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Yes, there is a PDF version of the Tobey Book! Back in 2000, I began to do serious genealogy work. Several times I visited the Brighton Public Library, driving down from Toronto on Saturdays. My habit was to make a bee-line for the Tobey Book and, after looking for specific things, I would start browsing. At some point, someone would come by and tell me the library was closing. It was obvious that I needed a copy of the book for myself at home.
Also, I was concerned about the risk of losing this information if the books were damaged, lost or destroyed. As an IT consultant for law firms in Toronto at the time, I was very familiar with the process of creating digital backups of important physical documents. As a result, I offered my services to scan the Tobey Book and provide a PDF copy. The Library Board agreed to my proposal and, one Saturday in the fall of 2005, I drove to Brighton. The library staff pointed to three three-ring binders sitting on a table. This was the first time I saw the original version of the book. I took them to Toronto with me.
Over the next week, working mostly in the late afternoon and early evening, I scanned all 700+ of the loose pages from the binders. Then I spent a few weeks working at the process of compiling all the images of the pages into one large, searchable PDF file. Working with law firms meant that I was familiar with Adobe Acrobat and was able to utilize my experience with that tool in order to complete this project. Then, I created CD’s containing the main file and some supporting material. A few weeks after retrieving the binders from the Brighton library, I delivered them back, along with a copy of the CD. Another copy was delivered to Proctor House Museum.
My PDF copy of the Tobey Book is used routinely to support my history and genealogy research. It is easy to search for keywords and find items related to certain names or topics. It is one of my most cherished historical resources.
Since this work was done in 2005, the Brighton Public Library has enjoyed access to the full content of the Tobey Book in PDF form, on their computer systems. It has been used to respond to questions by library patrons and members of the community.
I believe that this is more or less what Mr. Tobey had in mind when he spent so many hours collecting the material.
Thank you, Mr. Tobey!
Also, I was concerned about the risk of losing this information if the books were damaged, lost or destroyed. As an IT consultant for law firms in Toronto at the time, I was very familiar with the process of creating digital backups of important physical documents. As a result, I offered my services to scan the Tobey Book and provide a PDF copy. The Library Board agreed to my proposal and, one Saturday in the fall of 2005, I drove to Brighton. The library staff pointed to three three-ring binders sitting on a table. This was the first time I saw the original version of the book. I took them to Toronto with me.
Over the next week, working mostly in the late afternoon and early evening, I scanned all 700+ of the loose pages from the binders. Then I spent a few weeks working at the process of compiling all the images of the pages into one large, searchable PDF file. Working with law firms meant that I was familiar with Adobe Acrobat and was able to utilize my experience with that tool in order to complete this project. Then, I created CD’s containing the main file and some supporting material. A few weeks after retrieving the binders from the Brighton library, I delivered them back, along with a copy of the CD. Another copy was delivered to Proctor House Museum.
My PDF copy of the Tobey Book is used routinely to support my history and genealogy research. It is easy to search for keywords and find items related to certain names or topics. It is one of my most cherished historical resources.
Since this work was done in 2005, the Brighton Public Library has enjoyed access to the full content of the Tobey Book in PDF form, on their computer systems. It has been used to respond to questions by library patrons and members of the community.
I believe that this is more or less what Mr. Tobey had in mind when he spent so many hours collecting the material.
Thank you, Mr. Tobey!