A tool in our new online catalog allows you to transcribe any of the millions of digitized primary sources in our holdings. This week in particular, we’ve set a goal to collectively transcribe 1,000 pages.
Transcription is just one part of our Citizen Archivist Dashboard — where we provide opportunities for the public to participate in projects that add value to our holdings and work at the National Archives. And citizen archivists can be any age, so students are welcome to participate!
- declassified records,
- record books of the Confederate Government,
- records relating to the prosecution of Al Capone,
- records from our “Spirited Republic” exhibit highlight the government’s role in alcohol,
- photographs relating to national forests,
- interviews related to the September 11, 2001 attacks (audio recordings),
- Presidential daily diaries,
- and more.
And if you have that favorite document from the National Archives that you always share with students, but wish it was a little easier to read, this is the tool to make that happen!
- Create a username and password in the National Archives Catalog.
- Login from any transcription page or on the login page.
- Start a Transcription Mission, check out More Records, or create your own mission by doing a keyword search for your favorite topics.
- Select the “View/Add Contributions” button located below all images in the catalog.
- Select the “Transcribe” tab for the page of the record you would like to transcribe.
- Select the “Edit” button and remember to save your work frequently.
Check out this example transcription page — Harriet Tubman Davis’s widow’s pension file.
We’d love to hear what transcriptions you tackle!