Bob, I correct books too. I think that once you get used to editing,
your mind won't be satisfied until everything is in order. It's almost
impossible to read without noticing errors, and validating becomes a
reflex. It's one reason I use a Book Port to read books for pleasure.
I can't edit books on there, and it gets me to relax and read for the
pleasure of reading.
On 8/9/08, Monica Willyard <rhyami@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Reading how many of you got started with volunteering helps me to
understand you better. I think I came to Bookshare with a slightly
different goal. I do want to help people and give back. I'd have to
say that it's a secondary goal though. For years, I saw reading what I
want as a very high brick wall that I couldn't climb. While I enjoyed
NLS, they weren't very open to feedback about books that were
important to me, and I was always on a waiting list for something.
When I got my first scanner, I began scanning anything from my house
that I could fit onto the glass. With each book I scanned, I felt like
I was removing one brick from that high wall. When I discovered
Bookshare, I realized that I could help other people tear down their
brick walls while tearing down my own. That is why I scan. I validate
because it is what has to be done to help someone else's scan go
through. For me, having PQ books come into Bookshare would mean having
more sections of the brick wall removed, and I could take a break
sometimes, knowing that the wall is still being torn down while I get
on with life.
Realistically, Bookshare is only expecting to add around 100,000 books
in the next four years. There are literally millions of recent books
out there, and that means there will still be books to work on, other
sections of the wall to tear down. So I'll keep volunteering until
that wall is down low, more like a retaining wall that people can
easily hop over. I'm committed to doing this for the long haul. Having
said that, I want to get to a point where scanning isn't necessary
because we get PQ books when print copies are released. To me, that is
what success will look like, where volunteers are only needed for
occasional projects or for hard to find niche books. From reading your
messages, I can see I'm in the minority here. That's ok since we all
see things differently. Here's hoping we all get what we want. (smile)
--
Monica Willyard
Visit my blog at http://www.scannersguild.com
--
Monica Willyard
Visit my blog at http://www.scannersguild.com
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