Thick songbooks

Subject: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 14 - 11:58 PM

Does anyone have a good idea for getting a thick songbook to lay flat without too much stress on the binding?

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 12:01 AM

Boy, I wish I knew the answer. I put songbooks in my scanner quite often, and quite often risk breaking the binding.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 12:18 AM

How thick is thick?

I've been scanning historic documents, including old thick books, for the Special Collections at the library where I work. If you have particular things you're trying to copy out of the book, you can check with local libraries (public and university) and find out if they have an overhead Bookeye scanner and a book cradle or the adjustable platform. Some of those scanners are very expensive so not everyone will have one, but if they do, they might allow the scanning of pages from your book. Some of these scanners have platforms that can be raised and the book pages stay more flat when the binding isn't stretched completely.

Google images for bookeye scanner.

You can see that this one supports the book well and the lens is adjusted so it photographs each page on the plane of the support.

SRS

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 02:38 AM

Not sure of their efficacy and accuracy, but there are (stick) hand scanners to be got at fairly low prices - the ones I've seen look a bit cheap-'n-cheerful.
Would be interested on opinions - I thought about one for a job I had to do a couple of years ago involving scanning articles from a doorstep size of book, but never got round to it.
I did a couple by photographing the propped up open pages and converting them with ABBY Fine Reader, OCR programme - a little time consuming.
Good luck
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST,Crowhugger cookieless
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 03:03 AM

I made permanent alteration to such a book and have been thrilled with how functional the result is! I took the errant tome to a quick copy place and had them trim off the glued binding and replace it with a spiral binding.

Also had them laminate the front & back covers--the back was a stiffer replacement cover I'd cut to size from spare cardboard; I kept the original back as a regular page inside that but it could be discarded if yours has no useful info on it. I also had cut a few spare pages to size for insertion as coloured dividers between sections and some for blank note pages inside front & back covers. I cut these to the book's original size and the added pages got trimmed to perfect fit in the same step where they removed the old glued spine.

The book is now a pleasure to use: it lies flat on table, music stand or piano and everyone who sees it wants to know where I bought that edition. I plan to apply the same treatment to a couple of cookbooks that won't lie flat on the counter.

~CH.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 03:11 AM

That sounds great, Crowhugger....but I hate to do that to a book I paid fifty bucks for.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 08:02 AM

Thanks for the suggestions.
Crowhugger, I like that idea. I just want the books to stay open while I'm holding an instrument and not close immediately. I wish all songbooks had spiral or comb binding.

Jeremy (forgot to give my name before)

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 08:25 AM

Quick method for song sessions -

lay the book open, place an apropriate sized pane of firm clear plastic over
and clip at the edge or corners with folder/bulldog clips.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 09:01 AM

.. or if you can't get the right sized plastic sheet,
you might be able to get away with 2 clear plastic 12" [or longer] rulers
clipped at top and bottom at edge of book if margins are big enough.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 09:03 AM

I saw a neat idea at a local session - two bulldog clips, each with a four-inch bolt fixed to one of the levers. The inventor fixed one clip to the top edge of each cover of the book and when it was opened they propped it up like a lectern.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 09:51 AM

I have been scanning thick songbooks for a while now and haven't had any major problem thus far. Do be careful though because you don't want to risk breaking anything.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 10:07 AM

Thanks for all the help.
I think I'll go with using large clips to hold the pages to the covers. I had thought of this but wanted to see what suggestions people had.
This is just for informal music-making and trying out songs alone or with my son.
Thanks again,
Jeremy

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Bert
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 01:23 PM

You could use a digital camera to copy the book and then run it through some OCR software.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 04:16 PM

If a music book is a paperback (either glued or with a plastic spine) , I pull it apart, punch holes in the pages and put it into a 3-ring binder. Binders stay open and protect contents.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: Crowhugger
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 12:36 AM

LOL, Joe I hear ya! Had I paid that much I'd surely have hesitated. In the long run though I tend not to use a book that fights resting-open, and then what's the point of the $50? So tossing another tenner at it for spiral binding kinda make sense, no? I'm willing to bet you'll love it more than regret it if you can find the courage to break the cardinal rule against "damaging" books.

Leeneia I've done that too with a book that had suitable dimensions! And binders can often be had free of charge towards the end of a yard sale.

~CH.

Subject: RE: Thick songbooks
From: GUEST,tony Rath aka Tonyteach
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 05:56 AM

I photocopy stuff as its easier to hold and use folders with clear plastic sheets to keep it clean or use a large clothespeg or clip