Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 10:02:46 -0800 From: Gary Kline <kline@tao.thought.org> To: Micah <micahjon@ywave.com> Cc: Gary Kline <kline@tao.thought.org>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Waaaaay OT, sorry. Message-ID: <20051129180246.GA14559@thought.org> In-Reply-To: <438C833E.5030707@ywave.com> References: <20051129060512.GA10583@thought.org> <200511282215.08918.vizion@vizion.occoxmail.com> <20051129065126.GA10783@thought.org> <438C833E.5030707@ywave.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
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
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20051129180246.GA14559>