The Archivist:A DIY Book Scanner
Build this rig with point-and-shoot cameras, skate bearings, and a Raspberry Pi to digitize your bookshelf.
Written by Daniel Reetz, Noah Bicknell, Johannes Baiter, and Matti Kariluoma
Time Required: A Weekend Cost: $500–$1,000
Daniel Reetz/Eric Rojas
FIVE YEARS AGO WE BUILT OUR FIRST BOOK SCANNER FROM SALVAGE AND SCRAP. Book digitization was the domain of giants — Microsoft and Google. Commercial book scanners cost as much as a small car. Unless you chose to destroy your books in sheet-feed or flatbed scanners, there was no safe and affordable way to preserve the contents of your bookshelf on your e-reader.
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