Merit Badge Books Avialable Online

[wagionvigil]

This needs to go to National I did not realize the Reader could do that.

[tlocklear]

Screen readers are really great. We use them for almost all of our internet research, and a lot of homework. My son is in 6th grade and can keep up with all the reading that they get using a screen reader.

The one we use is called Agent Reader, and we downloaded the shareware version from download.com. We liked it so much we bought a couple of licenses ($13).

This needs to go to National I did not realize the Reader could do that.

How does something go to National? If I can help advocate for this type of service, I will do my best. Please let me know!

Thanks!
Theresa Locklear
http://www.troop1548.net

[wagionvigil]

Write a letter tellthem your sons problem and how WHat you told us would help him as a scout. There must be 1000's of scouts that would help.

[Scout]

I had the same thought more due to the issue of updating merit badge materials on regular basis along with book survival for popular or high activity merit badges. My suggestion to national supply was that a troop would buy a CD set of meritbadge books, then updates on a periodic basis.

National supply wrote back that the idea has been under consideration for sometime but software licenses are the issue. Currently, it would cost more than $100 for an update and "several times that" for the complete set.

My response has been to start using the various merit badge worksheets, then challenge my scouts to find alternative sources of information to complete the merit badge. It is working fantastically well yielding more current information and 3 new merit badge councilors.

[scoutaholic]

The point here isn't really the cost or printing or who bears that cost. Whoever does the printing to paper would have to foot that bill.

If the MB books were available online, then they would be more easily accessibly for those who use special computer reading devices like mentioned above, as well at to the rest of us. If you want a printed copy, buy it printed, or print it yourself. That decision would have to be made not only on the end cost, but the quality and durability of your end product. A good computer printer can print with ink that won't run, but it's hard to bind them at home.

The main reason I would be in favor of an electronic format, is that we could always have access to the current information. In recent years, so many MBs and other requirements have changed, that it is nearly impossible (and expensive) to keep all you literature up to date. For instance, a few years back when they changed the Swimming & Lifesaving requirements (and then changed them again the very next year), I went to the scout shop to buy the current books (several months after the changes). The council scout shop told me that new books weren't available, because they still had so many of the older ones. I asked why I would want to buy a book that I knew was outdated and they couldn't give me a good answer. I had no choice but to find other sources for information I needed that was not in the older books.

I have quit buying MB and requirement books, because they are too soon out of date. Someone need to either make an easy way to access current information, or make the information quit changing!

[WVBeaver05]

scoutaholic, I tend to agree with most of what you say, but when I look at your profile an see programmer it's no surprizing that a computer engineer would agree.

Here are my additional (random) thoughts (incorporating previous posts)--
* There are people (including some "older" programmers that I know), who can not stand electronic "books".

* The requirements seem to be changing much more rapidly than what I remember from being a Scout myself.

* I still like for Scouts to have and read the merit badge book entirely when they are working on it because it consolidates a lot of information together. Even the ones with outdated requirements usually have most of the info that that need.

* The worksheets here and on USSSP are GREAT!!

So, what's the "correct" answer? As usual, there really isn't one. But, what I think is that:

* The printed books still have to be available for those that want/need them.
* Yes, I too, would like to be able to download the books.

Will it happen? My guess is not for quite a while. There are financial implications for National (and probably the local councils) to be sure. But, more to the issue is that BSA National isn't very good/fast at computerization (IMHO).

My thougths FWIW.

YiS

[JRTroop270]

This si a great idea because it makes them more available to scouts and scouters who live a distance from the scout shop. But think of this, most people would buy it, print themselves a copy and then get it copied at like office depot for everyone in their troop and it would cost BSA a lot of money with scouts and scouters doing this.

[scoutaholic]

This si a great idea because it makes them more available to scouts and scouters who live a distance from the scout shop. But think of this, most people would buy it, print themselves a copy and then get it copied at like office depot for everyone in their troop and it would cost BSA a lot of money with scouts and scouters doing this.

Actually, because a scout is Trustworthy, they wouldn't dream of breaking the copyright laws and make copies for the whole troop without paying for it. Those that would do it, are already doing it.
Technically, even if they did, it wouldn't cost the BSA anything, because there is no hard cost to them for the printing of multiple copies. The only "cost" to BSA would be the decreased revenue for not having made multiple sales.
One advantage of publishing digitally is that there is almost no per-unit cost. Once the product is originally produced, the only cost for distributing hundreds, thousands, or even millions of copies, is the costs of keeping your website up.

[Buffalo Bill]

Not too difficult to imagine setting up an E-book type pay site to earn revenue for dowmloading MB booklets online. Offering a complete library on DVD would be another option--sell it through Scout Shops or for download online.

Dollars to donuts--its on the way. Just have to have patience, the true virtue needed when dealing with our dear BSA.

[ynotquilt]

Just had a thought. Wouldn't it be nice if the scout shops had a special printer and all the MB books electronically that they could print on demand. They would never run out of a popular merit badge book. Their copies would never be out of date

[Mrw]

Except the main reason folks want them to be electronic is so they don't need to go to the store to get them and pay the fees required to buy books.

[ynotquilt]

I agree - it would be wonderful to be able to purchase and download at home, but if that weren't feasible, it would be nice if the scout shop could print them out on demand so you don't go to the store 5 times only to find out that once again they don't have the canoeing merit badge book! LOL

[FrankJ]

You can orer them online at scoutstuff.org. Comes in the mail. Almost as good as printing them at the scout shop.

[cballman]

ok people lets look at this in a cost per format. how much does a merit badge book cost? then lets look at how much it cost to print a book on line. first you have to have access to a computer and the internet. if not the public library. which charges 10 cents per page one sided. now if you print of a merit badge book say like Genealogy merit badge. wow you have 72 pages in this one. now if the printer would print 2 pages per page you divide by 2 which gives you 36. mulitpy that number by .10 which eqauls 3.60. now then ask your self if those paper printed books has a cover no so to print a cover with thick enough paper to last it will run about 4.00 a book. cost efficent? I dont think so. now look at ebay and see how old some of the merit badge books are being sold online. I have found some in great shape between 30-50 years old. now will the copies you want last that long? again I dont think so. so IMHO the merit badge books are a great bargin so lets not be to hasty as to put them online and have BSA stop printing them. when you factor in the cost of all the time and research that has went into the design and printing of the books they are a bargin at whatever they sell at.

[wagionvigil]

It is definitely more expensive to print it your self Unless your boss is paying the Tab. Ha!HA!

[scoutaholic]

I'm not sure cost is really this issue we are discussing.

I will concede that the MB books as they are sold at the scout shops are better quality than most people could print themselves. It is likely cheaper to buy the books than to print your own if you want the book that will last for years.

The real advantage to having the books available online, (aside from the advantage for the disabled which was mentioned earlier), is that you have instant access to the current information. You can read it on your computer screen. You can print just key pages, or none at all. This would be a way to get current information, even if the scout shop is out-of-stock, or still selling the old books. You can even buy the eBook while the scout shops are closed.

[JRTroop270]

ok people lets look at this in a cost per format. how much does a merit badge book cost? then lets look at how much it cost to print a book on line. first you have to have access to a computer and the internet. if not the public library. which charges 10 cents per page one sided. now if you print of a merit badge book say like Genealogy merit badge. wow you have 72 pages in this one. now if the printer would print 2 pages per page you divide by 2 which gives you 36. mulitpy that number by .10 which eqauls 3.60. now then ask your self if those paper printed books has a cover no so to print a cover with thick enough paper to last it will run about 4.00 a book. cost efficent? I dont think so. now look at ebay and see how old some of the merit badge books are being sold online. I have found some in great shape between 30-50 years old. now will the copies you want last that long? again I dont think so. so IMHO the merit badge books are a great bargin so lets not be to hasty as to put them online and have BSA stop printing them. when you factor in the cost of all the time and research that has went into the design and printing of the books they are a bargin at whatever they sell at.

I'm not sure cost is really this issue we are discussing.

I will concede that the MB books as they are sold at the scout shops are better quality than most people could print themselves. It is likely cheaper to buy the books than to print your own if you want the book that will last for years.

The real advantage to having the books available online, (aside from the advantage for the disabled which was mentioned earlier), is that you have instant access to the current information. You can read it on your computer screen. You can print just key pages, or none at all. This would be a way to get current information, even if the scout shop is out-of-stock, or still selling the old books. You can even buy the eBook while the scout shops are closed.

I disagree with this. If your in the situation i am where the scout shop is a 45 minute drive away it would cost much more for the books then if you were to be able to print them yourself. And in order to be able to print it you have to have a file on your computer so you could in reality not print it but just use it off of your computer.

now then ask your self if those paper printed books has a cover no so to print a cover with thick enough paper to last it will run about 4.00 a book. cost efficent?

Why not just get a three-ring binder and place them all in there with tab dividers. if you get a 3" diameter ring binder you could easily hold 100 pamphlets.