From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Nov 29 18:02:50 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6BF9316A420 for ; Tue, 29 Nov 2005 18:02:50 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: from tao.thought.org (dsl231-043-140.sea1.dsl.speakeasy.net [216.231.43.140]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 82E8243D5C for ; Tue, 29 Nov 2005 18:02:48 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: from tao.thought.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by tao.thought.org (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id jATI2len014793; Tue, 29 Nov 2005 10:02:47 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: (from kline@localhost) by tao.thought.org (8.13.1/8.13.1/Submit) id jATI2kaG014792; Tue, 29 Nov 2005 10:02:46 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kline) Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 10:02:46 -0800 From: Gary Kline To: Micah Message-ID: <20051129180246.GA14559@thought.org> References: <20051129060512.GA10583@thought.org> <200511282215.08918.vizion@vizion.occoxmail.com> <20051129065126.GA10783@thought.org> <438C833E.5030707@ywave.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <438C833E.5030707@ywave.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: Observing 19 years of service to the Unix community Cc: Gary Kline , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Waaaaay OT, sorry. X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 18:02:50 -0000 On Tue, Nov 29, 2005 at 08:35:10AM -0800, Micah wrote: > Gary Kline wrote: > >On Mon, Nov 28, 2005 at 10:15:06PM -0800, Vizion wrote: > > > >>On Monday 28 November 2005 22:05, the author Gary Kline contributed to > >>the dialogue on- > >>Waaaaay OT, sorry.: > >> > >> > >>> Folks, > >>> > >>> This is one of my more obscure questions and involves scanning > >>> not paper but something they used to store books, magazines, > >>> and newspapers--before the computer age. It is called a > >>> microfiche (or fiche). A friend got a copy of a rare > >>> out-of-print, not-for-sale book on microfiche. We're looking > >>> for some means of scanning this film into a scanner with > >>> OCR. So far, he has tried a camera with 8G memory. No joy, > >>> the scanner sees garbage. Anybody out there ever have anything > >>> like this prob? The book is from 1913 so it is well in the > >>> public domain. I've already written Google; zero response. > >>> > >>> I want to get this book up on my site, fully HTML it so that > >>> everybody has the opportunity to ready it ... . > >>> > >>> thanks for any insights, > >>> > >>> gary > >> > >>Its a long time since I have handled microfiche but my guess is you will > >>need to mount your camera onto a microfiche reader or a microscope. The > >>resolution of a microfiche image is really high - far higher than the > >>camera you are using so I think you may need something to enlarge the > >>image for you to photograph. > >> > >>my two pennorth > >> > >>david > >> > > > > > > Microscope; that never cross my mind. I think my pal took stuff > > to the main library one night and tried capturing the data from > > the reader. Not very successful; I don't know the details. > > (We are around 1200 miles apart.) Any ballpark SWAG what power > > lens might work here? I only touched m'fiche one time ever, so > > have no idea. Money is an issue since there are 400+ pages. > > > > > > gary > > > > > > Here's several ideas: > > My sister has used a microfiche viewer and a digital camera to reproduce > genealogical records in the past. Doesn't turn out half bad. Many > libraries have microfiche readers. Some have the ability to print, but > that may cost you on a per page basis. > > The place I used to work for subcontracted to get microfiche scanned for > our clients. You should look into how much that costs before ruling it > out completely. > > Lastly, if the book has any historical or literary significance, you > might try talking to a few of the larger libraries in your area. You > /may/ be able to get them to do the scanning for you in exchange for > allowing them to shelve a copy or two. > Thanks for everyone's input. I'll keep trying--or, more accurately, will keep encouraging my friend to keep checking into things. He is at a major university with a huge library complex and all the latest technology, &c... . Cost is an issue--every which way you turn. The university has some kind of saving-old-books program, I think, but this book isn't on the list. There have been steep cuts in staff and programs in the past couple years, so the thinking may be: What's the deal with trying to revive a 1913 Ethics text where it's already on fiche?! There is history here with the author (who was blacklisted in 1920); with the anti-Progressive ideas among the superrich. The book itself is outstanding, IMHO as an admitted geek, but otherwise I believe. I'll keep on truckin'. Maybe in a year or two it'll be back ... after 80, 90 years. gary -- Gary Kline kline@thought.org www.thought.org Public service Unix