this quite
discourteous, to be honest.
So, please define exactly what it is you think we should all
do together as a team. If it's productive, and doesn't cause me to
waste my time, I'm happy to do it, but, if it involves being content
with the current state of affairs, I can not and will not do so.
Solstice Singer
Are you a fan of women's music? If so, join me, each
Wednesday evening from 7-10 eastern, for The Eclectic Collection: a
Celebration of Women In Music. Point your media player to:
http://mojoradio.us:9090
----- Original Message ----- From: Chela Robles
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 1:55 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I don't know what to think
about things right now
I'm here to encourage not discourage, to urge not fade
away, come on guys you all can do it, I know you can, just takes more
effort you dig? I understand where you all who are complaining are
coming from but we shouldn't quit altogether. We're a team and we work
together, so who is with me, I can't hear you so shout it out loud!
--
"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you
forever. It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be
sophisticated, but when you get the two of them together in a way
people can relate to, then I think you're on to something. You want
the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of
the arrangements, and the quality of the performances."-Trumpeter
Chris Botti
--
Chela Robles
AIM and E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx
Skype: jazzytrumpet
WindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx
I Volunteer for a non-profit organization called Bookshare, to find
out more go to: http://www.bookshare.org
--
On 7/27/2010 11:43 AM, Larry Lumpkin wrote:
Jamie, Susan and I don't particularly want to leave
but neither do we want our work wasted. I believe that is our right
as volunteers. If an organization is to utilize a pool of volunteers,
it is their responsibility and job to direct them to the tasks they
wish them to do. I have directed volunteer pools several times in my
working life and I know this to be the case.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jamie Prater
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 1:06 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] I don't know what to think
about things right now
Hi, all, I've been following the threads about PQ books
versus volunteer work. I've enjoyed volunteering for Christian
fiction and kids' stuff mostly and because of page numbering issues,
I've backed off considerably on what I volunteer for. Every day for
the past several weeks has been like Christmas looking at and
downloading all the new books lately. I'm very, very sad that this new
influx of books is starting to run some top knotch volunteers away
because of publishers' issues. I see both sides of the coin on these
issues but wish all you fantastic volunteers would find a reason to
stay at bookshare. I like books from a Pentecostal Christian
standpoint as far as Christian/nonfiction goes, and I love all kinds
of Christian fiction, classics, and general fiction as well as kids'
stuff. Some of the volunteers who've said they are most likely leaving
bookshare are ones who print some of these kinds of books. I know
there are so very many books out there in the world, and I do wish we
could all find a niche and grow bookshare and everybody can feel like
useful and contributing members of bookshare and society. I had no
idea this wonderful growth spurt for bookshare would run off
volunteers and this is a bittersweet pill to swallow and makes me feel
very, very sad. Please folks reconsider before quitting the wonderful
job you're all doing on adding books to the collection. Lori and Mike
in particular, thanks to you, I've got some Jentezen Franklin books
I'd not otherwise have, and this makes me sad to see you and others
go. Thanks and have a blessed day.
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