dpc wrote:If it were me, I'd be using a flat bed scanner for photos. Much easier to use and better lighting and resolution.
Yes, the only question is speed... But in practice using a book scanner might not be so much faster, although there might be some scope for refining the process for loose photos.
And with a flatbed, several photos can easily be scanned at once and then separated and straightened automatically in software, although the scan time would increase with the increase in the length of the scanner bed scanned. Single small photos, or photos palced side-by-side, should be scanned reasonably quickly if the scan is set up optimally.
Edit:
A flatbed scanner could also scan slides and possibly negative film, depending on the model, which could be relevant to archiving, and would be relatively inexpensive compared with the book scanner if both are required.