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.