If anyone wishes to see an illustration showing this Plustec scanner 'in action' with a book balanced precariously on its edge, then have a look at the review on page 67 of April's 'Your Family Tree.' Though the article's photo shows a modern paperback being scanned, its spine is nevertheless very painfully creased along its length and the binding must have been ripped apart to achieve this. I must say that Rod confirms the doubts I felt this article raised, especially when the reviewer says that "it's much easier to photocopy a book by bending it around the scanner edge" (though to be fair to the article its main subject is the scanning of old photos, and this scanner's speciality is very briefly cited as one example of the more exotic types of scanner that exist). However, I would also be concerned that the book's centre of mass, when being scanned on the Optimax, could end up either above the scanner or above thin air, or anywhere in between, depending on how far the 'photocopying' process had progressed through the book's pages; it seems rather likely to me that a book unsupported in this way could very easily decide to boldly declare something like "To Eternity - and BEYOND!" (or the floor at least). All in all, I wonder exactly what market this scanner is aimed at - surely the mass-pirating of the latest paperbacks isn't going to take over from music and video copying - is it? Then again, maybe now I can afford those expensive local history titles, if I keep a scanned printout and resell the original book on eBay! Happy easter y'all, Lawrence. -----Original Message----- From: Rod Neep [mailto:rkpn@british-genealogy.com] Sent: 26 March 2005 12:22 To: SOG-UK-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SoG] Scanning an old book In message <3lk041tdehup96mgsp5p6mg04qspfbagm4@4ax.com>, John Addis-Smith <genl@addisgen.com> writes >Another alternative would be the Plustek Optibook 3600 >book scanner, which scans to the edge of the platen which can be >placed up to the inner edge of a page. A little expensive at £233.83 >(incl VAT) via the National Archivist web site: > >http://shop.nationalarchivist.com/acatalog/Products_Book_Scanner_37.htm l >where there is a description and photograph. If the rest of the book >was carefully supported and it was not too tightly bound, it should >not be damaged . . . > >This would make a good addition to the SoG library if someone would >sponsor it! All that is, is a flatbed scanner that will scan to the edge of the platten area. It still requires considerable man handling of the book. Old and valuable books will certainly be damaged by using it. Any books that are already weak at the binding will be destroyed by using it. Having had the pleasure of scanning several hundred of the Society's books over the last few weeks, I can assure everyone that use of such a scanner would have resulted in many of those (already weak) books being in extremely worse for the wear condition. An overhead book scanner is the only realistic option, as the book sits in its normal relaxed position, and only the pages are turned, without it having to be picked up and stressed for each page scan. Regards Rod -- Rod Neep Archive CD Books : http://www.archivecdbooks.org with the surname Dudley, but in all their births their parents are listed as literally William and Sarah Dudley alias Bright. Even William's burial entry is listed as "William Dudley alias Bright". Can anyone tell me what this might mean? The only thing I can think of is that he was illegitimate and sometimes goes by his father's surname and other times by his mother's. Many thanks for any suggestions. Sylvia > > -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.1 - Release Date: 23/03/2005 -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.1 - Release Date: 23/03/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.1 - Release Date: 23/03/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.1 - Release Date: 23/03/2005