Usb scanners and Linux

[vu pham]

I need to interface an app, running under Linux, to get scanned jobs 
from a scanner connected to the server via usb cable.

Rarely do I use usb scanners, even with Windows ( most of the scanners 
in my work environment are networked scanners and they will send the 
scanned jobs to the destination by emails ), could anybody share your 
experience with usb scanners under Linux.

1. Do usb scanners work well with Linux as printers ?
2. Do we have a common programming interface for those scanners ?


Thanks,

Vu