Bookshare Scanning Guidelines

Table of Contents
How to Scan a Book
How to Select a Book to Scan
How to Submit a Book for Proofreading
Book Information Pages
•	Book Information Page 1
•	Book Information Page 2
•	Book Information Page 3
•	Book Information Page 4
Tips for Scanning
•	Retain Page Breaks
•	Describing Images
•	Children’s Books
•	Poetry Books
•	Inserting New Page Breaks on PC
•	Inserting New Page Breaks on Mac
•	Normalize Your File
Scanning FAQs
•	Do I Need My Own Scanner to Scan Books for Bookshare?
•	When will my Scanned Book be Proofread?
•	What is a BSO?

How to Scan a Book
Here are the basics. For more information, visit the Tips for Scanning section, especially if your book contains anything unusual, such as footnotes, endnotes, graphics, etc.
Here are the basics. For more information, visit the Tips for Scanning and Proofreading section, especially if your book contains anything unusual, such as footnotes, endnotes, graphics, etc.
•	Bookshare only accepts files in RTF (Rich Text Format)
•	Choose scanner settings (refer to the manufacturer's instructions, as brands/models vary) that:
o	Retain page breaks
o	Include page numbers (do not use headers or footers) unless your book is under 35 pages
o	Remove images (you may need to go back and remove these manually)
o	Save in rich text format (RTF)
•	Scan all pages, including blank pages
•	Do a post-scan check – review for the following:
o	All copyright information and a separate title page are included
o	Page breaks, page numbers and paragraph breaks that match the original book (do not use headers or footers) are included
o	Images have been removed
o	Minimal scan errors (scannos)

How to Select a Book to Scan
Some volunteers will choose to work on books that have been requested by members. Others choose a book they find personally interesting. Whether you're scanning your favorite novel or a historical biography, there are some common things to consider when you are selecting a book:

Just make sure that:
•	The book is not already be in Bookshare’s® collection (unless you are improving an existing copy or BSO)
•	It contains copyright information or Public Domain/Creative Commons documentation
•	It has a title page
•	Pages must have numbers (unless it has 35 pages or less)
•	Due to technical limitations, images must be removed (written image descriptions may be substituted)

Please note:
•	New York Times Best Sellers and major periodicals are already being scanned on a regular basis
•	Bookshare cannot accept:
•	eBooks (even if they have been printed and scanned)
•	standardized tests  
•	teacher editions of textbooks
•	copyrighted dramatic works (plays or screenplays)

How to Submit a Book for Proofreading
Now that you’ve successfully scanned a book, you’re ready to submit it to Bookshare's Checkout Queue. From there a proofreader will grab it and clean it up

•	Login to www.bookshare.org and go to "My Bookshare"
•	Under Volunteer Home select “Submit a Book”
•	Select the scanned book (the RTF file) from your computer and upload it. The entire book must be saved in a single file
•	If you're submitting a book in a language other than English, please first contact us
•	Select "upload" and be patient. Bookshare is analyzing the scan...

Book Information Pages
Once you have submitted your scanned file, you will be taken through a series of pages asking for information.

Book Information: Page 1
Once you have submitted your scanned file, you will be taken through a series of pages asking for information. 

On the first page you will see:

•	QUALITY ANALYSIS:  This is a computer-generated flag based on the number of perceived errors. Do not change this section.
•	ISBN: At the bottom of the same page as the Quality Analysis you will find a place to input the ISBN number. This number should match the ISBN number listed in the copyright page of your file. If the copyright page does not list an ISBN, do not add it in from another source. If your file does have an ISBN, when you enter it and click "Next," information will auto-populate. If you have an ISBN, enter it now.

Book Information: Page 2
If you have entered an ISBN on the previous page you will find much of this information auto-filled. Please input any information that has not been auto-filled using the copyright page of your book

•	ISBN: This should match the ISBN in the file. If there isn't one, do not add one from another source
•	Title: Make sure the title matches up with the title on title page. If there is a subtitle, include it after the main title and a colon.
o	If this book is part of a series, format as follows: Book Title (Series Name #1[or whatever number it is))
o	If you are working with a proofreader and want to put a hold on this book, write the words "HOLD FOR [PROOFREADER'S NAME]" before the title of the book in all caps
•	Author: Multiple authors should be separated by a comma. Author's names should be entered as: First Name Last Name
•	Copyright Holder: This should match the information on the copyright page
•	Copyright Date: This should match the information on the copyright page
•	Publisher: This should match the information on the copyright page
•	Brief Synopsis and Long Synopsis: Keep the "brief" synopsis, well, brief. You may expand the description in the long synopsis. In both synopses, make sure to write complete sentences that are grammatically correct
•	Country Restrictions:  This relates to geographical copyright restrictions:
o	Mark the country restrictions as “The Americas” and “United States”
o	Do NOT check any "State Restrictions"
o	Under "Usage Restrictions" you will likely select "copyright" and, if not, you must be able to prove that it is in the Public Domain or Creative Commons
•	Click Next

Book Information: Page 3
On this page you'll find a list of categories. Most likely several will be automatically checked. Read through the checked ones and make sure they're accurate. If they aren't, unclick them. If any are missing, add them in.

•	From the list of categories, choose the ones that will be most helpful. For example: a children’s story about a family in the Midwest in pioneer days who happen to have a pet dog should be marked (1) Children's Books, (2) Literature and Fiction, and (3) History. The categories Animals or Outdoors would not be as helpful in this instance
•	If this a children's or teen's book, that category takes priority
•	If this is a textbook, please mark that categoryAdult Content: Material containing explicit sexual content of the type which would not be available for purchase by a minor (age 18 or younger) and which would not be found in a public library, should be designated as "adult content"
o	Bookshare members under the age of 18 will not be allowed to download material with this designation
o	Material which anyone of any age could obtain from a store or library, whether or not it contains mature content, should not be classified as "adult content"
o	Material with mature content, such as graphic violence or explicit scenes of intimacy, may be flagged in the synopsis with descriptive wording. For example, "Attack of the Killer Clowns depicts the gruesome and bloody tale of two teens that get lost in an amusement park and hunted by evil clowns"
o	If the book does contain adult content, click the checkbox
•	Click Next

Book Information: Page 4
This is the final page before submitting your book! As part of our quality assurance process, we require that a scanned book must be proofread by someone other than the volunteer who prepared the scan*

•	Enter your email address in the space provided so proofreaders may contact you with questions
•	Click Submit and your scanned book will be added to the Proofreading Queue! You will receive an email within minutes verifying that the submission has been received

*Exception: universities which have been granted partner status may check the box bypassing the Proofreading Queue and submitting directly to the Approval Queue.

Tips for Scanning

Retain Page Breaks
When scanning, make sure to retain page breaks. This is a scanner setting. Do NOT retain line breaks.

When proofreading, make sure that the page breaks are hard page breaks, which appear either as a dotted or solid blue line with the words "Page Break" in the middle of the dots or line. They appear as dotted lines with the words "page break" in the middle of the dots (Example:...page break...) or as a blue line with the words "Page Break" through it. If missing, add a hard break. (In MS Word for PC, click where you want to start the new page. On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, click Page Break. In MS Word for Mac, click the place where you want to insert a new page break, go to "Insert" at the top of your screen and select "Break" and then "Page Break") 

A dotted line WITHOUT the word "page break" (Example: .......................) is a "soft" break and can be ignored.

Blank pages must be retained and should be noted as such by writing "Blank Page" in square brackets.

Describing Images
If the book that you are scanning contains images and you have the interest and ability to describe them, please follow these instructions

•	Put the description where the image is in the text, unless the image appears in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. In that case, move the description to the immediately after the sentence or paragraph
•	Place image description in square brackets: [  ]
•	Preceed the description with the word "Image" 
•	Unless you can use a more descriptive word than image (such as "map," "illustration," "diagram," etc. If you can, do it!
•	Write in complete sentences and use correct grammar
•	Be objective
o	Rather than writing [Image: A boy pounds his fists, jumps with excitement, and shrieks happily.], write: [Image: A boy jumps into the air with his hands balled into fists overhead. He is smiling with an open mouth.] You don’t know that he’s happy, but by describing his smile, the reader can assume it. You also don’t know that he’s shrieking, but by describing his open mouth, the reader can assume it. 
•	Keep it concise
o	Do not duplicate information in the text
o	If the image is already described in the text, simply write: [Image described in text]
•	Consider your audience 
o	Is the book for young children? Use age-appropriate vocabulary. Is it an advanced science book? Use more complex words than you might for a kids’ book
o	Don’t introduce new concepts
o	Read the text around the picture for context

Example: [Image: A large brown cow is standing in a green field in front of a red wooden barn.]

Children’s Books
•	If the book is under 35 pages, page numbers are not required unless they are already in the book
•	Never repaginate the text
•	If the book is over 35 pages and does not have page numbers, contact the Volunteer Coordinator
•	Repetitive text must be separated by three asterisks (*) or all but the first instance will be removed

Poetry Books
•	Our conversion process removes blank lines so be extra careful when formatting poetry
•	Repetitive text must be separated by three asterisks (*) or all but the first instance will be removed
•	Use one or three asterisks to denote large spaces in the text or text separated by one single decorative character

Inserting New Page Breaks on PC
•	Click on the place in the file where you want to insert the page break
•	Along the top of the file go to "Insert" to the right of "Home" and to the left of "Page Layout"
•	Under "Pages" click "Page Break" 
•	You should see a dotted line with the words "Page Break" immediately appear

Inserting New Page Breaks on Mac
•	Click on the place in the file where you want to insert the page break
•	Go to "insert" at the very top of the page above the actual document and click "Break" from the dropdown menu
•	Select "Page Break"
•	You should see a pale blue, straight line with the words "Page Break" immediately appear

Normalize Your File
•	Go to “View” and then select “Draft.” Under “Home” and then “Editing” and then “Replace,” put “^p^p^p” in the “find” section and “^p” in the “replace section. Continue to press “replace all” and “ok” until the number is down to 1 or 0. Repeat with “^p^p” in the “find” section. This removes extra blank lines, which the converter will automatically remove. Sometimes there will not be any replacements to be made. This is just fine.
•	Next, put “^m” in the “Find” section and “^m “ in the “Replace” section (the key here is that there is a space after the “m” in the “replace” section). This will show page breaks. This will not show section breaks, but section breaks are just fine and do not need to be changed to page breaks
•	Go to “Home” and then “Editing” and then “Select.” Select “All” and then click the “Align Left” button. Select a font size that you find easy to read (such as times new roman) and change the font size to 12 point. Next “select all” again and right click to go to “paragraph.” Go to spacing. Change before and after to “0 pt” and line spacing to “single.”

Scanning FAQs

Do I Need My Own Scanner to Scan Books for Bookshare?
Yes. Bookshare volunteers must use their own scanner and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software. The scanner may have built-in OCR software, or the person scanning may have the OCR software as part of a computer program.

When will my Scanned Book be Proofread?
It depends. Proofreaders may choose any book to proofread, just like scanners may choose any book to scan. The time in which your book will be proofread will depend on how well the book is scanned, how long or complicated the book is, and whether or not a proofreader finds the content interesting. If you have double-checked that your scan is very clean and has minimal scannos you have a better chance of having your book proofread quickly. If your book is especially long or has lots of footnotes and endnotes, it may be a bit daunting to a proofreader. If no one is proofreading your scan, you might consider emailing the Volunteer Discussion List to let other volunteers know about the book. Make sure to include a summary!

What is a BSO?
BSO stands for "Better Scan Of." If you browse the collection and find a book that is of poor quality, or, if you are not a member, if you find out about one such book, you may rescan the file as a "BSO."
•	Submit the book as usual but put the letters "BSO" in all capitals in front of the title
•	Proofreaders should leave the letters where they are
•	An admin will remove them when reviewing the book for approval and, at the same time, remove the existing version of the book