Fwd: Bookshare.org e-Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 (fwd)

[Scott Howell]

This was sent to me so hope someone finds it useful. I haven't checked it
out yet myself.



---
Scott 

>elsewhere.  Please consider at least signing up for the newsletter list, 
>even if not the discussion list.  You can sign up from the Web site, or if 
>Web access is a pain for you, let me know, and I'll send you email directions.
>
>I, for one, am looking forward to making whatever contributions I can.
>
>I won't send one of these out again.
>
>Best to all,
>Jennifer
>
>Bookshare.org - Books without Barriers
>e-Newsletter
>Volume 1, Issue 1
>Save Your Book Scans
>
>Welcome to the first Bookshare.org e-Newsletter.  We're excited to
>update you about the development of this new online community that
>enables people in the United States with visual or other print
>disabilities to legally share scanned books.  Bookshare.org takes
>advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits
>the reproduction of publications into specialized formats for the
>disabled.  Bookshare.org is on track to launch at the end of this year.
>
>The number one priority is to build the collection of digital books,
>with a goal of offering 20,000 books at launch.  Bookshare.org brings
>people together to share their digital resources with the broader
>community.  As a result, the collection is built by its members and
>supporters.  Whether you've got one book or a thousand in your library,
>your role in building the collection is critical.  Once the books are
>submitted, the Bookshare.org community relies on volunteers to check the
>books and prepare them for download.
>
>Our vision  - to dramatically increase the accessibility of electronic
>books for this community - is within reach.  Help make it a reality!
>
>1.  Save your book scans.
>
>If you regularly scan books for your own use, or have access to a
>scanner, you can help build the collection.  Detailed information about
>book scans is included below.
>
>While we welcome any scanned books, we also maintain a list of recent
>best-sellers that aren't already in the collection.  Send an email to
>volunteer at bookshare.org to request some book suggestions from this list.
>
>2.  Tell your friends.
>
>The more people who know about Bookshare.org and take an active role in
>supporting its development, the more extensive the collection will be.
>Feel free to forward this email to other people you know who could
>benefit from being a part of the Bookshare.org community.
>
>3.  Sign up as a volunteer.
>
>In mid-September we will launch a volunteer website that will enable
>people like you to help check in the thousands of books that have
>already been submitted.  This important processing step can be done by
>volunteers over an Internet connection.
>
>What does it mean to check in books?  Before submitted books can be made
>available for download, they need to go through this important
>processing step.  All of this can be done through a web interface, and
>includes things like verifying the title, author, and copyright
>information, helping to categorize the book, and rating its quality.
>For some books, this check in process will include downloading the
>original book submission, and converting it into a standard file format.
>
>We'll let you know through this e-newsletter when it is up and running.
>If you'd like to sign up to become a volunteer, simply send an email to
>volunteer at bookshare.org expressing your interest.
>
>
>We look forward to your involvement in this online community, and
>welcome your ideas and suggestions.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>The Bookshare.org Team
>info at bookshare.org
>www.bookshare.org
>
>-------------------------------------------
>DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT BOOK SCANS
>
>If you have digital copies of books that you have scanned in for your
>own use, please save them to add to the collection when Bookshare.org
>launches.
>
>Here are some guidelines about what materials we can and cannot accept.
>Below, you'll find a set of preferences we've put together for scanned
>materials if you are scanning new books to submit to Bookshare.org.
>Following these preferences will help ensure the highest quality books
>that have useful markings such as page numbers and chapter indications.
>
>
>Materials we can accept:
>
>- Complete scans of books.
>- Digital books in almost any format.
>- Books either copyrighted or in the public domain.
>- Materials that do not violate any of the restrictions listed below.
>
>
>Materials we cannot accept:
>
>- Any copyrighted material that does not contain the original copyright
>notice (including copyright owner(s) and date).
>- Copyrighted dramatic works (such as plays).
>- Exams, teachers' editions of textbooks or sample course materials.
>- Partial book scans, such as individual chapters.
>- Any materials that are proprietary, or were obtained in breach of any
>contract or illegally.
>
>
>Preferences:
>
>Scanner settings
>1.  Keep Exact View / Image File
>- If your scanner allows you to do so, keep the image file of the
>scanned pages along with the text translation.  If you are using a
>Kurzweil 1000 version 6 or Kurzweil 3000, the image file is saved with
>the .kes file format.  If you are using OPENBook or WYNN, the image
>files will be included if you have "Keep Exact View" enabled.
>
>Why do we ask for this? Over time, as the quality of Optical Character
>Recognition technology improves, we hope to be able to go back to the
>original image files that are submitted to provide an even higher
>quality book.  However, the size of books scanned with exact view on is
>quite large, and people with limited disk space or slow connections may
>find this impractical.  We want your book with or without the images!
>
>
>- If your system does not allow you to keep the image file of the
>scanned pages along with the text translation, please save the scan in
>RTF.
>
>Bookshare.org can accept digital books in many different formats.  If
>you've got digital books in other formats, you can definitely still
>submit them to the collection, and we welcome your submissions!
>
>2.  Two page scanning
>- If you choose to scan two pages of a book at a time, select "two page
>scanning" so that the resulting file will differentiate between the two
>pages.
>
>3.  Keep blank pages
>- Do not discard blank pages if your scanning software has such a
>setting.  Having all of the pages, including the blank ones, will help
>provide page numbers that correspond to those in the original book.
>
>Scanning
>1.  Copyright notice
>- Make sure to include the scan of the copyright notice. This is found
>on the back side of the title page. Bookshare.org cannot legally add
>books to its collection that do not contain the original copyright
>owner(s) and date.
>
>2.  Entire book
>
>- Scan the book cover, book jacket (if it has one), and all of the pages
>before and after the content.
>- Make sure to scan the book in its entirety; no single chapters will be
>accepted.
>
>3.  Careful layout
>- Make sure that the book is square on the scanner when you scan.
>
>
>Saving the Scan
>Following these guidelines will save the most amount of information
>about the book, such as page numbers, chapters, emphasized text, etc.
>1.  Optical Character Recognition
>- Run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on your scanned material
>before submitting it. This will help increase the quality of the
>submission.
>
>2.  File format
>- If you are using a commercial OCR package, save the scan in the RTF
>format.
>- If you are using OpenBook, WYNN, or the Kurzweil 1000 version 6 or
>Kurzweil 3000, save the scan in the default format for the program. For
>example, for OpenBook the default results in a file with the extension
>..ark.  For the Kurzweil products, the default results in a file with the
>extension .kes.
>
>
>-------------------------------------------
>ABOUT BOOKSHARE.ORG
>Books without Barriers
>
>Bookshare.org is a new online community that enables people in the
>United States with visual or other print disabilities to legally share
>scanned books.  Bookshare.org will launch in late 2001.
>
>Where do the digital books come from?
>The Bookshare.org collection is built and shaped primarily by its
>community of members and supporters. By scanning a book to submit to the
>collection, a Bookshare.org member can provide other members with access
>to that book.
>
>Who can access the books?
>Copyrighted digital books will be available only to U.S. citizens or
>residents who have a disability that affects print reading. Both
>individuals and organizational memberships will be available. Qualified
>organizations are those that provide accessible material to individuals
>with print disabilities.
>
>Why is Bookshare.org legal?
>In general, it would be illegal to share or distribute copyrighted
>books.  However, Bookshare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in
>U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into
>specialized formats for the disabled.  This project is possible under
>the law in the United States, as long as the copyrighted digital books
>are only available to people in the U.S. with bona fide disabilities and
>the nonprofits and schools that serve them.  For more information,
>please visit our website at http://www.bookshare.org/about/legal.
>
>Who is behind Bookshare.org?
>Bookshare.org is a project of the Benetech Initiative, a nonprofit
>organization.  Benetech is the new name of Arkenstone, the nonprofit
>organization that was the leading maker of reading systems.  Benetech
>brings the power of technology to socially important needs.
>
>
>Copyright © 2001 Benetech
>