Destroying a book or not?

[NASCARaddicted]

Hello. I would like to hear your opinion on something I am working on right now.

In the 90s, I got this one book from the USA about a certain subject (just look at my username). I wanted to read it, but back then, my english wasn't very good, so I never got far, even though it is a good book.

Recently, when I emptied an old cupboard, I discovered the book again. And since I am still interested, I thought about reading it now, but due to my ebookreader, I rarely read paperbooks. I searched on the internet if the book is available as ebook, but I didn't find it. So I wanted to scan it by myself. I own a scanner, but the book is very thick, so I would need to push it very hard and maybe break it's spine. I also thought about taking pictures with my camera (a pretty good one) but that would be cumbersome and boring.
However, my father has a scanner, with an automatic document feeder. But to use that, I would have to destroy the book - and I don't want that. So I looked on ebay and I found like 3-4 auctions with this book, at a price between $4 and $15. I thought about getting one of them and cut this one.

But before that, I want to hear your opinion. Even as a kid, I treated my books like they were treasures. I always learned to handle a book well, so buying one just to destroy it would feel strange (even though I still own one in good condition).

What is your opinion?

[twowheels]

I'd have the same difficulty. Cutting the pages out of a book, even for a good purpose is sacrilegious. :-)

[Elfwreck]

I do this regularly. If the book isn't a rare edition, I've almost gotten over the feeling of guilt in chopping off the spine & running it through the document-feed scanner. I've bought several for the purpose of chop-and-scan; it's how I get personal ebooks of books that don't have, and aren't likely to have, an official ebook edition.

This includes out-of-print gaming books, some religious books, and multi-author books where the permissions likely preclude an authorized e-edition.

If I'm feeling guilty or nostalgic about a particular copy, I keep the book, and if the margins are big enough, I've considered putting a comb binding on the loose pages. (So far, I've just rubber-banded them & put the books back on a shelf.)

[Ciprian]

I have a project that involves an online library and the authors are giving me their books to transform them into epub through scan+OCR. Some of them need them back, so I'm not allowed to cut and I scan the pages without destroying the book and the do the ocr+epub/mobi.
If you are interested I can help you with the ocr and ebook.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by NASCARaddicted

Hello. I would like to hear your opinion on something I am working on right now.

In the 90s, I got this one book from the USA about a certain subject (just look at my username). I wanted to read it, but back then, my english wasn't very good, so I never got far, even though it is a good book.

Recently, when I emptied an old cupboard, I discovered the book again. And since I am still interested, I thought about reading it now, but due to my ebookreader, I rarely read paperbooks. I searched on the internet if the book is available as ebook, but I didn't find it. So I wanted to scan it by myself. I own a scanner, but the book is very thick, so I would need to push it very hard and maybe break it's spine. I also thought about taking pictures with my camera (a pretty good one) but that would be cumbersome and boring.
However, my father has a scanner, with an automatic document feeder. But to use that, I would have to destroy the book - and I don't want that. So I looked on ebay and I found like 3-4 auctions with this book, at a price between $4 and $15. I thought about getting one of them and cut this one.

But before that, I want to hear your opinion. Even as a kid, I treated my books like they were treasures. I always learned to handle a book well, so buying one just to destroy it would feel strange (even though I still own one in good condition).

What is your opinion?

So, you don't want to use it on a flatbad scanner, because you're afraid you'd crack the spine, but might not have a problem to cut it up?

I could never cut up my books. The few hardcovers I've scanned myself, I just put carefully on the flatbad, one page at the time. It took a bit more time, but in the end I had a good ebook and a still very good looking hardcover...

But I've been considering buying cheap copies and destroying that (same as you), but I doubt I ever could...

[DDHarriman]

Hello

If it’s not just this book - and I’m sure after doing it once, it will not be... -, invest in a Plusteck OptickBook 3600 scanner (http://plustek.com/oeu/products/opticbook-series/) and just scan you own copy without destroying it (you are saving a bit on the price of the scanner already by not buying a second copy!)

Best regards,

[NASCARaddicted]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

So, you don't want to use it on a flatbad scanner, because you're afraid you'd crack the spine, but might not have a problem to cut it up?

I could never cut up my books. The few hardcovers I've scanned myself, I just put carefully on the flatbad, one page at the time. It took a bit more time, but in the end I had a good ebook and a still very good looking hardcover...

But I've been considering buying cheap copies and destroying that (same as you), but I doubt I ever could...

I would never cut up my own book. But int this case, I would buy another one and sacrifice that one. I think I could also scan it with my current scanner, without breaking the spine, but the book has like 400 pages and I am a lazy a.s

I just found a cheap used version of the book that I am searching. It costs like $4, without any shipping charges, so I consider this a bargain. However, I am still not sure if I really will sacrifice it, once I get it.

@DDHariman: I already heard about the Plustek 3600 and I am really interested in it. Currently I use an old Canon Scanner. The strange thing about that one: I use it since many years. Recently I got a new computer with Windows 7. I tried to install it but I found out that Canon did update their drivers to Windows 7. So currently I am using a generic driver called VueScan.

Once I have enough money, I will invest it in a scanner, but right now I am renovating a house that my parents own. Once that is finished I can move in, with my wife - who is 2nd month pregnant. So I am still pretty far away from getting a new scanner.

[wannabee]

You need friends who have the right equipment and it's quick and easy. To guillotine the spine off. Ask the local printer to do it as a favor. They'd be pretty tight if they asked you to pay for one cut. Find someone who has a auto feed scanner that duplexes like the one we have at work which emails the scan to you. It will scan each page in about a second.

With 400 pages you'll need to use Elfwreck's binding method but if smaller perhaps someone you know has a hot glue binder at work with clear covers and you can bind it back up.

[DDHarriman]

Hello NASCARaddicted

With the new information you have posted I agree, buy the book you have found and scan it with your own canon scanner - it will be a bit slower, but you can do it, and... wish you and your lady the best.

Best regards,

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by NASCARaddicted

I would never cut up my own book. But int this case, I would buy another one and sacrifice that one. I think I could also scan it with my current scanner, without breaking the spine, but the book has like 400 pages and I am a lazy a.s

I just found a cheap used version of the book that I am searching. It costs like $4, without any shipping charges, so I consider this a bargain. However, I am still not sure if I really will sacrifice it, once I get it.

I got several (cheap) second-hand books, simply to turn them into ebooks. Still can't get myself to destroy them, even though I bought them for that purpose!