Hello Alan,

We have a Plustek Opticbook 3600 Plus flatbed scanner which has " "zero
edge" scanning which means the scanning module can scan right up to the
edge of the scanner where the book spine is placed."

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpN
o=2447926&CatId=294

http://www.plustek.com/product/main.asp

Looks like there is a 4600 right around the corner.



You could also look at the digital camera based book scanners.. which
capture an image of the book .. supposed to work very well.  There is a
range of options from Do It Yourself or commercial systems.. automated
page turning is another option on these systems.

http://diy.atiz.com/ 
http://hackedgadgets.com/2006/09/26/lego-full-auto-book-scanner/

do-it yourself repro v-cradle for paper books (less than $50)
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ad69d6ea464a4dc79e39cf
c2a1fcbca0&t=13848 

http://runeberg.org/admin/camera.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotic_book_scanner

I know the University of Toronto was using one of the higher end robotic
scanners to archive rare books.
http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/05autumn/library.asp
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/041221-808.asp

Stanford:
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/dlp/bookscanning/ 
http://speaking.stanford.edu/Back_Issues/SOC67/library/Robotic_Book_Scan
ner.html 


Some manufacturers:
http://www.logos.com/features/bookscanner
http://www.4digitalbooks.com/ 


Ryan
 
Ryan Brown
Assistive Technologist
Disability Services
UOIT & Durham College
p 905.721.8668 x2728
f  905.721.3224
e [log in to unmask]
w www.dc-uoit.ca/disabilities



-----Original Message-----
From: Equal Access to Software & Information
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alan Cantor
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 10:42 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scanner for tightly bound books

Hello colleagues and friends,

I received a very interesting question (below) about technologies for
scanning books that do not fit on a regular flatbed, and cannot be cut
apart. I look forward to hearing your ideas. If you want a summary of
the
responses I receive, just ask.

Alan
[log in to unmask]

Is anyone working on an efficient way to scan pages
from books that cannot be laid flat due to tight bindings or antiquity
and collector status?

Used to be you could lay such books over the edge of a flatbed so they
wouldn't have to be opened more than 90 degrees. But now all the
copiers and scanners seem to have wide borders.

I know there is a light pen/pen scanner type thing but that would only
do a line at a time.

I am imagining something like a squeegee for the windshield of your
car, or the head of a floor-sweeper, a narrow rectangle, that could be
swept down a page efficiently and quickly. Obviously it's an
imperfect solution but I have run into at least three occasions where
books cannot be scanned due to tight bindings or because they are rare
and historic and can't be flattened out fully.



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