A robot that can rapidly turn the pages of both small and large books while scanning the text is being used by librarians at Stanford University. The robot, which is the size of a sport utility vehicle, can scan at speeds of more than 1,000 pages an hour.
The device brings librarians one step closer to being able to make scholarly and scientific knowledge available on the Internet. To achieve this goal, the texts of millions of books, journals and magazines must be digitized by turning each page, flattening it and scanning it into a computer database.
Until now, this task was done by students or low-cost workers, but the machines are already generating interest from libraries and private and nonprofit groups working to digitize books.
Although digitizing machines are faster and often more accurate than manual systems, they are also typically more expensive. The machines become cost effective on projects larger than 5.5 million pages, which suggests that the majority of digitization will still be done by hand for the next several years.
In India or the Philippines, books can be scanned and digitized for $1 to $4 per book. However, there are costs incurred for loss of quality control.
One of the biggest challenges facing groups trying to digitize books is addressing copyright restrictions. Such restrictions appear to be tightening as a result of new federal laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.
However, according to librarians, a digital collection could vastly improve the availability of knowledge and information.
Reuters Health May 10, 2003
This technology is important to spread knowledge throughout the world, which is one of the goals of this Web site. Remember that the Internet is one of the most powerful inventions since the printing press for spreading information.
The technology allows the masses to have access to information that would have been impossible for them to see previously due to the costs involved.
I have enormous respect for Stanford, and I am not surprised that they are doing it. Their computer departments are extraordinary, and they are clearly committed to the philosophy of sharing information.
My favorite search engine, Google, was produced by two Stanford graduates.
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