Charges for Scanning -Reply -Reply

[Thomas Dowling]

>
>I see scanners - and probably related OCR software - in our future.
>Don'tcha think that scanners are going to be the copying machines of the
>New Millenium?  I predict that we'll have scanners for the same reasons
>that libraries installed copiers as Dan mentioned.
>

Perhaps, but I don't think today's single-purpose flatbed scanners are a
likely candidate for general library use.  I think it's more likely that as
current photocopiers are retired, they'll be replaced with similar looking
machines that simply add options like: Print (Copy); Save as TIFF/PDF/RTF
(Please Insert Zip Disk or Enter Network Address); E-Mail as TIFF/PDF/RTF
(Please Enter Your Address); FAX (Please Swipe Your Calling Card)...

This will only work when it becomes as idiot proof as today's photocopiers,
if not more so.  The prospect of asking a reference or circ desk to handle
questions from today's scanning apps is a little scary.  ("Hi, I was
scanning an article and got a message that Photoshop LX could not open the
TWAIN source..."  "Hi, I scanned an article yesterday and my computer at
home says 'TIFF directory is missing required StripByteCounts field'.  Am I
missing part of my article?")  And on and on.


Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu