[bksvol-discuss] Re: proofreading crisis

  • From: Cindy Rosenthal <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:58:56 -0700 (PDT)

WISH LIST (CALLED REQUESTED ADDITIONS TO THE BOOKSHARE COLLECTION)IS AVAILABLE 
AT  
http://www.friendsofbookshare.org/wish_list/wish_list.htm
www.lljfm.net/bookshare/home.htm

A LIST OF BOOKS CURRENTLY BEING SCANNED IS AVAILABLE AT 
http://www.friendsofbookshare.org/
www.lljfm.net/bookshare/home.htm


--- On Mon, 3/23/09, Pavi Mehta <pavim@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Pavi Mehta <pavim@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: proofreading crisis
> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 12:17 PM
> Hi Lissi and others,
> 
> Thanks for the thoughtful discussion that has taken place
> on this list while I've been away at C-SUN. (It was a
> pleasure to meet some of our volunteers and members in
> person there!)
> 
> Carrie and I just had a follow up discussion on the problem
> of the scarcity of books on the checkout list. To answer
> your question Lissi, staff and paid subcontractors don't use
> the checkout list (except for rare exception cases) so that
> isn't where the problem lies. 
> 
> 1. As you have all pointed out -- there are a few people
> who have checked out and checked in large numbers of books
> without according to each, a reasonable time for proofing.
> 
> I have written to these volunteers (my thanks to all the
> submitters who wrote in with their concerns) and let them
> know that in the future if that trend continues their
> checked in books will be returned to the checkout list due
> to "insufficient time for proofing" and further action will
> be taken if needed. Carrie is ccd on these letters so she
> stays in the loop as the approval queue manager. We will
> certainly be watching the proofing time more carefully here
> on.
> 
> 2. Carrie and I talked about the possibility of scanning
> more books in-house explicitly for the Checkout List. We are
> hoping to be able to up the weekly number of new titles we
> scan here and place on the checkout list, so that our
> proofreaders have more to choose from. 
> 
>I think that's an excellent policy but could the limit on downloads perhsps be 
>modified? If some onesa me to work on a book but I already have some I'm 
>working on I could download the book rather than keep it on th download 
>list--at the momentit's not a problem--I don't think there any holds for me.

Cindy
> All good things,
> Pavi
> 
> Pavi Mehta
> Volunteer Coordinator, Bookshare
> 
> Benetech 
> 480 S. California Ave., Suite 201
> Palo Alto, CA 94306-1609 USA
> Phone:  +1 650 644-3459
>  
> pavim@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> www.benetech.org
>  
> The Benetech Initiative - Technology Serving Humanity 
> A Nonprofit Organization
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Mickey
> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 8:42 AM
> To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: proofreading crisis
> 
> Well said, Lissi. I have some time off, and looked at the
> checkout page 
> today. The books are almost all either Holdfors or
> something not in my field 
> of expertise. Frankly, I'm ready to throw in the sponge.
> 
> I have some books to scan, but I don't even like my scans.
> But I'll do them 
> anyway.
> 
> We also need to be careful to nourish volunteers, to bring
> them along and 
> show them what we require, not only give to the ones we
> know are good. That 
> promotes cliques, which ruins any good volunteer
> organization.
> 
> Not trying to start something, just trying to make the
> organization better.
> Mikey
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bob" <rwiley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 12:36 AM
> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: proofreading crisis
> 
> 
> > You do bring up some very valid points Lissi, and I
> want to second your 
> > concern.
> >
> > Some time ago I did notice that a few books were
> scanned and proofread by 
> > the same person and given the short path to the
> collection. I didn't 
> > notice many like that, but that could be one of the
> reasons for our 
> > incredible shrinking checkout page. I really love the
> book history feature 
> > that bookshare has implemented. In that way we can
> track a book's path to 
> > glory.
> >
> > Bob
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Estelnalissi" <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 11:21 PM
> > Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: proofreading crisis
> >
> >
> >> Dear Bud and Booksharian Friends,
> >>
> >> The scarcity of books to proofread on the
> check-out page is alarming.
> >>
> >> I understand Bookshare wouldn't want to alienate
> its volunteers en masse, 
> >> but I think a small number of volunteers may be
> responsible for a large 
> >> amount of poor quality material being shunted
> through the system. 
> >> Certainly conscientious proofreaders are missing
> the opportunity we had, 
> >> a mere 3 months ago, to find books upon which to
> lavish our attention, 
> >> but worse yet, members are again, despite the
> elimination of the fair 
> >> category, being given books to read which are
> below the high standard 
> >> most of us willingly give our time and acquired
> expertise to maintain. It 
> >> only takes a couple of frustrating reading
> experiences for a member to 
> >> write Bookshare off as an unreliable source of
> reading material and I 
> >> think we shouldn't underestimate the damage the
> resulting word-of-mouth 
> >> criticism does to Bookshare's reputation.
> >>
> >> The purpose of proofreaders is to catch the errors
> which submittors miss. 
> >> A proofreader who runs a routine spell check and
> copyright check is bound 
> >> to overlook errors which will be all to obvious to
> subsequent readers. 
> >> Submittors like you, Bud, trust when you put a
> book on the check out 
> >> page, that the volunteer who checks out your book
> will take as much pride 
> >> in their proofreading as you do in your scanning.
> >>
> >> A few weeks ago I checked out a book by Avi, a
> book for middle school age 
> >> children, which was missing many page breaks and
> had had extra hard 
> >> returns on at least 95 percent of the lines. Some
> other scanning errors 
> >> had also been left uncorrected. It was put back on
> the check out page 
> >> after being checked in by a proofreader who would
> have to have noticed 
> >> these mistakes on practically every line, in just
> a few minutes of 
> >> examining the file. It took a couple of weeks for
> me to get a copy of the 
> >> book and to fix what needed fixing, but I'm a fan
> of Avi and I was 
> >> horrified at the thought of a kid getting such a
> good book in such sorry 
> >> condition.
> >>
> >> Another important point in my mind is the fact
> that we're watching the 
> >> check out page dwindle without knowing the cause.
> We're speculating 
> >> because we're concerned and because proofreaders'
> source of workable 
> >> files is drying up. Are their fewer submissions?
> Are a small number of 
> >> manic proofreaders who are ignoring the reading
> implicit in the word 
> >> proofread turning books around in the time it
> takes to fill out the check 
> >> in form? Is the staff proofreading books from the
> check-in form? Why has 
> >> the number of books on the check in page dropped
> an average of 100 books 
> >> a month. At that rate the page will be empty soon
> and May first will 
> >> truly be a May Day for dedicated proofreaders. Is
> there a future for 
> >> Proofreaders at Bookshare?
> >>
> >> Pavi, Carrie, Anyone on staff would ask you
> personally, but the answers I 
> >> seek are not just for myself. I  believe
> concern and anxiety are running 
> >> high in this segment of the volunteer community.
> Please catch us up... 
> >> fill us in. Solid information would serve us far
> better than our 
> >> continued hypothesizing.
> >>
> >> Always with love,
> >>
> >> Lissi
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Bud Schwab" <budschwab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 11:22 PM
> >> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] proofreading dilemma
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hi guys,
> >>> I was out this afternoon and when I got home I
> had 95 emails, mostly 
> >>> dealing with the shoddy proofreading. 
> Maybe my thoughts are too simple, 
> >>> but why doesn't Bookshare have the authority
> to just dump those people 
> >>> who aren't  really putting their heart in
> their work?     I don't think 
> >>> a slap on the wrist is going to do
> anything.  After all the hard work I 
> >>> put into scanning and cleaning up a book I
> resent it when it gets just a 
> >>> short checking and returned  as
> proofread.
> >>> Just my thoughts.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Bud Schwab
> >>> W 6 Z Y P
> >>> Malibu, California
> >>>
> >>> To unsubscribe from this list send a blank
> Email to
> >>> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>> put 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.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email
> to
> >> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> put 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.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
> > bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > put 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.
> > 
> 
>  To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> put 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.
> 
>  To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> put 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.
> 
>


      

 To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to
bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put 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.

Other related posts: