no, because that's cost and everything needs to be the cheapest possible. only valid spend is money going to the shareholders. and chopping off the spine and putting the stack of paper into an automated scanner saves sooo much money over a $5/hr employee flipping pages all day

i think that they might actually want to do the ram gambit all over again - buy up these rare books so that competitors can't get them. destroying them after scanning makes doubly sure that the competition won't get their hands on it