Paul Ngyuen, Scribe Scanner Operator
Posted on October 26, 2005 under Uncategorized
After the presentation, I got a chance to chat with Paul about his job as a scanner of books. Since I didn’t record the interview, I’m paraphrasing here, so I’m hoping I get it all right.
Q: How long does it take to be trained to use the Scribe scanner?
A: It’s only about 3 hours in one day, and you’re set to work.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: Since July
Q: How did you find this job?
A: I was looking at the Archive.org site one day, because I find it interesting, and I noticed they had job openings. I thought about how massive and noble a cause it was, and thought it was pretty cool, so I applied. Not long after, I had an interview, and I got the job.
Q: How many people do this job here?
A: Just one, for now. We just hired another scanner.
Q: Do you find this terribly boring? Do you ever just want to tear your hair out?
A: No. It’s actually pretty easy. I usually listen to music, MP3s, audio books, while I work.
Q: Are you studying anything to do with books or libraries?
A: Nope. I’m a business major.
Q: What was the last book you read for fun?
A: A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel.
Check out Paul’s blog at http://www.TaketheMoneyandRun.org/blog/
Tags: checkitout, conference, technology
