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Old 01-04-2007, 06:52 PM   #18
Studio717
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NatCh
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If these were digitized, she could still use them, and the original could be stored in a nitrogen atmosphere, that would stretch their lives. The longevity benefit from just not being handled as much would be significant.

And that doesn't even address microtext (microfilm/fiche) -- I don't know why that stuff hasn't been converted to digital storage long since -- some folks are still making it for cryin' out loud! It boggles the mind.
...:
I so want this digitization!

I have the same difficulties doing 18th century research. There are plays I've been trying to get the text of that only seem to be on microcard - but the local UC only has one very old reader (it only shows 1/8 of the page at a time) with a copier that only prints a fourth of the shown page. Very frustrating. I've also tried to get pamphlets and such (copies!) from places like UCLA's Clark, but they won't even consider it. Sooo...

When Google announced the whole World's Library idea, I cheered. Not for in print books, but all those old books that are very hard to locate, and even if you do, they are often too fragile to use. If I can find physical copies of old books, I'll scan them, but on the whole they are all too difficult to find. (One book from the library was - literally - tied with twine to hold it together!)

I know there are those who study the history of the book, and in their case, they will need the physical book. But for the rest of us who only want the info that's inside - digital is certainly the way to go, imo.

Just two days ago, I received a POD book that is a reprint of a 1724 medical treatise. I'm very glad I could get it, though I sure would have preferred not to have to pay the $35 price tag. I would just have happily purchased an e-book of this title had it been available.
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