We’ve reported on Freeliterature.org several times. It’s one of the best, if not the best, compilations of free ebook sites on the web. Now I’ve gotten an email from Marc D’Hooghe of the site asking for help:
There is a growing demand on the web, generally at different social reading sites and also at our proofreading partner Girlebooks.com for a book by Carroll Watson Rankin, Dandelion Cottage (first published 1905 I believe, by Henry Holt, NY). Nothing freely available on the web this instant. Books themselves, mostly antiquarian (expensive) – we are in search of usable scans (300dpi) to make an e-book. If any of the public would have the opportunity to provide, we would be happy.
Marc promises that the book will be made available at Project Gutenberg as well.
I suggest he talk to an ILL Librarian at his local library. They can give him a list of what libraries own it. It might be possible to request the book. However, if he contacted librarians at the owning libraries, he might find someone willing to do the scanning. The 1904 edition is showing 34 owning libraries, all of them in the US.
Thanks, Deanna – and is a good suggestion. A couple of months ago e.g. the National Library of Australia scanned a book for us and generously made a usable pdf available. And also, quite some people might have a copy (published before 1923) at home. I’m based in Antwerp (Belgium), and a workable copy isn’t easily found in this region.