Guntis Smidchens, Scandinavian Studies
Baltic Cultures Homepage

The starting point for this project is a homepage for a course I will
be teaching in Winter Quarter 1998 (beginning January 1998), SCAND 
345/SIS RE
345, 'Baltic Cultures'.  The homepage, however, will be developed as a 
resource
for distance learning.  The Baltic Studies Program, a joint project of the
Scandinavian Studies Department and the Russian, East European and Central
Asian Studies Program, is unique nationwide, and therefore has a mission to
educate students at the UW as well as scholars and public elsewhere.
 
In its final form, the homepage will provide information about the 
cultures of the Baltic States, including textual, photographic and sound 
materials, as well
as links to related sites.
 
I do not have any experience in creating webpages, and would therefore like
some guidance in basics.  I have applied to the university for a course
homepage, and expect to have one later this week.
 
At present, my most pressing need is related to text that I wish to place on
the homepage.  A book which is required reading for the course is out of 
print:
_Fire and Night: Five Baltic Plays_, ed. A. Straumanis (Waveland Press, 
1986).
I have corresponded with the editor, who now holds copyrights to this 
book.  He
is willing to allow the book to be scanned and placed on the homepage, but
asked for additional information:  What program will be used for 
scanning, and
can it deal with foreign (Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian) characters which
appear in the book?  Can the scanning also include photographs?  He 
retains all
rights to the book, and wants to see a sample copyright statement to be
included in the material.  Perhaps there is some other information which 
I should send to him as well.
 
The CARTAH staff schedules must be very busy at this time.  I would, however,
very much appreciate any help that you could give me this week, to make sure
that the page is up and running before the first day of Winter Quarter.
 
Please let me know as soon as possible, if my hopes to work intensively 
on this
project during the present week are realistic.
 
Sincerely,
 
Guntis Smidchens