Book Scanner DIY-style for about $1,500. Wow. Locker Gnome reports that Google has made the specs for the Linear Book Scanner open source. The device is not perfect but even with its flaws (some torn or folded pages, some skipped ones, issues with which books work on the default modes) the price is quite a drop. Locker Gnome sys that the device can scan 1,000 pages in about 90 minutes. Now put on your Google hat. First launch, some flaws, but overall solid iteration. Hmm. Open source it. Ah yes. Let many folks tinker and soon the device will be cheaper, work better, and viola, more analog will be digital data. Mmmm digital data. Yummy. Before folks think only of copyrighted books, remember that the fellow who made some DIY plans for a book scanner that used old cameras and some wood, but needed a human to turn pages, helped developing countries too. Preservation of archives, public records, and many works that are analog but would benefit by being in digital form comes with cheaper, easier tech like these two options. Oh to be capable of non-infringing uses now that fall is here.