Transcribe for the Smithsonian



A great method to give back and assist fellow researchers is on the Smithsonian Digital Volunteers online site. Here volunteers from their own homes, some 11,366 “volunpeers” added more to the total 363,434 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts, biodiversity specimens labels that have been collaboratively transcribed, made digital and reviewed since June 2013.  

There is a listing of projects, some partially completed where others need to be started. If you see a project that interests you then click on ‘START CONTRIBUTING TODAY’ and instructions on how to begin will be provided. Some of the listings include: Bladensburg Union Burial Association Records document the activities of a mutual aid society in Bladensburg, Maryland from 1874-1978. There are membership applications, sick certificates, wills, minutes, and membership dues record books or a collection contains two scrapbooks and the personal papers of Dr. Paul Studenski, an early aviator who flew from 1910-1913 or Forton Craton, his memoir, the autobiography of a man whose entire career from college graduation to retirement was spent working in one of the giants of American industry, the General Electric Company.  

A great place to make a contribution. The goal of the Smithsonian Digital Volunteers is: It’s not to be perfect but rather to create more SEARCHABLE, READABLE and USEFUL text to better share and create access to this information.

Here is the link for Tips on transcribing.

Photos: Original Writings; A 1936 letter transcribed and documents transcribed.

Related Familytree.com Blogs:

Transcribing Documents

Digital Access in the Future

Old Documents Transcribed

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