Scan This
Listening to: James Blunt - Wisemen
I estimate it took me about 30 hrs, but I got both books scanned before I had to return them.
A bit of background.
There's not enough PD (public domain) Canadian works out there. I *know* we have more good classics than you can find, so...I started researching. Which eventually led to despair at my provincial library, but...as temperamental as it is, I did score at the university library. Sort of.
As an alumni, I have the right to access the library. In theory. In practice, the clerk at first gave me a blank look, and then told me I would have come back on a different day, and go to a different building to get a student ID. My alumni card apparently is only good for one blank look.
So, feeling like about ten ways a fool for the bother, I went back as prescribed, with another special trip to town to do it. I found the building and the desk I had to, and got my picture taken. It's a lovely picture, extra special because that day happened to have a wonderfully blistery rainstorm that was literally shoving me around angrily like a gothic heroine about to meet a bitter fate.
So, like every ID I've taken, I look angry. Of course, I *am* angry when I have to do stupid things for no reason, but only more like caustically annoyed. However, I get a huge laugh every time I see the pictures, because I look as if my stare caused the photographer to burst into flames. Ergo, this time I look like I'm roasting the photographer for trying to drown me.
But I got the dang ID, so I went back to the library, and now I could get my books. Except now I had to pay overdue fines. WTF? They wanted $4. For books they say were overdue back in 1998. Now, I remember the books, of course, and I know they were not late. I know that the system probably did not take a renewal, it was wonky like that, but at this point the spousal unit is becoming very anxious about the parking meter, and agrees to pay it. Argh! And then, before I can escape with any dignity, they want my email. I am not relishing the thought of library spam, especially library spam about overdue books that are not overdue, so I am trying to duck out of this, but the SU begins to pretty much agree to hand over my soul as long as we can get back to the meter RIGHT NOW. I did give over the email, but only because I figured if I didn't my flesh would be the next thing offered.
So I got my two books for three weeks, and got them G approved, and it was a near thing, but I got them scanned and checked on time. The first one was fairly easy, but the second was in much worse shape. Each page has to be scanned multiple times, and then have digital notes attached to patch up the bits that still were illegible. But I got it done! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Now I just have to proof and edit about 160,000 words into Gutenberg's plain ascii style text....And one html version, as one of the books has 100 illustrations. Then, I might record them. Or maybe only one of them. We'll see. But that's all.
Just. ;)
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